Purchase and Sale of Agricultural and Rural Property and Rural Finance Solicitors

Purchase and Sale of Agricultural and Rural Property and Rural Finance
The decision to sell or purchase a farm or farmland is often an important business or personal decision. Perhaps in relation to investment for growth, or a key person stepping down. These transactions can be complex and challenging. We are trusted by clients across the sector to give pragmatic and commercial advice that guides them through.

For most people, buying or selling a rural property is a rare event. Expert advice will be required to ensure that the transaction and any financing are structured in the best possible way.

Our large team includes specialists in this area such as Petra Grunenberg, Emma Robertson, Richard Leslie and Stuart Greenwood, all of whom have considerable experience of dealing with purchases and sales of all kinds of rural assets, including residential rural properties, farms, estates, fishing interests, existing renewables projects and forestry portfolios. We’ve acted for individuals, institutional investors, landed estate owners and farming businesses across Scotland – and in doing so we’ve built a reputation for high-quality service and a pragmatic, commercially-minded approach.

As well as purchases and sales, we also advise on voluntary registration of complex titles, transfers of interest in property, and inter-business transfers. Where required, we are assisted by our firm’s Private Wealth and Tax team, who provide additional specialist assistance.

Meet our key contacts

Petra Grunenberg

Partner and Head of Rural Property and Business

Meet our full team

Kathryn Argo

Senior Solicitor

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Emma Brown

Solicitor

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Vicky Christie

Senior Associate

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Emma De Sailly

Senior Associate

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Gillian Gibbons

Director

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Alexandra Lane

Director

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Hamish Lean

Partner

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Related articles and insights: Purchase and Sale of Agricultural and Rural Property and Rural Finance

8 September 2025

Right to roam v right to resort: Scottish Borders Council approves draft byelaw for Center Parcs development

Contributor: Stephanie Hepburn

Scottish Borders Council backs a draft byelaw to restrict public access at the proposed Center Parcs site near Hawick, sparking debate over Scotland’s right to roam and the future of open countryside.

17 April 2025

So you’re buying a rural property!

Contributor: Petra Grunenberg

You’ve submitted your offer, and it has been accepted but now your solicitor/paralegal will need to examine title – what is it they need to check that is different to buying a property in an urban area?

26 March 2025

Notification of first registration of crofts: A “belt and braces” approach?

Contributor: Stephanie Hepburn

This article considers the Land Court’s judgment in Toms v Lambert and what it tells us about the notification requirements that apply when a croft is registered for the first time.

24 March 2025

On the verge – the extent of servitudes in Scotland

Contributors:
Emma De Sailly, Stephanie Hepburn

In this article, Stephanie Hepburn and Emma De Sailly consider two recent cases concerning servitude rights of access.

4 October 2024

Compulsory improvement of energy efficiency in Scotland: What next?

Contributor: Jamie Grant

Transactions involving large properties can trigger a requirement to improve the energy efficiency of the building. Learn when the requirement is triggered, who is affected, and what action is required.

31 May 2024

The introduction of Lotting Decisions: What the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill 2024 proposes for the future of landholding transfers.

Contributors:
Stuart Greenwood, Robbie Toole

The transfer of certain landholdings could be subjected to the new Land Reform (Scotland) Bill 2024 provisions on lotting decisions. These changes would significantly reshape the way holdings can be sold, with a mandatory lotting decision to take place before the transfer.

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