Rural Property and Business
Our team of agricultural specialists is deeply connected with the rural world, and many of the relationships we’ve built have lasted through generations. We offer practical advice and insight on succession planning, sales and purchases, renewables projects, agricultural tenancies, and the full range of issues that matter to people who live, work or operate in the rural sector.

The rural world has seen a lot of change in recent years. Land reform, Brexit, taxation changes and climate change have all created uncertainty and risk. We work with individuals and institutions across the rural sector, giving them the specific guidance that they need to move forward in this rapidly evolving environment.

The close connections that many of our senior lawyers have within the rural sector give us a deep understanding not just of our clients’ perspectives and priorities, but the realities and challenges of their day-to-day work.

Our legal expertise is exceptionally strong (with five members of our team accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as Specialists in Agricultural Law) and broad, covering everything from renewables to tax to disputes. And this is augmented by support from the other specialist teams within the firm.

All of this means that we’re able to help our clients with all the various legal issues that they might face. It also enables us to proactively guide them – alerting them to new laws or other future developments, and giving them the advice they need to manage those changes successfully.

We have expertise in all areas of rural and estate law, including:

Meet our key contacts

Petra Grunenberg

Partner and Head of Rural Property and Business

Contact by email

+44 (0)1224 343 554

+44 (0)758 588 8647

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Meet our key contacts

Stuart Greenwood

Partner

Forestry, Carbon and Natural Capital, Agricultural Tenancies, Share Farming and Contract Farming Arrangements

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Petra Grunenberg

Partner and Head of Rural Property and Business

Rural Property and Business, Rural Succession Planning, Renewables, Purchase and Sale of Agricultural and Rural Property and Rural Finance, Farming Partnerships

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Stephanie Hepburn

Partner

Right of Responsible Access, Crofting Law

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Hamish Lean

Partner

Agricultural Tenancies, Share Farming and Contract Farming Arrangements

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Richard Leslie

Partner

Land Management and Diversification, Forestry, Crofting Law

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Emma Robertson

Partner

Land Management and Diversification, Right of Responsible Access, Farming Partnerships, Crofting Law, Agricultural Tenancies, Share Farming and Contract Farming Arrangements

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Meet our full team

Kathryn Argo

Senior Solicitor

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Sophie Bailey

Senior Associate

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Laura Barron

Associate

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Heather Bird

Director

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Emma Brown

Solicitor

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Alanna Buchan

Solicitor

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Gillian Campbell

Partner

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Vicky Christie

Senior Associate

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Morven Cumming

Solicitor

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Emma De Sailly

Senior Associate

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Rebecca Devine

Senior Solicitor

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Gillian Gibbons

Director

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Aileen Gordon

Senior Associate

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Alexis Graham

Partner

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Olivia Greener

Senior Solicitor

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Stuart Greenwood

Partner

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Petra Grunenberg

Partner and Head of Rural Property and Business

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Emma Hendrie

Senior Solicitor

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Stephanie Hepburn

Partner

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Elaine Hunter

Partner

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Alexandra Lane

Director

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Shona Lean

Solicitor

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Hamish Lean

Partner

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Richard Leslie

Partner

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Keith McLaren

Partner

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Katie McNab

Senior Associate

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John Morrison

Partner

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Harry Oliff

Associate

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Sophie Philip-Davidson

Senior Solicitor

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Scarlett Retallack

Senior Associate

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Emma Robertson

Partner

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Alison Rochester

Partner

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Malcolm Rust

Partner

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Sarah Shepherd

Senior Solicitor

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Ross Simpson

Senior Solicitor

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Douglas Sinclair

Partner

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Matthew Smith

Senior Associate

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Tom Swan

Partner

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Fiona Taylor

Senior Solicitor

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John Townsend

Partner

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Susie Tweedie

Senior Associate

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Lauren White

Solicitor

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Tanya Yesipova

Solicitor

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Related articles and insights: Rural Property and Business

9 April 2026

Opening up the road to resolution

Contributor: Stephanie Hepburn

Scotland has many public rights of way. But many are not officially recorded, and the various rights and responsibilities can be a tricky area.

Read more...

31 March 2026

You reap what you sow: Agricultural workers

Contributor: Olivia Greener

Agricultural workers bring with them a specific set of employment rules which farming businesses should be aware of and ready for.

Read more...

30 March 2026

Don’t Stop Me Now: Locked gates and access rights in Scotland

Contributor: Stephanie Hepburn

The law treats locked gates differently depending on whether the access they prevent arises from a private servitude right, a public right of way, or the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

Read more...

30 March 2026

Sheep worrying

Contributors:
Stephanie Hepburn, Vicky Christie

An outline of the current Scottish legislation on sheep worrying, what steps farmers and landowners can take to protect their flocks, the types of penalties that exist, and how our Rural Disputes team can assist with any related issues.

Read more...

24 March 2026

Real burdens: a real problem for rural development?

Contributors:
Shona Lean, Stephanie Hepburn

A ‘real burden’ is a legal restriction on how a piece of Scottish land can be used. This can create problems for people who want to diversify rural businesses.

Read more...

3 March 2026

Lotting Decisions – What has changed in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025?

Contributor: Alexandra Rowell

With the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill now passed, the lotting decision rules for large landholdings are now being implemented.

Read more...

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Contact us

Petra Grunenberg

Partner and Head of Rural Property and Business

Contact by email

+44 (0)1224 343 554

+44 (0)758 588 8647

Connect on LinkedIn

Download vCard

View Profile