Estates for all Seasons

After the uncertainty of the independence vote, Scotland is back in business

- Penny Churchill

IN contrast with 2014, when Scotland’s Independence Referendum brought the market for Scottish sporting estates grinding to a halt, there is little sign of a similar kneejerk reaction taking place in the wake of the Brexit vote on June 23. In fact, some leading Scottish agents maintain that the post-Brexit decline in the sterling exchange rate has reawakened interest among overseas buyers —always an influential element in this rarefied marketplace.

As Rob McCulloch of Strutt & Parker (0131–226 2500)—who earlier this month launched the prestigious, 12,000- acre Tillypronie  estate near Tarland, Aberdeenshire, at a guide price of ‘offers over £10.5 million’— explains: ‘In a normal year, I would expect to see about 20 sporting estates launched on the market in Scotland: in 2014, there were only seven. Last year, there were 19 and this year looks like being another average year, with 20 or so estates being offered for sale, and 13 either sold or under offer, although with September a key period, we won’t be able to draw any firm conclusions until the year end.’

With its first-class driven game shooting, the unrivalled setting of its mansion house and gardens and its majestic position straddling Deeside and Donside on the eastern fringe of the Grampians, Tillypronie rightly belongs in ‘the top drawer’ of Scottish sporting estates, with something for everyone, the agents say.