Our Rural Services team brings together experts in specialised areas such as agricultural landlord and tenant issues, crofting law, renewable energy, telecoms, forestry, minerals, sportings and feudal dignities. The team includes lawyers accredited in agricultural law.

Expertise from modern renewables to heraldic law

Our services are wide-ranging and include guidance on:

landlord and tenant issues arising from the Agricultural Holdings legislation, Land Court applications and Single Farm Payment entitlements including all aspects of agricultural law
crofting law
recent land reform legislation, including land registration and voluntary registration in the Land Register
renewable energy, including dealing with lease documentation, funding and company formations for wind farms, hydro-electric schemes, biomass plants
servitudes for access and services, private water and drainage systems, public access code issues
sporting rights, shooting and fishing rights, including salmon fishings and related property issues
minerals, including options for leases for sand and gravel, coal and peat extraction
buying, selling and leasing all types of rural property
telecommunications and radio masts
community rights to buy including advising landowners and community companies
commercial and residential developments on greenfield sites.

We are also acknowledged experts in feudal dignities, including the sale, purchase and registration of baronies, lordships and earldoms, legal and historical research, dealing with hearings in the Court of the Lord Lyon.

Services for a diverse client base

We represent clients who have owned their estates for centuries, providing them with a wide range of legal advice.

In addition, we advise farmers, crofters, renewable energy developers, rural charities, hostelling bodies and numerous other companies and private individuals. Clients include the Argyll and Lochiel Estates, Edinburgh University, the Scottish Youth Hostels Association, Rosslyn Chapel Trust, and high-profile individuals such as the TV personality Uri Geller.

"Assists large landed estates with day-to-day matters, including tax and succession planning. Maintains a good reputation in rural conveyancing, as well as crofting, and increasingly active in renewables matters."
Chambers UK: A Client's guide to the UK legal profession