Let’s re-embrace Dúthchas as we rewild and repeople Scotland

SCOTLAND has a rich history of understanding how deeply people, the land, nature and culture are intertwined. In Gaelic, this understanding is captured in a word: Dúthchas.

Dúthchas also speaks to respect and responsibility. Of people who can have a real say in their future, and who consider the interests of future generations.

But has our nation lost its way here? Perhaps. Today, Scotland is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. And it has one of the world’s most concentrated land ownership patterns, with some 400 people controlling half of its privately owned land.

These issues are entwined, and there is an urgency to address both.