“The nature of the work I am often involved with means I get the opportunity to develop longstanding relationships with my clients and become one of their trusted advisors, which is an incredibly rewarding part of my job.”

An agricultural specialist who has worked purely in rural property since qualifying, Gillian acts for landowners, agricultural tenants, banks and lending institutions on a wide variety of rural property matters.

These include the sale and acquisition of farms, estates, forestry and rural residential property; ongoing estate management; agricultural tenancies (acting for both landlord and tenant); crofting matters; refinancing; and renewable energy projects. She is particularly experienced in acting for landowners in relation to onshore wind and solar developments. This might typically include taking the lead on the negotiation of the option and lease agreements with developers, securing deeds of servitudes for ancillary rights (such as connection to sub-stations and rights of access), and dealing with tenant farmers who occupy the proposed development site.

Sector experience includes:

Admitted

2007: Scotland

Relevant experience

Acting for ten landowners in connection with an option and lease agreement for a large solar and battery project, including dealing with lenders and due diligence on a large volume of farm titles.
Acting for a tenant farmer in the negotiation of a tripartite agreement between them, the developer and landlord in relation to a proposed large onshore windfarm.
Purchase of a large commercial forest near the Borders, involving complex titles and issues including dealing with two clawback agreements and standard securities in connection with them.
Sale of a farming client’s portfolio of farms and a wind turbine site in Angus, including complex titles and five sets of missives.
Advising a landowner on an option and lease agreement for onshore wind development in Fife affecting a secure tenancy and where additional servitude rights from third party landowner were required. Also involved finance work.
Advising the purchaser in their acquisition of a large estate near the Borders. Included dealing with a large number of tenanted residential properties, agricultural leases, a reservoir, and negotiating a complex deed of conditions with the purchaser of the forestry part of the estate.
Advising a landlord in connection with an agricultural tenant relinquishing their secure tenancy, including preparing the agreements documenting the complex terms of settlement and the renunciation.
Advising an outgoing partner of a farming partnership in connection with a contentious resignation, which involved dealing lending institutions and splitting up of heritable assets.
Advising an estate owner on various matters relating to one of their crofts, including decrofting a house site and assignation of the remaining croft land.