Agriculture, land & estates
Rural solicitors with a different perspective
Living and working in rural Scotland brings distinct challenges. When your livelihood is generated from the rural environment you need advisers who are not only specialists in the law relating to land and estates but who understand rural life.
Our agriculture and estates team is among the largest in the country and is fully immersed in rural affairs, operating out of offices in Inverness, Lerwick and Thurso as well as Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Whether you are seeking routine management advice, grappling with legislative changes or even looking to restructure or diversify, we have the skills, strength and depth to address your specific legal needs.
As well as our core team, we can deliver skills and expertise from across our full range of legal services, allowing us to advise far beyond the scope of the ‘traditional’ rural solicitor. From our market leading knowledge of the new Land Registration regime to our work with bodies including Scottish Natural Heritage, we have a perspective on land and estates matters which sets us apart.
We provide a full range of services in all areas including:
- Agriculture
- Crofting
- Farming
- Forestry and forestry management
- Land registration
We have offices across the country, in Inverness, Lerwick and Thurso as well as Edinburgh and Glasgow, and act for many estate owners throughout Scotland. We are ranked in both of the leading independent legal directories, Chambers UK and The Legal 500.
Key contacts - get in touch
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Partner
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Partner
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Senior Solicitor
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Partner
Key services
We provide the full range of legal advice in relation to:
- Land and estates
- Forestry and forestry management
- Farming and agriculture
- Crofting
- Land registration
These include:
- Land acquisitions and disposals
- Land and estate management, including agricultural tenancies and sporting and fishing rights and access rights
- Estate planning and asset protection
- Land registration
- Renewable energy
- Minerals
- Property litigation
- Employment issues
- Secured lending and refinancing
More information
Agriculture
Our agricultural solicitors are experienced in the management of agricultural property and land, and the issues that can arise from this. We can guide you through the process regarding any legal affair related to farming or land.
Our rural property experience also sees us work with the leading banks and financial institutions on funding and refinancing rural businesses and property.
We also have extensive experience of advising on any disputes that arise from agricultural property, including land and boundary disputes and issues regarding leasing and tenancy.
Land & estates
We act for many estate owners on everything from routine management advice to restructuring and diversification.
We work closely with colleagues in our market leading energy & natural resources team to enable you to maximise opportunities to exploit your natural resources, including wind, water and minerals.
Along with personal legal services such as family law, trusts, estate planning and asset protection advice, our family-owned business specialists can advise on partnerships, family charters and constitutions, and potential exits.
And we regularly work with financial institutions on funding and refinancing land and estates.
Estate purchases and sale
We have advised on a range of estate acquisitions and disposals, from smaller estates and large farms to traditional sporting estates, including advice on purchase vehicles and funding, as required.
Estate management
We provide a wide range of estate management services, including routine day to day management, the grant, resumption and termination of agricultural tenancies, residential tenancies, crofting, sporting rights, access legislation, land registration, legislative change and employment advice.
Forestry
We have a wealth of experience in the purchase, management and sale of forestry plantations and estates and have advised on grant agreements, crop establishment and harvesting and forestry leases. We are the sole supplier of property legal services to Scotland’s biggest landowner, Forestry and Land Scotland. We also act for a number of other leading rural sector bodies, including Scottish Natural Heritage and Cairngorms National Park Authority.
Land registration
We have unrivalled expertise in land registration under the new regime. Professor Robert Rennie, one of our partners, is an architect of the 2012 Act and he and Frances Rooney, who heads up our Land Registration team, are in regular consultation with the Registers of Scotland, the Law Society of Scotland and other key stakeholders to proactively develop law and practice around land registration. Our dedicated team can allocate specific resources and skills to managing large-scale registrations of estate titles, and work with you and your agents to find the best solution to register land – or to deal with competing rights – in as cost efficient, quick and safe a way as possible.
Asset protection & estate planning
Effective estate planning can involve fairly complex tools, such as trusts, while other planning vehicles, like gift making, can be simple and straightforward. We can offer practical advice tailored to suit your particular circumstances. Common issues include making sure your family business passes on to the right people, which can be one of the most difficult paths to navigate within any family.
Chambers UK 2021Advises on the full range of agriculture and rural transactions, including forestry agreements, land registration, crofting matters, bank lending and private client advice. Regularly deals with high-value and complex forestry transactions. Continues to advise on renewable energy schemes as well as community ownership issues.
As a modern working estate it is hugely important that you work with people who understand the business and its aims, and Harper Macleod have always been very knowledgeable about what we do. As well as understanding the traditional operations of an estate, David Eason has also advised us on diversification issues which require advice from someone who understands the distinct challenges which come with managing estates.
HM Client
A client praises the team's "wide range of legal resources and expertise, especially in land matters."
Chambers UK 2021
Chambers UK reports that a client notes: "I have been very impressed with the ability of the firm to deal swiftly and accurately with a wide range of different problems. They are always friendly and approachable and never give the impression of anything being too much trouble for them. It is very much the complete service with a deep understanding of where the client is coming from."
Chambers UK
Strong public sector rural practice, which advises government departments and community bodies on a range of agricultural matters. Also acts for rural landowners including Forestry Commission, Scotland's largest landowner.
CHAMBERS UK
Contact us
Call us for free on 0330 159 5555 or complete our online form below for legal advice or to arrange a call back.
