The Crown Estate occupies a unique position as one of the largest rural landowners in
Scotland.
The Estate encompasses around 92,500 acres of rural land – mainly let farms and
forestry – stretching from Applegirth estate in the Borders to the Fochabers estate
in the Laigh of Moray. The largest estates is Glenlivet 23,350 hectares (57,700 acres),
Fochabers 5, 496 hectares (13,581 acres), Applegirth 7,017 hectares (17,399 acres),
Whitehill 1,401 hectares (3,461 acres) and Stirling 183 hectares (452 acres). The Scottish
Estates account for just under 5 percent of the total value of the Crown Estate.
This land is held in right of the Crown and is managed actively under the
provisions of the Crown Estate Act 1961 by the Crown Commissioners. They are required by
statute to maintain and enhance the value of the Estate and the return obtained from it,
but with due regard to the requirements of good management. The entire net surplus is paid
to the Treasury.
At the same time, they also pursue strategic objectives to be socially and
environmentally responsible. In practical terms, this enables the Crown Estate to be a
sensitive and responsible landowner.
Central to this ethos are the long-term relationships forged between the Crown Estate
and the people and communities who live and work on the land. The Crown Estate is a
well-known landowner, with a high public profile and consequently high expectations. In
all respects the Estate endeavours to live up to its own high standards.
IN PRACTICAL TERMS THIS MEANS
All the Crown Estate’s rural property holdings are managed by locally appointed
agents. Their role is to be involved actively in the management of the estate and to be
responsive to the requirements both of tenants and of the wider local community.
The community is closely involved in developments on the estates. At Glenlivet the
Crown Estate has an excellent record in working closely with the two active local
community associations, the local tourism marketing association and the community at
large. This is evidenced by recent consultations on forestry on the estate and a local
community footpath initiative. Consultation has also recently taken place at the nearby
Fochabers Estate over a proposed redevelopment of a former salmon fishing station, and at
Applegirth on the extension of a woodland walk. The Tomintoul Association is to be further
involved in the future work of the Glenlivet Development Committee. Another example of the
Crown Estate’s commitment to community involvement is demonstrated by a number of
river salmon fishings let to community associations on the main agricultural estates.
In addition to regular dialogue with local agents, Crown Estate Commissioners and staff
work to ensure estates are managed actively and positively, allowing plenty of
opportunities for tenants to meet staff and Commissioners to discuss matters face to face.
Part of this involves a regular cycle of visits by Commissioners to meet all agricultural
tenants. This is an ideal forum for tenants to make their views and opinions known.
This takes many forms. Our ongoing investment in new farm buildings and other fixed
equipment is an excellent example of how the Crown Estate not only listens to the concerns
of tenants, but actively invests in their future by providing funds to secure better
buildings. The Glenlivet Estate Development Project, initiated more than 10-years ago, is
an exemplar of promoting economic development by promoting tourism within a working upland
community.
The long established programme of providing tenants with new farm buildings and ongoing
improvements to housing stock on all estates creates steady employment opportunities for
several local building contractors. Estate forestry operations make continuing use of
local contractors and forest operations at Glenlivet form the main source of income for 7
local families. Estate premises are also let to a variety of small businesses.
The Crown Estate endeavours to keep tenants well informed of events taking place on the
Estate. As well as informal dialogue with the locally appointed agents the Crown Estate
issues two agricultural newsletters a year to all agricultural tenants. Glenlivet Estate
also publishes an annual newsletter for the local community and visitors.
The Crown Estate actively encourages public access to its estates, particularly on the
largest estates at Fochabers, Glenlivet and Applegirth, where a number of awards have been
won. Glenlivet Estate boasts 11 way-marked walks covering 50 miles, 6 way-marked cycle
trails covering 60 miles, 10 car parks and 6 picnic sites. The Speyside Way long distance
footpath links Fochabers to Glenlivet.
Tourism and public access at Glenlivet is further encouraged by the employment of 1full
time and 1 seasonal ranger. The recently refurbished estate visitors’ centre provides
excellent facilities for school groups, tourists, walkers and anyone with an interest in
nature.
In 1992 the Crown Estate lunched its policy statement Stewardship in Action.
This was reviewed and expanded upon in 1998. This document identifies a set of core values
and principles, which define good stewardship across the Crown Estate. This
encompasses the environment, social responsibilities, standards of best practice and
securing the best long-term management decisions. During the last decade the Crown Estate
has worked hard to create sustainable agricultural businesses, through re-structuring
where opportunities arise, and through investment in facilities. This has included making
funds available to ensure high standards of pollution control across all farms. The
management of estate forests aims to move away from traditional even aged plantations
towards more mixed forest types incorporating a high proportion of native broad leaves and
making provision for public access.
As the foregoing clearly demonstrates, concepts such as community, sustainability and
development are not new to the Crown Estate. For more than a decade the Estate has been at
the forefront of innovative, responsive, award-winning management practices across all its
rural estates. The Crown Estate’s long-term management objectives firmly embrace the
concepts of stewardship and good practice.
These objectives ensure that, especially in remote rural settings, sustainable economic
development and community involvement continue to remain central to all the Crown
Estate’s activities.
Looking to the future, the Crown Estate intends to build upon its existing good record
through regular dialogue with tenants and local communities, sensitivity to wider public
concerns and continuous review of good practice to take account of lessons learned both on
its estates and elsewhere. In doing so, the Crown Estate believes it is acting closely in
accord with the spirit of the land reforms proposed by the Scottish Parliament.
In the last 10-years the Crown Estate in Scotland has won:
1990 Applegirth
Commended in the John Kennedy Trophy awarded by the Royal Highland Agricultural Society
for multi-purpose forest management.
1991 Glenlivet
Winner of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Theme Award for the
diversification of agricultural land.
1991 Glenlivet
Runner up for the Dulverton Flagon, presented by the Timber Growers’ Association
for good commercial and environmental forest management.
1993 Glenlivet
Winner of the John Kennedy Trophy awarded by the Royal Highland Agricultural Society
for multi-purpose forest management.
1994 Glenlivet
Runner up for the Dulverton Flagon, for a second time.
1996 Glenlivet
Winner of Nature’s Prize in the category Enjoying the Natural Heritage,
presented by Scottish Natural Heritage, Grampian TV and Shell UK for encouraging public
enjoyment in the countryside.
1996 Applegirth
Applegarthtown wildlife sanctuary commended in Nature’s Prize in the category, Enjoying
the Natural Heritage.
1997 Glenlivet
High Commendation in the Environmental Regeneration Awards presented by Scottish
Natural Heritage and Scottish Enterprise in recognition of environmental, landscape,
community and economic regeneration. The estate was described as "…. A
remarkable example of integrated land management with environmental education which
benefits both local people and visitors."
1998 Applegirth
Applegarthtown wildlife sanctuary. Highly commended in the Henry Ford European
Conservation Awards.
1998 Applegirth
Gallaberry Wood. Commended in Royal Highland Agricultural Society Scottish Woods and
Forests Award.
Source: The Crown Estate and the Community: Working Partnership, The Crown
Estate, Edinburgh (undated)
Further details can be obtained from: www.crownestate.co.uk or telephone: 0131 226 7241
