Abstract
The first pressings of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band 1974 album The Good Earth came with an unusual proposition. Along with seven tracks of prog-rock intellectual property, buyers also had the chance to acquire something more tangible: one square foot of land at Llanerchyrfa in mid-Wales.
This marketing stunt was not a unique idea. Then, as now, there is a trade in these so-called souvenir plots – the ideal gift perhaps for someone with a sentimental attachment to their ancestral home. The legal rules around them are the same in England and Wales, but it is a different story in Scotland. If you buy a souvenir plot in a glen, you cannot register the transaction, which means you cannot take ownership of it. At a time when the Scottish government is reforming the rules about Scottish land, is it time for this to change?
This marketing stunt was not a unique idea. Then, as now, there is a trade in these so-called souvenir plots – the ideal gift perhaps for someone with a sentimental attachment to their ancestral home. The legal rules around them are the same in England and Wales, but it is a different story in Scotland. If you buy a souvenir plot in a glen, you cannot register the transaction, which means you cannot take ownership of it. At a time when the Scottish government is reforming the rules about Scottish land, is it time for this to change?
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Specialist publication | The Conversation |
| Publication status | Published - 9 Feb 2016 |
Keywords
- England
- Scotland
- Nicola Sturgeon