Landowners have had a huge influence on Scotl&. The castles, mansions, roads, churches & harbours they have built & the woodlands they created still survive in many parts of the country. In a bygone age, clan chiefs enjoyed unswerving loyalty from their followers & lairds had their own courts with the power to hang those who broke the law on their l&. Today, the landowner's power is diminished & the chieftain's link with his people is lost, but many old families continue to cling to vast estate. The traditional lairds have been joined in the ownership of Scotland by foreign businessmen & aristocrats, & by rock stars, pension funds & environment groups. 80 per cent of Scotland is still governed by lairds of one kind or another, whose motives are often less than altruistic. In WHO OWNS SCOTLAND NOW?, Auslan Cramb raises important questions. Should areas containing internationally important species & habitats be sold to the highest bidder? Should crofting estates be priced beyond the means of the local community? Should vast areas of be treated as occasional homes & managed, often to the detriment of the environment, for deerstalking, grouse-shooting & salmon fishing?