As Scottish ministers prepare a land reform bill which could herald some landowners being forced to sell their land, proprietors are being urged to demonstrate the benefits they already deliver for rural Scotland.

Scottish Land & Estates (SL&E), the landowners' representative body, has particular concerns over the proposed new powers for Scottish Ministers or another public body - "to direct private landowners to take action" if they are preventing sustainable development in a local area, if necessary by forcing them to lease or sell their land.

The owners believe this is ideologically driven.

However the Scottish Government last week published the results of the public consultation on its land reform proposals which received over 70 per cent support from respondents, including 87 per cent for he proposal to introduce a land rights and responsibilities policy; and 71 per cent for the proposal to remove the exemption from business rates for sporting estates.

Now the landowners are highlighting arguments in their defence, well ahead of the bill which is due to be published before the summer recess.

Speaking at SL&E's conference in Edinburgh on delivering public benefit from private land, David Johnstone, chairman of the organisation said landowners were already meeting the challenges set-down by government head on, but that more needed to be done to cut through "time worn stereotypes" to demonstrate the benefits to all of private landownership.

He said: "There is very compelling evidence right across Scotland to demonstrate the public benefit that private landowners deliver. It is there for all to see in tourism, energy, housing, conservation and a host of other sectors, many of which provide no commercial return for landowners.

"The challenge we face is to break down the stereotype image that is so convenient for those who are critical of the very existence of estates. They do not wish to acknowledge what is happening on the ground and what can be achieved in the future."

Mr Johnstone said that at a local level, there was a great deal of recognition of the contribution of landowners and their businesses. However, in the national political debate, that local recognition " is often overshadowed by arguments rooted in ideology, "he claimed.

But Dr Aileen McLeod, Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, who gave the keynote address at the conference, defended the land reform proposals. She said: "Our vision for land reform is that Scotland's land delivers the greatest benefit to all the people of Scotland. We fully recognise the expertise and role of land owners in managing land. But we want to see greater collaboration between communities and land owners, with agreement over how priorities and benefits should be delivered from land. I believe that the reforms proposed in the land reform bill will benefit all those with a stake in the future of land ownership and land management in Scotland."