Big demand for rural land sends Scottish farm prices soaring

Scottish farmland sales are attracting record prices as investors seek an alternative to residential and commercial property, estate agents have claimed.

Demand for rural land has sent valuations for farms and estates soaring, with sales in areas including Perthshire, Fife, Argyll and Angus fetching all-time high prices, according to land agents Bell Ingram.

It believes the downturn in the mainstream housing market in Scotland has prompted investors to consider alternative property types. Mark Mitchell, head of farms and estate agency at the firm, said the apparent resilience of the market means banks remain willing to lend against land suitable for agriculture, forestry and renewable purposes.

He said: “There’s no doubt that rural property, such as farmland and forestry has been performing very well over the past year, compared to other areas of the Scottish property market.”