Andrew Jardine, tenant at New Farm on the Applegirth Estate, watches his cattle grazing

New opportunities for land ownership in farming

19 January 2022

Crown Estate Scotland has begun the process of offering some tenant farmers the opportunity to buy their farms if they wish to do so.

Twenty three tenants across two pilot areas are being invited to submit proposals to buy the farms they currently lease from Crown Estate Scotland.

The initiative has the potential to increase diversity in land ownership and give those who may want to stop farming and potentially give someone else the opportunity to take their unit, to do so in a planned and managed way.

The process has been developed in consultation and engagement with a range of people and organisations including tenants themselves, the Scottish Tenant Farmers Association and the Tenant Farming Commissioner.

The opportunity will be offered to secure tenants on the Applegirth Estate in Dumfries & Galloway, and the area around Auchindoun in Moray. Any farming tenants who do not wish to take up this opportunity will be unaffected, and will continue with their leases as normal. 

Andy Wells, Investment and Sales Programme Director for Crown Estate Scotland, said: “We see this as a really positive opportunity for our tenants, and one which we hope will further increase diversity in land ownership.

“The surrender of tenancies will also potentially allow tenants who wish to step back from farming, and who have no successors to exit the sector in a planned and managed way that benefits them.

“This will allow Crown Estate Scotland to then consider the options for the future of these units including potential opportunities for new entrants to farming. Thank you to all the tenants who have helped shape this process. 

This initiative opens up an opportunity for tenant farmers to own their own farms and has the potential to generate funding to help Crown Estate Scotland deliver on its commitment to invest £70m over the coming years to generate social, economic and environmental benefits for communities across Scotland 

Details of the sales process can be found in the Downloads section.

Latest news