Crown Estate Scotland has appointed Bidwells as managing agent for its rural portfolios across the North and South of Scotland.
The rural portfolio extends to 87,400 acres, includes 470 leases and spans land across Midlothian, Dumfries and Galloway and Moray.
The five-year contract, with the potential for an up to four-year extension, will be overseen by Ralph Peters, head of rural, Scotland at Bidwells, and the contract will be managed from Perth and Inverness. As part of the appointment, Bidwells will grow its estate management team in Scotland by one third, with recruitment already underway.
The appointment expands Bidwells’ long-standing role managing Crown Estate Scotland’s coastal portfolio and marks a significant step forward in supporting the strategic management of its wider rural estate.
Ralph Peters, head of rural, Scotland at Bidwells, said: “This appointment also marks an important continuation of our commitment to growth in Scotland and the expansion of key client relationships in the region. Strengthening our presence here reflects both the opportunity within the rural economy and our confidence in the long-term potential of this market.
“Managing rural estates at this scale demands high performing professionals, commercial insight, strong local knowledge and trusted relationships and we are proud to build on our 25-year relationship with Crown Estate Scotland through this partnership. Our focus is clear. We are committed to ensuring Scotland’s rural communities thrive by working closely with all stakeholders to enable the estate’s delivery of long-term value across farming, and visitor enterprises, in line with Crown Estate Scotland’s commitments as a responsible landlord.”
Oster Milambo, director of property for Crown Estate Scotland, added: “We are very pleased to strengthen our already strong relationship with Bidwells in order to help Crown Estate Scotland continue its commitment to providing a high level of service to all our tenants and customers. This new contract with Bidwells is an important vehicle in the delivery of our corporate plan and meeting our commitments to tenants on our four rural estates, as the largest single landlord of tenant farmers in Scotland. We look forward to working with Bidwells on this contract over the next few years.”
