THE cost of compiling comprehensive details about land and property in Scotland owned by Russians would cost more than £50,000, according to the MSP who is campaigning for an end to fees.

Registers of Scotland, which holds the information, charges up to £30 per transaction. A report which details overseas companies that own land in Scotland costs £1,560. However a complete search of companies through which ownership may be channelled would cost £51,000, according to Scottish Greens MSP Andy Wightman.

Wightman raised the fees issue with the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the Scottish Parliament this week.

He told the Sunday Herald afterwards: “The public have a right to be able to access information on the ownership, value, use and governance of land and property in Scotland. Such information is currently hard to find, difficult to access and expensive to obtain.

"Scotland needs a land information system that meets modern standards of open data and accessibility. The Scottish Government has failed to deliver this through the ScotLIS project and open access to data is the only way such an ambition can be realised,” he said

When challenged by Wightman in the Scottish Parliament, Sturgeon responded: “It is true that Registers of Scotland operates as a trading fund and relies on incomes from fees but, as an open register, information on individual properties is available to all for between £3 and £24 per transaction.

“Last October, Registers of Scotland launched the Scottish land information service – ScotLIS – which is a new, map-based online land information service, which means that anybody can access information about land or property in Scotland. Initial searches are free of charge. ScotLIS will continue to be developed and improved based on customer feedback.”

Wightman described the new system as “merely an index”.

“It’s not map-based, it doesn’t reveal ownership or valuations or statutory designations,” he said.

When asked about Russian ownership of land and properties in Scotland, Wightman said: “All Russian owners I know own through a company.”

And he insisted the public are “denied” access to the data underlying the overseas company report due to the “astonishing” cost.

He said: “Even if you could afford this sum of money, if you wished further details of each of the records, you will need to buy this from Registers of Scotland. It will cost you £30 each and if you wish details of all 1700 companies, that comes to a cool £51,000.”

A spokeswoman for Registers of Scotland said: “As an open register, information on individual properties is available to all for between £3 and £30 per transaction depending on the channel used.

Adding, “As a trading fund, we are entirely self-funded. Our income is dependent on the economic climate and the buoyancy of the property market, as most of our revenue comes from people buying and selling property.

“The analysis and presentation of much of the data collected by RoS requires a huge amount of skill and expertise, as well as significant investment in terms of staff resources. The charges are intended to be a fair reflection of the time and work that goes into the production of our data reports.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman added: “The Scottish Government is determined to improve the transparency of land ownership in Scotland. To enhance that we will introduce regulations to parliament in Spring 2018 for a new public register of controlling interests in owners and tenants of land.”