The Scottish government has taken control of the revenue and management of Crown Estate assets north of the border worth £272m.
A body being called Crown Estate Scotland (Interim Management) officially took command of the portfolio as part of further devolution agreed under the Smith Commission.
CES will oversee seabed areas hosting offshore wind, wave and tidal, foreshare regions and a large chunk of onshore holdings. Associated gross revenues were £14m in 2015-16.
Land Reform Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “We have a genuine, once in a lifetime opportunity to use them to change the fabric of Scottish society, placing the needs of local and coastal communities at the centre of our long term planning for these considerable assets.
“I along with the staff of the new interim management body will seek to manage the estate responsibly, delivering benefits to our partners, tenants and communities and ensuring it remains in good order as we continue to develop our long term plans.”
Consultation on the long-term management of CES, which has been established as a “public corporation”, was completed on 29 March.
Image: marine energy areas are among those being passed into Scottish control (EMEC)
