Rural Property and Business
Our team of agricultural specialists is deeply connected with the rural world, and many of the relationships we’ve built have lasted through generations. We offer practical advice and insight on succession planning, sales and purchases, renewables projects, agricultural tenancies, and the full range of issues that matter to people who live, work or operate in the rural sector.

The rural world has seen a lot of change in recent years. Land reform, Brexit, taxation changes and climate change have all created uncertainty and risk. We work with individuals and institutions across the rural sector, giving them the specific guidance that they need to move forward in this rapidly evolving environment.

The close connections that many of our senior lawyers have within the rural sector give us a deep understanding not just of our clients’ perspectives and priorities, but the realities and challenges of their day-to-day work. We greatly value the relationships we’ve developed over time, some of which have continued from one generation to the next.

Our legal expertise is exceptionally strong (with five members of our team accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as Specialists in Agricultural Law) and broad, covering everything from renewables to tax to disputes. And this is augmented by support from the other specialist teams within the firm.

All of this means that we’re able to help our clients with all the various legal issues that they might face. It also enables us to proactively guide them – alerting them to new laws or other future developments, and giving them the advice they need to manage those changes successfully.

We have expertise in all areas of rural and estate law, including:

Meet our key contacts

Petra Grunenberg

Partner and Head of Rural Property and Business

Contact by email

+44 (0)1224 343 554

+44 (0)758 588 8647

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Meet our key contacts

Stuart Greenwood

Partner

Forestry, Carbon and Natural Capital, Agricultural Tenancies, Share Farming and Contract Farming Arrangements

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Petra Grunenberg

Partner and Head of Rural Property and Business

Rural Property and Business, Rural Succession Planning, Renewables, Purchase and Sale of Agricultural and Rural Property and Rural Finance, Farming Partnerships

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Stephanie Hepburn

Partner

Right of Responsible Access, Crofting Law

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Hamish Lean

Partner

Agricultural Tenancies, Share Farming and Contract Farming Arrangements

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Richard Leslie

Partner

Land Management and Diversification, Forestry, Crofting Law

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Emma Robertson

Partner

Land Management and Diversification, Right of Responsible Access, Farming Partnerships, Crofting Law, Agricultural Tenancies, Share Farming and Contract Farming Arrangements

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Meet our full team

Kathryn Argo

Senior Solicitor

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Sophie Bailey

Senior Associate

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Laura Barron

Associate

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Heather Bird

Director

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Emma Brown

Solicitor

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Alanna Buchan

Solicitor

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Gillian Campbell

Partner

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Vicky Christie

Senior Associate

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Morven Cumming

Solicitor

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Emma De Sailly

Senior Associate

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Rebecca Devine

Senior Solicitor

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Gillian Gibbons

Director

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Aileen Gordon

Senior Associate

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Alexis Graham

Partner

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Olivia Greener

Senior Solicitor

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Stuart Greenwood

Partner

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Petra Grunenberg

Partner and Head of Rural Property and Business

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Emma Hendrie

Senior Solicitor

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Stephanie Hepburn

Partner

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Elaine Hunter

Partner

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Alexandra Lane

Director

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Shona Lean

Solicitor

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Hamish Lean

Partner

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Richard Leslie

Partner

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Keith McLaren

Partner

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Katie McNab

Senior Associate

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John Morrison

Partner

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Harry Oliff

Associate

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Sophie Philip-Davidson

Senior Solicitor

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Scarlett Retallack

Senior Associate

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Emma Robertson

Partner

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Alison Rochester

Partner

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Malcolm Rust

Partner

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Sarah Shepherd

Senior Solicitor

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Ross Simpson

Senior Solicitor

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Douglas Sinclair

Partner

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Matthew Smith

Senior Associate

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Tom Swan

Partner

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Fiona Taylor

Senior Solicitor

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John Townsend

Partner

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Susie Tweedie

Senior Associate

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Lauren White

Solicitor

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Tanya Yesipova

Solicitor

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Related articles and insights: Rural Property and Business

11 February 2026

Gearing up in a challenging legislative environment for the rural sector

Contributor: Petra Grunenberg

We take a look back at the biggest legal changes in the rural sector in 2025.

Read more...

10 February 2026

Community Right to Buy: What has changed in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025?

Contributors:
Stuart Greenwood, Tanya Yesipova

With the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 receiving Royal Assent in December 2025, we look into what changes were introduced to the Community Right to Buy reforms?

Read more...

3 February 2026

Avoiding disputes under the Sale of Goods Act 1979: Key contract terms and remedies that every business should know

Contributor: Thomas McFarlane

When both parties are acting in the course of a business, transactions involving goods are governed primarily by the Sales of Goods Act 1979. In this article, we explain the framework of rights, obligations and remedies that it provides to both buyers and sellers.

Read more...

2 February 2026

Joint ventures in the clean energy sector: Terminating a joint venture

Contributor: Cath Macrae

In this tenth and final instalment in our series exploring joint ventures in the clean energy sector, we explore the top 10 key points to keep in mind when preparing for the possible termination of a joint venture.

Read more...

19 January 2026

Action required: A possible response to IHT changes must be completed before 6 April

Contributor: Gillian Campbell

The recent changes to Inheritance Tax create an opportunity for effective estate planning – but only until 6 April.

Read more...

8 January 2026

Community Right to Buy: Abandoned neglected or detrimental land

Contributor: Ann Stewart

Among the rights to acquire land that are available to communities in Scotland is the right to buy abandoned or neglected land, or land which is causing harm to the environment due to its condition or activities on it.

Read more...

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Contact us

Petra Grunenberg

Partner and Head of Rural Property and Business

Contact by email

+44 (0)1224 343 554

+44 (0)758 588 8647

Connect on LinkedIn

Download vCard

View Profile