Land Register completion update

Over the last few months, members of the Land Register completion (LRC) team have been out across Scotland meeting with landowners and their professional advisers to discuss the benefits of voluntarily registering their land and property onto the map-based Land Register.

This included working with Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) to promote our project at joint events and meetings with their members. These have been really useful forums for us to speak with landowners and identify the types of additional products and services RoS can develop to support them through the application stages.

We have contacted all public sector bodies to make them aware of the Scottish ministers’ direction for all public sector land to be voluntarily registered by 2019. We have already held face-to-face meetings with public sector landowners who own around 58% of all public land to offer our assistance in this task.

We believe that landowners will benefit from the state-backed warranty that a title on the Land Register will bring, and that further transactions will be quicker and easier. To support applicants, we have introduced a 25% reduction in registration fees for anyone who makes a voluntary application between now and 2017.

Closure of Sasines Register to standard securities

To assist in the completion of the Land Register, it will not be possible to record a standard security in the General Register of Sasines from 1 April 2016. This means that landowners will need to prepare a voluntary registration application to be submitted along with any new standard security on that property. There will be no fee for a voluntary registration when registering a new standard security. You can get more details on how to prepare a voluntary registration on our website.

St Kilda joins the Land Register

St Kilda has become the first UNESCO World Heritage Site to join the Land Register under keeper-induced registration (KIR).

Held by the National Trust for Scotland, the country’s westernmost archipelago is one of only 24 locations worldwide to be awarded “mixed” World Heritage status for both its natural and cultural significance. The registration includes the island of Hirta’s famous Village Street, a row of 19th century cottages that remained inhabited until 1930.

Sheenagh Adams, Keeper of the Registers of Scotland (RoS), said: “We are delighted to welcome such an important part of Scotland’s heritage and natural beauty onto the Land Register.

“This ensures that St Kilda is protected by a state-backed warranty, further securing the site for the people of Scotland.”

Keeper-induced registration

KIR is a new power introduced by the Land Registration etc (Scotland) Act 2012, which allows the keeper to register land and properties without an application at her discretion. Following the KIR pilot of properties such as St Kilda, we will be launching a public consultation later this year.

This consultation will include considerations on how KIR will differ from voluntary registration. More information on the consultation and how to take part will be published in the Journal.

Law firm performance update

• Pre-intake rejection rates are now at less than 6%
• Of the 6% that were rejected:
  • 36% did not meet statutory requirements
  • 28.6% had an invalid deed
  • 8.9% were rejected by virtue of a prohibition in an enactment

Annual report and accounts

Our annual report and accounts 2014-15 have been laid before the Parliament and will be available on our website from 15 September. If you would like a hard copy, please email communications@ros.gov.uk