Forestry

Our clear and practical advice on buying and selling forestry and woodlands will support your investment and environmental goals

There are multiple reasons for landowners, investors, and others to acquire forestry, woodlands or land for planting. You may be looking for a tax-efficient investment, to contribute to Net Zero or achieve biodiversity targets, diversify or benefit from grants.

Whatever your motivations, our advice can help reach your goals.

Key considerations

When looking to buy or sell forestry and woodlands in Scotland, there are several factors to consider.

We can support you on these key considerations:

• Access: This will affect your ability to remove timber from the site – for example, you may need servitude rights over private roads owned by third parties, suitable for timber haulage, to reach the public road.
• Title conditions: We’ll check there are no obstacles to forestry use in the title deeds to the property and if there are, advise on whether these can be mitigated or overcome.
• Grants and incentives: We’ll check whether there are any felling licences or grant schemes with replanting or restocking obligations, which affect the property.
• Tenants: If the land or any part of it is tenanted by an agricultural or sporting tenant, we can advise you on the legal implications.

The bigger picture

Other professionals, such as land, forestry agents and accountants, may also be involved in the sale or purchase of forestry, and we’re happy to coordinate with your advisers. We can introduce you to our own professional contacts in this area.

In addition, we can liaise with our Private client services team colleagues to help you manage any inheritance tax and succession planning aspects associated with buying or selling forestry.