bi4 Spring Issue 2021
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SPRING <strong>2021</strong><br />
INSIGHT<br />
bellingram.co.uk<br />
Special Agent<br />
How to carve out<br />
more time to enjoy<br />
your land assets P5<br />
Croft Original<br />
It’s important to do<br />
your homework and<br />
consult an expert P16<br />
Planning Expert<br />
From pigeon lofts to<br />
hill tracks why it’s vital<br />
to get early advice P10<br />
summer spring bi2019 bi<strong>2021</strong> 1
welcome<br />
news<br />
Contents<br />
4 What is rural land worth? Head of<br />
Valuations Sarah Tyson reviews the average<br />
rural land values in Scotland and the North of<br />
England.<br />
5 Looking for more time to enjoy<br />
your land? Partner Rob Whitson examines<br />
how expert advice from a professional land<br />
manager can buy landowners more time to<br />
enjoy their assets.<br />
6 The NC500 effect Joanne Stennett<br />
examines how the promotion of the NC500<br />
has opened people’s eyes to the attractions of<br />
the Highlands.<br />
8 Helping It Happen Awards <strong>2021</strong><br />
Managing Partner Mark Mitchell encourages<br />
rural education innovators to share their<br />
success stories.<br />
9 Getting to know Bell Ingram GIS<br />
Manager Marcus Humphrey turned an interest<br />
in geography and cartography into a successful<br />
career in Geographical Information Systems<br />
(GIS).<br />
10 Do I need planning permission? It all<br />
depends, says Planning consultant Catherine<br />
Newton.<br />
12 Plotting your dream move to the<br />
country? With self-build becoming more<br />
popular, architect Murray Fleming shares his<br />
five top tips for buying the perfect site.<br />
14 <strong>Spring</strong> Step Challenge Bell Ingram<br />
walkers go the extra miles for our three chosen<br />
charities.<br />
15 It’s a sellers' market! Head of Estate<br />
Agency Carl Warden looks at the latest trends<br />
and explains why he is braced for a post<br />
lockdown surge in demand.<br />
16 Thinking of buying a croft? It’s<br />
important to do your homework says our<br />
resident crofting expert Ian Blois who shares<br />
some top tips to consider before you take the<br />
plunge.<br />
18 How important is Gaelic? Simone<br />
Hogan explains why she thinks that employing<br />
Gaelic speaking staff can be a unique selling<br />
point for Scottish businesses.<br />
A warm welcome to the <strong>Spring</strong> Edition of Bell<br />
Ingram’s Insight Magazine.<br />
It’s just over a year since the first Covid lockdown<br />
so it’s a suitable moment to reflect not just on how<br />
our clients’ interests and demands have changed,<br />
but how Bell Ingram has successfully navigated the<br />
pandemic challenge.<br />
I’m pleased to report that the company’s substantial investment in technology<br />
continues to pay dividends, enabling staff to deliver the high levels of service<br />
our clients expect despite the ongoing restrictions to our working lives.<br />
Farming has come through the crisis better than many sectors and our Head<br />
of Valuations Sarah Tyson reviews the average rural land values in Scotland<br />
and the North of England on page 4, while on page 5 Partner Rob Whitson<br />
examines how expert advice from a professional land manager can buy<br />
landowners more time to enjoy their assets.<br />
Elsewhere, the property market has been through a period of enormous<br />
upheaval with many buyers seeking to change their lifestyles in light of the<br />
pandemic. On page 15 our Head of Estate Agency Carl Warden examines the<br />
latest trends and government measures to stimulate the sector. Meanwhile on<br />
page 18 Joanne Stennett, who heads up our Highland Estate Agency team,<br />
reveals how better rural connectivity is attracting buyers further north.<br />
Farm and crofting properties are generating a high level of enquiries as soon<br />
as they come onto the market and on page 16 our resident crofting expert Ian<br />
Blois shares some top tips to consider before you take the plunge.<br />
On page 10 our planning consultant Catherine Newton emphasises the<br />
importance of getting professional planning advice at an early stage to<br />
prevent problems further down the line, while on page 12, architect Murray<br />
Fleming talks about what you need to consider when finding and buying a<br />
plot of land, while<br />
Elsewhere, we ask, how important is Gaelic? On page 6 Simone Hogan<br />
explains why she thinks that employing Gaelic speaking staff can be a unique<br />
selling point for Scottish businesses.<br />
While there are still challenges ahead, I remain optimistic that <strong>2021</strong> will<br />
see improvements for us all, particularly since the vaccine roll-out gives us<br />
confidence that life will return to some level of normality.<br />
In the meantime, we remain grateful for the support of our clients, something<br />
we never take for granted.<br />
Mark Mitchell<br />
Welcome<br />
Managing Partner<br />
Editorial contacts for Insight<br />
l Alison Lowson, Marketing Manager alison.lowson@bellingram.co.uk<br />
Tel. 01738 621 121 or 07584 093354<br />
l Design by Stuart Cameron design100cam@gmail.com<br />
*Insight magazine is prepared for general information only. While care is taken<br />
in its compilation, neither Bell Ingram LLP nor its employees or officers accept<br />
any liability for the contents or their application to any individual circumstances.<br />
Readers are strongly recommended to contact Bell Ingram to obtain advice<br />
appropriate to their needs.<br />
New faces in<br />
Ayr & Forfar<br />
Clare Morton and John<br />
Kennedy pictured above<br />
have joined Bell Ingram as<br />
Associate and Assistant Land<br />
Agent in our Ayr and Forfar<br />
offices respectively.<br />
Clare is a qualified Rural<br />
Chartered Surveyor and<br />
RICS Registered Valuer with<br />
over 10 years’ experience<br />
in the sector. A farmer’s<br />
daughter from Dumfries<br />
& Galloway, her expertise<br />
includes rural property<br />
valuations, compulsory<br />
purchase and compensation<br />
and utility projects.<br />
Originally from Coll where<br />
father runs the family<br />
farming business, John<br />
graduated from SRUC in<br />
Edinburgh with an Honours<br />
Degree in Agriculture<br />
followed by a Masters<br />
in Land Economy at the<br />
University of Aberdeen. He<br />
will be involved in a variety of<br />
work including rural estate<br />
and farm management. n<br />
in brief<br />
Thirsk office<br />
takes lead on<br />
SEGL contract<br />
ell Ingram has secured<br />
a new contract with<br />
BNational Grid for work on<br />
the Scotland to England Green<br />
Link SEGL1 initiative.<br />
The SEGL project is an integral<br />
part of the UK’s commitment to<br />
build a greener energy system<br />
and help deliver net zero by<br />
2050.<br />
Thirsk Partner Derek Tyson,<br />
supported by Assistant Land<br />
Agent Harry Downing, will be the<br />
lead surveyor on the contract.<br />
Initially Bell Ingram will be<br />
working to secure land access<br />
for various surveys to determine<br />
a defined cable route for a new<br />
High Voltage Direct Current<br />
(HVDC) link from Torness in<br />
East Lothian to Hawthorn Pit in<br />
County Durham.<br />
As the country shifts away<br />
from traditional forms<br />
of fuel to heat homes,<br />
charge vehicles and power<br />
businesses, there will be<br />
a greater need for green<br />
electricity.<br />
To help deliver this greener<br />
energy to homes and<br />
businesses across the UK,<br />
Bell Ingram plugs into green revolution<br />
with installation of EV charging points<br />
ell Ingram ramped up our eco credentials this month with the<br />
installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging points at our Perth HQ.<br />
BThe move came as our Head of Estate Agency Carl Warden took<br />
delivery of a new Tesla and the company hopes to roll out more charging<br />
points at other suitable Bell Ingram offices in the future.<br />
Says Carl: “Until recently electric cars weren’t practical for business travel<br />
because they didn’t have the range. The Tesla, however, is a game changer<br />
in terms of the distance it can travel on a single charge (around 300 miles).<br />
This factor, combined with the growing number of charging points, makes<br />
it a much more attractive proposition for rural business professionals who<br />
need to cover a lot of ground.<br />
“I am very pleased to see Bell Ingram demonstrating its commitment to<br />
zero-emission transport solutions and hope that our new EV charging<br />
point will give colleagues and clients the confidence to make the switch<br />
to EVs, knowing they can get the charge they need in the right places.” n<br />
National Grid needs to increase<br />
the capacity of the network<br />
between Scotland with its many<br />
renewable energy sources, and<br />
the rest of the UK.<br />
To do this, National Grid is<br />
proposing to construct two new<br />
High Voltage Direct Current<br />
(HVDC) links which will function<br />
as electricity superhighways.<br />
SEGL1 will run from Torness to<br />
Hawthorn Pit and SEGL2 will run<br />
from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire<br />
to Drax in North Yorkshire. n<br />
Renewable<br />
energy<br />
village<br />
earmarked<br />
for North<br />
East<br />
Scotland<br />
Bell Ingram Design<br />
is working with<br />
Edinburgh-based<br />
Holistic Energy to<br />
develop plans for a<br />
large-scale renewable<br />
energy village<br />
near Peterhead in<br />
Aberdeenshire. The<br />
plant aims to deliver<br />
between 150-200<br />
megawatts of green<br />
energy to supply to<br />
the Scottish grid, with<br />
building work slated<br />
to commence in 2023<br />
and be operational by<br />
2026. Holistic Energy<br />
is working with several<br />
partners in the design,<br />
civil engineering<br />
and construction<br />
phases, including<br />
Bell Ingram Design,<br />
Will Rudd Davidson<br />
and Aberdeen-based<br />
Wood Group and XL<br />
Group. n<br />
2 bi<strong>2021</strong> bi2019 spring<br />
winter winter spring bi2019 bi<strong>2021</strong> 3
land management<br />
design<br />
land management<br />
What is rural land worth?<br />
Land values in Scotland and the North of England<br />
Sarah Tyson<br />
Partner and Head of<br />
Valuations<br />
sarah.tyson@<br />
bellingram.co.uk<br />
Bell Ingram’s guide to average<br />
rural land values in Scotland<br />
and the North of England<br />
has been updated and<br />
proves a useful tool for<br />
many involved with land<br />
transactions.<br />
In reviewing the figures, Sarah Tyson, Head<br />
of Valuations, said:<br />
“It is interesting to see arable land and the<br />
best pasture land values rising, proof of the<br />
limited supply and continuing demand,<br />
especially where neighbours have the<br />
chance to buy. If borrowing is necessary,<br />
current low interest rates make sense and<br />
we are seeing increasing interest in long<br />
term, fixed rate loans with AMC.<br />
“In addition, the forestry sector is still<br />
very strong with good timber markets<br />
at present. The unprecedented demand<br />
from investors for land suitable for tree<br />
planting continues and is now expanding<br />
due to the impact of carbon sequestration,<br />
although values are very site specific<br />
making it difficult to apply averages.<br />
“Values for sporting interests remain<br />
steady, but again vary depending upon<br />
the particular estate, location and<br />
facilities - for stalking estates a<br />
modern deer larder that meets current<br />
regulations is essential to support the<br />
sporting asset.” n<br />
Bare Land Capital Values,Scotland £/per acre (min) £/per acre (max)<br />
Best Arable 8,000 17,000<br />
Secondary Arable 5,000 8,000<br />
LFA / Low Grade Arable 3,000 4,500<br />
Temporary Grass / Silage 2,500 4,500<br />
Permanent Pasture 1,500 3,000<br />
Rough Grazing 450 1,000<br />
Hill (*excluding any forestry planting premium) 50 750<br />
Existing Forestry (crop and solum) * £/ per ha (min) £/per ha (max)<br />
Productive Conifer Woodland 6,000 16,000<br />
Pre-‐Productive Conifer Woodland 3,000 6,000<br />
Native/ broadleaf/ retention woodland 3,000 8,000<br />
*these exclude any carbon/ credit peatland sums which may apply <br />
Sporting Values, Scotland <br />
Red Deer Stags (per head) 12,000 40,000<br />
Driven Grouse (per brace) 3,500 5,000<br />
Salmon (per fish) 2,500 7,000<br />
Land Values -‐ North of England £/per acre (min) £/per acre (max)<br />
Best Arable 9,000 15,000<br />
Secondary Arable 7,500 10,000<br />
Permanent Pasture 5,000 8,000<br />
Rough Grazing 3,000 6,500<br />
Hill 1,500 2,500<br />
Existing Forestry (crop and solum) * £/ per ha (min) £/per ha (max)<br />
Productive Conifer Woodland 6,000 16,000<br />
Pre-‐Productive Conifer Woodland 3,000 6,000<br />
Native/ broadleaf/ retention woodland 3,000 8,000<br />
*these exclude any carbon/ credit peatland sums which may apply <br />
“An agent can<br />
create some<br />
all-important<br />
breathing space.”<br />
Professional advice<br />
Looking for more time to enjoy your land?<br />
Rob Whitson<br />
Partner Rural Land<br />
Management Highland<br />
01463 717 799<br />
highland@bellingram.co.uk<br />
f you think that owning a Highland<br />
estate bears any resemblance to the<br />
I‘Monarch of the Glen’ picture perfect<br />
ideal of tramping through the purple<br />
heather with a pack of black labradors,<br />
then brace yourself for a big reality check!<br />
Land management in Scotland is under<br />
a microscope like never before with the<br />
Scottish Government’s legislative framework<br />
setting out objectives and principles which<br />
put communities at the heart of decision<br />
making in an effort to improve how land in<br />
Scotland is owned, used and managed.<br />
Gone are the days where estates could<br />
operate in splendid isolation, modern<br />
owners have a responsibility as landowners<br />
to manage the land in a way that delivers<br />
lasting economic, social and environmental<br />
wellbeing to the community.<br />
And while many landowners do indeed<br />
have the privilege of living and working<br />
in this unique environment, it takes<br />
an enormous amount of hard graft to<br />
stay on top of the increasingly onerous<br />
administrative and legislative burden that<br />
makes an estate tick.<br />
The current pandemic has also added to<br />
this workload with a sharp rise in visitor<br />
numbers as people escape the towns<br />
and villages to walk, cycle, ride or paddle<br />
down rivers and camp overnight. While the<br />
majority of these visitors are responsible,<br />
landowners are seeing a worrying increase<br />
in dog mess, dirty camping, gates being left<br />
open and fly tipping.<br />
4 bi<strong>2021</strong> spring winter spring bi<strong>2021</strong> bi2019 53<br />
I<br />
t is important to get over the message<br />
that the countryside is also a home<br />
and workplace to people and wildlife,<br />
and help visitors understand their<br />
responsibilities and behave in a way which<br />
does not cause damage or annoyance to<br />
others.<br />
Yet despite these challenges, land<br />
ownership can still be a pleasure rather<br />
than a pain! From sporting and mixed<br />
estates to farmers and crofters at the other<br />
end of the spectrum, Bell Ingram’s land<br />
managers help our clients to navigate the<br />
raft of ever-changing rules and regulations.<br />
Whether it be heather management,<br />
predator control or simply trying to<br />
improve their land and the amenity of<br />
their asset, we support our landowning<br />
clients to keep on top of the changes to<br />
legislation.<br />
The bottom line is that time is finite and<br />
while you can't add more hours to the day,<br />
you can engage an agent to create some<br />
all-important breathing space between<br />
you and some of the challenges associated<br />
with land ownership, thereby giving you<br />
time and energy to enjoy the land that<br />
you own. Clear communication between<br />
you and your agent is key, as with that and<br />
trust built up through shared experiences,<br />
the relationship can be very fruitful.<br />
Bell Ingram currently oversees hundreds<br />
of thousands of acres on behalf of a wide<br />
portfolio of clients. Our bespoke, personal<br />
service ensures our clients maximise their<br />
assets and comply with the ever changing<br />
rural management requirements. n
estate agency<br />
estate agency<br />
M<br />
omentum is building across the<br />
Highland property market as<br />
lockdown begins to ease and<br />
we look forward towards the summer<br />
months.<br />
Last year saw Bell Ingram properties<br />
across the Highlands and Islands selling<br />
in super-fast time, attracting multiple<br />
offers and often achieving 20% or more<br />
over the asking price.<br />
Island properties in particular sold like<br />
hotcakes, some within 24 hours on the<br />
basis of a video tour rather than a physical<br />
viewing.<br />
The<br />
And it wasn’t just traditional homes that<br />
were in high demand. Interest in anything<br />
with development potential, especially<br />
if there was an existing footprint, was off<br />
the scale, with decrofted land and croft<br />
houses also generating dozens of notes of<br />
interest and offers.<br />
While we are not expecting the same<br />
heat in the market post lockdown #3, we<br />
are braced for a surge of interest once<br />
things return to some sort of normality<br />
hopefully around April/May.<br />
Without a doubt Covid has changed the<br />
way we live and work, with investment<br />
NC500<br />
in technology making the Highlands<br />
a far more attractive proposition than<br />
previously.<br />
The big push to expand rural connectivity,<br />
not just in Inverness but throughout the<br />
Highlands, means that working from<br />
home is much less of a compromise and<br />
more of an attractive proposition than ever<br />
before.<br />
The promotion of the North Coast 500<br />
has really opened people’s eyes to<br />
the attractions of the Highlands with<br />
visitors seeing at first hand that there’s<br />
infrastructure, facilities and support in<br />
Joanne Stennett<br />
Associate Estate Agency<br />
Highland<br />
01463 717 799<br />
highland@bellingram.co.uk<br />
place to support not just tourists but<br />
those who want to live and work in the<br />
Highlands as well.<br />
A<br />
ttracted by the affordable property<br />
prices and the access to a lot more<br />
outdoor space, we are talking to<br />
people who want to move north and are<br />
happy to consider rural locations. These<br />
buyers don’t just want holiday homes, they<br />
want a permanent move to live, work and<br />
be part of the Highland community.<br />
The trend is about the quality of life now<br />
and not just about being within an hour’s<br />
commute of the office.<br />
With demand outstripping supply in<br />
the Highlands and Islands, my advice to<br />
potential sellers is to start thinking about<br />
marketing your property now and consider<br />
those things you can do to prepare your<br />
house for sale<br />
We are expecting another surge in the<br />
market when lockdown is lifted so if you<br />
have all the preparatory work done for your<br />
sale you will be in the best position to take<br />
advantage of the market opening up fully.<br />
Declutter: Ask yourself what you would<br />
look for if you were buying a property. Have<br />
a walk round every room and consider<br />
whether it is appealing or not. Declutter,<br />
don’t make it clinical and ensure your<br />
home still looks like a home and is not<br />
stripped of all character.<br />
Kerb appeal: Look at things that could be<br />
lifted by a lick of paint, nothing major just<br />
something that freshens things up. Finish<br />
any little jobs that have been outstanding<br />
for a while.<br />
Look at a Home Report: There is<br />
no better way to prepare yourself for<br />
the Home Report visit than by looking<br />
through someone else’s. Look for number<br />
2s and 3s and what the issues were. Is<br />
it something that can be addressed<br />
with little expense ie. clearing gutters or<br />
touching up paintwork on the windows?<br />
It can sometimes be something as simple<br />
as this that can mark you down?<br />
Approach an Agent: Contacting an<br />
Agent early in the process is a good<br />
idea. They can give you guidance on<br />
anything that should be done to make<br />
your property more appealing to buyers.<br />
Establishing that relationship early in<br />
the sale process means you can chat any<br />
decisions through. Even if you are not<br />
ready to push the button just yet, your<br />
Agent can then get any pre-marketing<br />
work done and banked so you are ready to<br />
go when the Home Report is done. n<br />
Start planning your next<br />
house move by booking a<br />
Free Market Appraisal<br />
by contacting either Joanne<br />
or Julie on 01463 717 799.<br />
effect:<br />
Highland housing<br />
market gains<br />
momentum as we brace<br />
for post-lockdown surge<br />
in rural living<br />
62 bi<strong>2021</strong> bi2019 spring winter<br />
winter spring bi2019 bi<strong>2021</strong> 37
events<br />
design<br />
careers<br />
Rural<br />
education<br />
innovators<br />
urged<br />
to enter<br />
Helping It<br />
Happen<br />
Awards<br />
Bell Ingram’s Managing<br />
Partner Mark Mitchell<br />
is encouraging rural<br />
businesses across Scotland<br />
to follow in the footsteps of last<br />
year’s winner Duffus Estate and<br />
enter the Education category<br />
at this year’s Helping It Happen<br />
Awards.<br />
The annual awards, which are<br />
organised by rural business<br />
organisation Scottish Land &<br />
Estates, are free to enter and will<br />
showcase the work done in 2020/21<br />
by businesses, farms and estates to<br />
help rural Scotland thrive during a<br />
difficult year.<br />
Bell Ingram is once again teed up<br />
to sponsor the Education category,<br />
won in 2020 by family-run Duffus<br />
Estate. Judges were impressed<br />
by the Earthtime’s Forest School<br />
Nursery at Duffus which aims<br />
to have the children outside for<br />
at least 80% of the time. The<br />
youngsters grow vegetables<br />
which they then harvest and eat<br />
in their own meals at lunchtime.<br />
Earthtime was also chosen to<br />
be an educational hub during<br />
lockdown and provided 18 weeks<br />
of emergency childcare provision<br />
for 36 children of key workers or<br />
vulnerable families.<br />
Mark Mitchell said: “Together<br />
Bell Ingram and Scottish Land<br />
and Estates want to recognise<br />
champions of rural education,<br />
so that future generations grow<br />
up knowing more about farming<br />
and the countryside and what<br />
it delivers as well as nurturing a<br />
lifelong interest in the natural<br />
world.<br />
“Duffus Estate was a very worthy<br />
winner last year and I know that<br />
the judges are looking forward to<br />
seeing an equally high standard<br />
of entries this year as we celebrate<br />
the very best initiatives across the<br />
sector, whether on-farm, in the<br />
classroom, or even online.”<br />
The Helping it Happen Awards<br />
will once again be sponsored<br />
by GLM and this year there is a<br />
new ‘Business Resilience Award’<br />
category which is open to those<br />
who have, despite the pandemic,<br />
seen their business flourish by<br />
adapting, being innovative and<br />
working hard.<br />
Sarah-Jane Laing, Chief Executive<br />
at Scottish Land & Estates said:<br />
“This year has been difficult for us<br />
all. Our world leading tourism and<br />
hospitality sector has lay dormant.<br />
Across the rural sector businesses,<br />
land managers and community<br />
groups have done everything in<br />
their power to keep their staff in<br />
jobs and their work going in trying<br />
times.<br />
“That is why this year we think it<br />
is more important than ever to<br />
celebrate the talent, innovation,<br />
and passion of rural Scotland. To<br />
recognise the efforts made in the<br />
most difficult of circumstances by<br />
our members and others to protect<br />
communities, jobs and nature in<br />
rural Scotland, through the Helping<br />
it Happen awards.<br />
“There is no shortage of<br />
achievements to celebrate from<br />
Scotland’s rural businesses. We urge<br />
people from Shetland to the Borders<br />
to submit their entries for this year’s<br />
awards. You can nominate yourself<br />
or others.<br />
“The quality of entries we receive<br />
to the Helping it Happen Awards<br />
is always exceptional, and we are<br />
excited to see this year’s crop of<br />
nominations.” n<br />
The <strong>2021</strong> Helping<br />
it Happen Awards<br />
categories are:<br />
● Education Award sponsored by<br />
Bell Ingram<br />
● Business Resilience Award<br />
● Conservation Award sponsored<br />
by Anderson Strathearn<br />
● Enhancing our Environment<br />
through Land Management<br />
Award sponsored by<br />
NatureScot<br />
● Innovation in Farming Award<br />
sponsored by Douglas Home<br />
& Co<br />
● Iver Salvesen Award for<br />
Combatting Climate Change<br />
● Rural Business Award<br />
sponsored by Shepherd and<br />
Wedderburn LLP<br />
● Rural Housing Award<br />
sponsored by VELUX<br />
● Tourism & Visitor Management<br />
Award sponsored by GLM<br />
● Working with Communities<br />
Award sponsored by The<br />
MacRobert Trust<br />
The awards close to entries on 4th August and winners will be announced<br />
at a live virtual ceremony on 27th October <strong>2021</strong>. To view last year’s winning<br />
entries or make a nomination please visit www.scottishlandandestates.<br />
co.uk/helping-it-happen<br />
What can you do<br />
with a GIS degree?<br />
Marcus Humphrey turned<br />
a schoolboy interest in<br />
geography and cartography<br />
into a successful career in<br />
Geographical Information Systems (GIS)<br />
and hopes his journey will inspire others<br />
to think differently about the type of job<br />
opportunities that exist for students with<br />
an aptitude for geography, maths or IT.<br />
Says Marcus: “As a relatively new<br />
profession, GIS has been overlooked<br />
to a certain extent when schools are<br />
giving out careers advice. I’m glad to<br />
say that this situation is changing and<br />
with organisations like Ordinance Survey<br />
actively supporting the national geography<br />
curriculum, the profile of GIS has never<br />
been higher.<br />
“A variety of careers are open to those<br />
interested in working within the GIS<br />
sector and I’d strongly advise young<br />
people to test the water by organising<br />
work experience with a company like Bell<br />
Ingram to give them a flavour of what’s<br />
involved in the job.”<br />
Based in our Perth HQ, Marcus joined<br />
Bell Ingram in 2016 and heads up our<br />
Geographical Information Systems (GIS)<br />
department which provides mapping<br />
expertise across the company.<br />
After graduating BSC (Hons) in<br />
Geographical Information Systems from<br />
Kingston University in London, Marcus<br />
Marcus Humphrey<br />
Manager GIS &<br />
Mapping Services<br />
perth@bellingram.co.uk<br />
worked first for BP conducting offshore<br />
mapping before joining a data<br />
management company mapping utilities<br />
in London and the South East of England.<br />
His work at Bell Ingram has a similar focus<br />
on utilities and infrastructure projects.<br />
Marcus continues: “I’m currently mapping<br />
routes for new fibre optic telecoms going<br />
into Aberdeenshire. Working alongside<br />
land agent colleagues, my role is to<br />
confirm land ownerships as well as the<br />
adopted highways.<br />
“Rural professional services companies<br />
often have dedicated GIS departments<br />
which can offer support to staff with<br />
different levels of mapping expertise.<br />
This is the case at Bell Ingram where I<br />
work alongside colleagues whose rural<br />
or forestry degrees included a mapping<br />
element. While some might have<br />
completed a basic GIS module which<br />
gives them the confidence to produce<br />
a location/site plan, others have more<br />
advanced skills.”<br />
Marcus’ love of maps continues outside<br />
work and he enjoys sharing his knowledge<br />
by volunteering with the Scout Association<br />
and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.<br />
He says: “As an adult volunteer I help<br />
young people to develop their navigation<br />
and outdoor skills. It’s a privilege to be able<br />
to share my knowledge and expertise, and<br />
maybe even encourage them to consider<br />
GIS as a potential career.”<br />
“It’s an exciting<br />
time to be<br />
involved in<br />
the geospatial<br />
industry<br />
thanks to the<br />
advancement of<br />
new technology<br />
which is making<br />
it one of the<br />
fastest growing<br />
global sectors.”<br />
8 bi<strong>2021</strong> spring spring winter bi<strong>2021</strong> bi2019 91
design planning<br />
Do I Need Planning<br />
Permission?<br />
It all depends says Bell<br />
Ingram’s Planning Consultant<br />
Catherine Newton<br />
Catherine Newton<br />
Planning Consultant<br />
Tel: 01738 621 121<br />
perth@bellingram.co.uk<br />
planning<br />
Changes to<br />
Permitted<br />
Development<br />
Rights (PDR) for<br />
farm and forestry<br />
buildings<br />
The Scottish Government is making<br />
changes to increase farm and forestry<br />
permitted development rights (PDR)<br />
which are intended to support rural<br />
development and diversification.<br />
These changes include increasing<br />
the size of agricultural buildings and<br />
allowing some farm/forestry building<br />
to be converted into homes and other<br />
uses without the need for planning<br />
permission.<br />
However, these extended rights are<br />
still subject to a number of conditions<br />
and limitations including size, height,<br />
distance from a public road. There<br />
also remains the requirement for prior<br />
notification/prior approval from the<br />
planning authority.<br />
Do I need planning<br />
permission to keep a<br />
donkey; race pigeons;<br />
cut down a tree; build<br />
a shed; or form a hill track?<br />
The answer to all these<br />
planning questions around<br />
land use and development<br />
is invariably, “it depends”. It<br />
depends on what, where,<br />
when, why and who the<br />
development is for. And it also<br />
depends on legislation, local<br />
development plan policies and<br />
guidance.<br />
The same applies to the<br />
question I’m asked most<br />
frequently, ie. what planning<br />
permission is needed to<br />
develop new houses in the<br />
countryside? My answer<br />
is – you’ve guessed it is – “it<br />
depends”!<br />
As Bell Ingram’s Planning<br />
Consultant, I provide<br />
professional advice to clients<br />
and colleagues on an infinitely<br />
varied range of planning<br />
projects across Scotland and<br />
the North of England.<br />
My expertise is in everything<br />
related to town and country<br />
planning, and my knowledge<br />
and experience allows me to<br />
make an initial assessment<br />
on whether or not a new<br />
house in a specific countryside<br />
location would be supported<br />
in principle by the Planning<br />
Authority and if further<br />
investigation and appraisal<br />
would be cost effect and<br />
beneficial to the client.<br />
For example, I often work<br />
with my colleague Andrew<br />
Fuller from our Oban office<br />
to identify rural plots with<br />
development potential for<br />
clients who are in the process<br />
of selling estates and farms,<br />
and want to add value to the<br />
sale.Most recently I was<br />
able to provide<br />
timely planning<br />
advice to a client<br />
before he agreed the sale of his<br />
house and surrounding land<br />
south of Oban. I was aware<br />
that there is a clear planning<br />
policy presumption in favour<br />
of rural development in certain<br />
parts of the countryside near<br />
Oban. I undertook a site visit<br />
and successfully identified two<br />
suitable plots of land for small<br />
scale development where,<br />
in accordance with policy<br />
criteria for new houses in the<br />
countryside, development<br />
would have no adverse<br />
impact on the character of the<br />
landscape.<br />
In this case, the Planning<br />
Authority was able to agree<br />
that the sites offered an<br />
appropriate opportunity for<br />
new homes, subject to a high<br />
standard and sustainable<br />
design being agreed through<br />
the submission of a subsequent<br />
planning application.<br />
Ultimately our client did not<br />
want to go as far as submitting<br />
planning applications, but was<br />
satisfied that the development<br />
potential had been identified<br />
to support the sale of the house<br />
and the land.<br />
The bottom line is that I can<br />
give clear and pragmatic<br />
planning advice on the best<br />
approach, based on the client’s<br />
needs and aspirations. Much<br />
of my work starts with a quick<br />
phone call from a colleague or<br />
a client recommendation … so<br />
if you need planning advice at<br />
early stage please just get in<br />
touch. n<br />
l Securing planning<br />
permissions was an<br />
important part of<br />
the process when<br />
Bell Ingram Design<br />
transformed this derelict<br />
agricultural building in<br />
the Angus Glens into a<br />
stylish holiday home.<br />
One of the biggest changes - which will<br />
interest Bell Ingram clients - is allowing<br />
the conversion of existing buildings to<br />
residential dwellings. It is not intended<br />
that the right should permit the<br />
redevelopment of sites, but to allow<br />
alterations to an existing building to<br />
function as a dwelling with installation of<br />
new doors and windows being included.<br />
Conditions may still be attached when<br />
Prior Approval is given and a building<br />
warrant would also still be required for<br />
the conversion.<br />
In my experience, the conversion of farm<br />
buildings to residential use requires<br />
extensions, adaptions and often a new<br />
build element beyond just conversion<br />
to make the development financially<br />
viable. Such changes would not become<br />
permitted development. Therefore<br />
we would not necessarily advise<br />
trying to stay within the constraints<br />
of permitted development, where<br />
planning permission would otherwise be<br />
supported in principle and provide more<br />
flexibility to create a well-designed and<br />
viable project.<br />
If you have a project in mind, it<br />
is always wise to seek planning<br />
advise at an early stage. Contact<br />
Bell Ingram’s Planning Consultant<br />
Catherine Newton on<br />
01738 621 121 or email<br />
perth@bellingram.co.uk<br />
10 bi<strong>2021</strong> spring spring winter bi<strong>2021</strong> bi2019 11<br />
5
design<br />
design<br />
Murray Fleming<br />
Associate Design Highland<br />
01463 717 799<br />
highland@bellingram.co.uk<br />
Plotting your<br />
dream move<br />
to the<br />
country?<br />
Here’s 5 top tips<br />
for identifying a<br />
perfect site<br />
Readers of a certain vintage will remember<br />
1970s’ sitcom The Good Life which<br />
chronicled the adventures of Tom (Richard<br />
Briars) and Barbara (Felicity Kendal) Good<br />
as they embraced a life of self-sufficiency<br />
in their home in Surbiton.<br />
And this desire to create a ‘good life’<br />
has been one of the enduring property<br />
trends of the last 50 years with the current<br />
pandemic only increasing the demand<br />
for house plots as many people reassess<br />
their priorities in favour of building a better<br />
quality of life in the countryside.<br />
So, if you are thinking of swapping city<br />
living for the rural idyll, Architect Murray<br />
Fleming who heads up Bell Ingram’s<br />
Highland Design team shares his 5 top tips<br />
for things to consider when plot hunting:<br />
Where is the sun?<br />
One of the great benefits of<br />
designing a new house on<br />
your own plot of ground is the<br />
opportunity to take advantage<br />
of the sun as it moves through<br />
the day and to simply enjoy the<br />
pleasures of a light filled house.<br />
Whether it be the morning sun<br />
in the kitchen or a view of the setting sun<br />
from the living room, good house design<br />
begins with designing around the sun<br />
‘path’.<br />
However it is not a simple as north facing<br />
site = bad and south facing = good, it is<br />
much more a matter of the surrounding<br />
topography and how that affects how the<br />
sun reaches the site. A north facing site<br />
may actually benefit from sun throughout<br />
the day if there are no obstructions and a<br />
south facing site may not see any sun if its<br />
path is obstructed by trees or a large hill<br />
immediate to the south.<br />
Try and visit the site at different times<br />
of the day to find out when the sun first<br />
hits the plot and when it dips below the<br />
horizon at the end of the day. Then, taking<br />
account of the time of year, an assessment<br />
can be made of how this will vary during<br />
the year, as the sun path from winter to<br />
summer varies enormously at our northern<br />
latitudes.<br />
Where are the<br />
utilities?<br />
Not so glamourous,<br />
however as many sites<br />
in the countryside are<br />
sold with no utilities, an<br />
assessment of the cost<br />
of bringing in water and<br />
electricity, and dealing with<br />
sewage is crucial to understanding the<br />
‘real’ cost of the project.<br />
A site that seems like a good buy at first<br />
can quickly become a money pit if the<br />
cost of running in each of the utilities<br />
is exceptional due to long distances<br />
for water/electricity, or poor ground<br />
conditions for a sewage system soakaway.<br />
Watch out too if no water supply is<br />
available and the only option is an<br />
expensive and uncertain water ‘borehole’.<br />
Where are the<br />
under-ground<br />
services?<br />
While bringing services a<br />
long way into a site can<br />
be expensive, dealing with<br />
services already on site, but<br />
which are in the ‘wrong’<br />
place, can be equally<br />
problematic, whether it be a water main<br />
running across the plot (which can be<br />
the case even in an apparently remote<br />
location) or overhead electricity or BT<br />
lines.<br />
There are several companies that can<br />
supply this information for a fee, however<br />
local knowledge is equally invaluable, and<br />
a short chat with a long-time neighbour<br />
of the site could save you thousands!<br />
Where are<br />
there planning<br />
conditions?<br />
Most house sites will<br />
be sold with either<br />
‘Planning in Principle’ or<br />
full ‘Detail Approval’ and<br />
both are likely to have<br />
‘conditions’ attached<br />
which you will be required to comply<br />
with. These can vary from a requirement<br />
to carry out protected species surveys to<br />
archaeological ‘watching briefs’ or simply<br />
forming a new vehicular entrance from<br />
the public road to meet the current local<br />
council standards.<br />
While many conditions may have no cost<br />
implications, the above examples could<br />
prove expensive and so making a careful<br />
assessment of the potential costs and<br />
indeed risks of any planning conditions is<br />
an essential part of plot assessment.<br />
Where is the<br />
love?<br />
Buying a plot of land and<br />
designing our own house<br />
is a dream for many of us,<br />
and it’s not as complicated<br />
as it might first appear! But,<br />
before you make that life<br />
changing purchase, ask<br />
yourself: “Do I love this site? For better, for<br />
worse? For richer for poorer? ‘Til de … well<br />
hopefully not that part!” And if the answer<br />
is YES!, come and speak to us at Bell<br />
Ingram Design and we can help make<br />
your dream come true.<br />
Start planning your dream home by<br />
checking out the plots for sale on our<br />
website www.bellingram.co.uk<br />
or contacting Murray Fleming by<br />
ringing our Beauly office.<br />
12 bi<strong>2021</strong> spring spring winter bi<strong>2021</strong> bi2019 13<br />
9
Bell Ingram<br />
walkers go the extra<br />
mile for charities<br />
intrepid walkers of miles) during the month-long<br />
all ages and abilities March fundraiser, the group<br />
37 have been stepping of colleagues from across the<br />
up to raise cash for Bell<br />
company’s offices in Scotland<br />
Ingram’s three chosen charities and the North of England<br />
- rural charity RSABI, the Great set themselves daily targets<br />
North Air Ambulance (GNASS) ranging from 2,000 to 15,000+<br />
and Scotland’s Charity Air steps.<br />
Ambulance (SCAA).<br />
Clocking up a combined total<br />
of 10,843,048 steps (5,134<br />
Supported by their dogs,<br />
children and partners, the<br />
walkers fitted in their extra<br />
miles before, during and after<br />
work as well as at weekends,<br />
and a WhatsApp group was<br />
set up to motivate the group<br />
and soon became a great way<br />
of sharing routes and posting<br />
pictures.<br />
As well as walking some<br />
people also added cycling<br />
and paddle boarding to<br />
the challenge, converting<br />
kilometres into steps!<br />
Alison Lowson, Bell Ingram’s<br />
Marketing Manager, helped<br />
organise the challenge. She<br />
said: “With so many people<br />
home-working at the moment,<br />
the idea was to challenge<br />
colleagues to take more<br />
exercise during the day and<br />
focus on something else apart<br />
from Covid and the dreaded<br />
home-schooling!<br />
“The land agents and foresters<br />
definitely had an advantage<br />
when it came to putting in<br />
the mileage because the very<br />
nature of their jobs means<br />
that are always out and about<br />
managing estates, farmland<br />
and forestry as well as<br />
supporting our utilities clients.<br />
“However, it encouraged the<br />
rest of us to ‘up our game’<br />
and we made a real effort to<br />
explore our local areas. We all<br />
live and work in some of the<br />
UK’s most beautiful places<br />
and it was great fun sharing<br />
pictures and seeing some of<br />
the stunning walks.” n<br />
Housing<br />
market<br />
is very much open<br />
for business<br />
The high level of transactions we saw<br />
carried over from the latter half of last<br />
year into January <strong>2021</strong> has now hit a<br />
roadblock with demand far exceeding<br />
supply in the prime residential market.<br />
Given the lack of stock, buyers are<br />
reluctant to sell their own homes which<br />
in turn has created a vicious circle. The<br />
incorrect perception that the housing<br />
market is closed for business is another<br />
factor creating a drag on the market.<br />
However, we are very much open for<br />
business and know that the demand<br />
is there. In Perthshire and Kinrossshire<br />
for example, we are seeing offers<br />
accepted within hours of being listed<br />
on our online platforms. Private deals<br />
are also becoming more common with<br />
properties snapped up before they’ve<br />
even hit the market.<br />
More good news for sellers is that the<br />
market is attracting serious cash buyers<br />
with no chain to hold them up. Any<br />
Carl Warden<br />
Head of Estate<br />
Agency<br />
perth@bellingram.co.uk<br />
available properties are selling fast, often<br />
achieving 10-20% over the asking price.<br />
Looking ahead, there are plenty of<br />
reasons to be optimistic that the<br />
situation will improve, and estate agents<br />
are holding their breath in anticipation<br />
of a much-needed housing boom when<br />
lockdown eases in April and May.<br />
In his <strong>Spring</strong> Budget, Chancellor Rishi<br />
Sunak chose to keep the fire under the<br />
property market alight by extending<br />
the stamp duty holiday from the end<br />
of March to the end of June. After this<br />
date, the starting rate of stamp duty will<br />
be halved to £250,000 until the end of<br />
September.<br />
estate agency<br />
l An offer was<br />
accepted on this<br />
Perthshire property in<br />
just three days.<br />
However, Stamp Duty is only applicable<br />
in England and Northern Ireland, and it<br />
will be interesting to see if the Scottish<br />
Government follows suit with the Scottish<br />
equivalent, the Land and Buildings<br />
Transaction Tax (LBTT), as Ministers<br />
previously indicated the LBTT holiday<br />
would end in March<br />
The Budget announcement of a mortgage<br />
guarantee scheme to help people with<br />
small deposits get on the property ladder<br />
by offering incentives to lenders to provide<br />
95% mortgages is most welcome. This will<br />
help first time buyers get onto the housing<br />
ladder which in turn stimulates the rest<br />
of the property market and increases<br />
property transactions<br />
Simultaneously, the Chancellor is easing<br />
the UK from an end-of-furlough cliff edge<br />
and has turned away from increasing<br />
capital gains tax - an increase in CGT<br />
could have dented the holiday home and<br />
investment sectors. These moves point the<br />
way to a lively property market through<br />
<strong>2021</strong>.<br />
With the public looking forward to the<br />
stepped retreat from lockdown and many<br />
people planning new ways of working<br />
between office and home, there are<br />
compelling new opportunities for buyers<br />
looking for first homes or for homes with<br />
more room in different surroundings. n<br />
214 bi2019 bi<strong>2021</strong> winter spring spring winter bi<strong>2021</strong> bi2019 153
estate agency<br />
estate agency<br />
TV programmes like Amanda<br />
Owen’s ‘Our Yorkshire Farm’<br />
and Ben Fogle’s ‘New Lives<br />
in the Wild’ have tapped into<br />
a national obsession with selfsufficient<br />
lifestyles.<br />
So much so that even during<br />
lockdown, farm and crofting<br />
properties generated high levels<br />
of enquiries as soon as they<br />
came on the market.<br />
But for those seeking the rural<br />
idyll, does the romantic notion<br />
of swapping city life for a sheep<br />
farm in the Dales or living in a<br />
white-washed croft house on<br />
a west coast bay live up to the<br />
reality?<br />
Bell Ingram’s resident crofting expert<br />
Ian Blois says: “It can do, but it’s<br />
not always straightforward and<br />
prospective crofters need to be<br />
aware of a number of points when buying<br />
a property which could be restricted by<br />
crofting legislation.”<br />
He continues: “Increased interest in<br />
crofting properties during the Covid<br />
lockdown has been prompted partly<br />
by lower property prices and partly by a<br />
genuine consideration of escaping to the<br />
country and leaving behind the stresses<br />
of city living. Working from home is now<br />
a reality for many people and with good<br />
broadband, connectivity to a business or<br />
employment anywhere in the world is now<br />
possible amidst the freedom and slower<br />
lifestyle of the Highlands.<br />
Based in Bell Ingram’s Beauly office,<br />
Ian has worked with Estate Agency<br />
colleagues advising potential crofters for<br />
over ten years and reckons that a working<br />
knowledge of crofting legislation almost<br />
comes as standard if you are a rural<br />
professional living and working in the<br />
Highlands.<br />
He adds: “While the rules and regulations<br />
around crofting aren’t particularly<br />
complicated, like most things of this<br />
nature there are certainly a few pitfalls that<br />
could trap the unwary, and it’s sensible to<br />
do your homework and consult an expert.”<br />
Ian Blois<br />
Senior Land Agent<br />
01463 717799<br />
highland@<br />
bellingram.co.uk<br />
Thinking of<br />
buying a<br />
It’s important to do<br />
your homework and<br />
consult an expert<br />
Here’s a number of points you might want<br />
to consider if you are thinking of buying a<br />
croft:<br />
What is a croft?<br />
Crofting is a system of landholding which<br />
is unique to Scotland and is an integral<br />
part of life in the Highlands & Islands. A<br />
croft is legally any small land holding,<br />
which is registered as a croft by the<br />
Crofting Commisson and therefore subject<br />
to crofting legislation. The croft may or<br />
may not have a house or farm buildings<br />
associated with it and there is no size limit.<br />
Currently Bell Ingram have a number of<br />
crofts for sale ranging from a 1.6acre croft<br />
near Oban to 127 acres of farmland near<br />
Lairg in Sutherland.<br />
Where are crofts<br />
located?<br />
There are 21,186 crofts entered on the<br />
Crofting Commission’s Register of Crofts<br />
(ROC) of which 15,137 are tenanted and<br />
the remainder are owned. These crofts<br />
are located within the traditional Crofting<br />
Counties of Argyll, Caithness, Inverness,<br />
Ross & Cromarty, Sutherland, Orkney<br />
and Shetland, or in one of the newly<br />
designated crofting areas – Arran, Bute,<br />
Greater and Little Cumbrae, Moray.<br />
How much does it cost<br />
to buy a croft?<br />
This depends of a number of factors,<br />
including location, land quality and<br />
whether the sale includes a croft house.<br />
For example, a croft (with a croft house)<br />
in a desirable area like the Black Isle with<br />
good transport links to Inverness is likely<br />
to fetch a higher price than a property<br />
without a croft house in a more remote<br />
location.<br />
What is the legal<br />
position if I buy a<br />
croft?<br />
There are two possible scenarios when you<br />
buy a croft and these should be apparent<br />
in the sales particulars. The croft may be<br />
classed as owner-occupied, in which case<br />
you would be buying the land and the<br />
crofting tenancy, which is the right to farm<br />
the land. Or, in some cases, the ownership<br />
of the land is not part of the sale and<br />
you would be buying the assignation or<br />
tenancy of the croft, which is just the right<br />
to farm the land.<br />
What are my rights<br />
and responsibilities if I<br />
buy a croft?<br />
Owning a croft is not the same as owning<br />
an ordinary regular home or farm because<br />
the use of the land is regulated by the<br />
Crofting Acts. Whether you become an<br />
owner-occupier or just the tenant, in both<br />
cases you must comply with certain duties<br />
imposed on you by the crofting legislation.<br />
These are:<br />
lA duty to<br />
be a resident on, or<br />
within 32 kilometres<br />
of, the croft.<br />
lA duty not to misuse<br />
or neglect the croft.<br />
lA duty to cultivate<br />
and maintain the croft<br />
or to put it to another<br />
purposeful use.<br />
If any of these rules are breached, the<br />
Crofting Commission have the statutory<br />
powers to terminate the tenancy and<br />
allocate the croft to someone considered<br />
to be more suitable. This applies even<br />
if you own the croft, so it is important<br />
that prospective buyers understand the<br />
commitment they are making.<br />
Can I buy a croft house<br />
without any land?<br />
A “croft” house is not necessarily a croft.<br />
If a house is being sold without land, it is<br />
unlikely to be subject to crofting legislation<br />
which applies mainly to land. In this case,<br />
normal property laws apply and you can<br />
use it as a second home or let it out as a<br />
holiday cottage.<br />
If a registered croft is being sold with a<br />
house, the house and garden has often<br />
been de-crofted which means that while<br />
the land remains under crofting tenure,<br />
the house is no longer subject to crofting<br />
legislation. This can be important if the<br />
buyer needs a mortgage as lenders will<br />
only offer financial assistance if the house<br />
is free of crofting legislation.<br />
Making an Offer<br />
If you are serious about buying a croft,<br />
speak to the selling agent and your<br />
solicitor to make sure you are fully aware<br />
of what it will mean to become a crofter.<br />
It is usual to make a formal offer subject<br />
to getting approval from the Crofting<br />
Commission. This means that if your<br />
offer is accepted, you will then make an<br />
application to the Crofting Commission to<br />
be approved as the tenant of the property.<br />
This is likely to be successful as long as you<br />
intend to live permanently on the croft or<br />
at least within 19 miles of it and to actively<br />
farm the land. Once approved, your offer to<br />
buy will be completed.<br />
Still Confused?<br />
If you have found you dream house on<br />
an internet search and you find that<br />
crofting is mentioned, please do not be<br />
discouraged. Just give us ring at either our<br />
Beauly or Oban office and someone will<br />
be pleased to answer all your questions. It’s<br />
not as complicated as it sounds.<br />
Useful links:<br />
• Crofting Commission<br />
www.crofting.scotland.gov.uk<br />
• Citizen’s Advice<br />
www.citizensadvice.org.uk<br />
• Shelter Scotland<br />
www.scotland.shelter.org.uk<br />
16 bi<strong>2021</strong> spring spring bi<strong>2021</strong> 17
Gaelic<br />
speaking<br />
staff are a unique<br />
selling point for<br />
Scottish businesses<br />
A<br />
surge<br />
Simone Hogan<br />
Administrative Assistant<br />
Highland<br />
01463 717 799<br />
highland@bellingram.co.uk<br />
of interest in Scottish<br />
Gaelic saw more than<br />
560,000 people sign up<br />
to learn the language with<br />
learning app Duolingo during the 2020<br />
lockdown.<br />
Statistics released by the company<br />
revealed that a third of learners on the<br />
site are from Scotland, with another third<br />
from the US, and the remainder from<br />
around the world, including eight per<br />
cent from Canada.<br />
The global popularity of Scottish Gaelic<br />
comes as no surprise to Bell Ingram’s<br />
Simone Hogan who had been learning<br />
the language since 2009 having<br />
emigrated to the UK from Australia in<br />
1995 and living in Kent before finally<br />
settling in the Highlands in 2019.<br />
And Simone, who works as an<br />
Administrative Assistant in the company’s<br />
Highland office in Beauly, believes that<br />
Scottish hospitality and tourism industry<br />
is missing a trick by not weaving Gaelic<br />
into their business plans and employing<br />
more fluent speakers.<br />
Says Simone: “From personal experience<br />
I know that international visitors seek out<br />
Gaelic speaking businesses when they<br />
travel to Scotland.<br />
“For example, when a friend I met<br />
through online Gaelic classes travelled<br />
to Scotland from the USA with a group<br />
of her colleagues, she specifically sought<br />
out accommodation, restaurants and<br />
excursions which employed Gaelic<br />
speakers. As a Gaelic learner, she<br />
understood how intrinsically linked to<br />
Scotland’s landscape, history, heritage<br />
and culture the language is, and she<br />
wanted to share this with her co-workers.<br />
“It’s also worth pointing out that<br />
Duolingo’s Facebook group alone has over<br />
9,000 members worldwide who use the<br />
forum; combined with members of other<br />
learners’ groups, the number of potential<br />
customers exceeds 18,000. Post-lockdown<br />
many of these people will be looking<br />
for opportunities to travel to Scotland,<br />
practice speaking the language and<br />
interact with fluent speakers. So, say you<br />
have a café with a Gaelic speaker behind<br />
the counter then learners are more likely<br />
to pop into your establishment to get<br />
some practice speaking.<br />
“The #cleachdi Gàidhlig badge is also<br />
popular with learners and when I<br />
wore mine I noticed others who did<br />
too, including at the local outdoor<br />
markets. Businesses can apply for these<br />
promotional materials once lockdown is<br />
lifted.<br />
fiath<br />
is fàilte<br />
romhad<br />
tapadh<br />
leat<br />
halò<br />
“The bottom line is that Gaelic groups<br />
are full of people asking about<br />
accommodation, tours, excursions,<br />
restaurants, music venues, ceilidhs, etc.<br />
where Gaelic can be heard, and spoken.<br />
In addition, there are people who take<br />
photos of everyday instances of Gaelic<br />
to post on social media; in some cases<br />
just to make the language, and culture<br />
(at least appear) more accessible. Any<br />
sign, poster, brochure, clothing, jewellery<br />
or gift that has the Gaelic becomes a<br />
collector’s item. Honestly, these pictures<br />
– together with the information on where<br />
to see and buy these Gaelic products<br />
– are shared around Gaelic groups and<br />
pages constantly.<br />
“If you are a business employing Gaelic<br />
speaking staff, make sure you shout<br />
about it as it’s a unique selling point.<br />
Learners will spend considerable time<br />
seeking you out even if you just promote<br />
and/or support Gaelic.”<br />
After a decade living and working<br />
in London and the South East,<br />
Simone finally made the move<br />
to Scotland permanent in 2019,<br />
working first at the port of Nigg before<br />
taking up her current position with Bell<br />
Ingram in Beauly.<br />
She continues: “Scotland has always<br />
felt welcoming and inclusive and the<br />
slàn<br />
leat<br />
first time I visited I knew instantly that I<br />
wanted to make my home here. Learning<br />
Gaelic felt like the best and fastest way<br />
to immerse myself in the culture and<br />
history of the country.<br />
“My first time spontaneously speaking<br />
Gaelic was at Bell Ingram when one<br />
of our clients mentioned returning to<br />
Uist. As I had only ever discussed Uist<br />
in Gaelic classes, I instinctively asked (in<br />
Gaelic) if she was from North or South<br />
Uist – ‘Uibhist a Tuath, no Uibhist a<br />
Deas?’, and our conversation continued<br />
exclusively in Gaelic. It was exciting!<br />
Weirdly, my very first use of<br />
Gaelic in the workplace<br />
was when I was in London<br />
working for a Texan law firm.<br />
They were drafting an agreement with<br />
one of the parties having a Gaelic name,<br />
and I noticed an accent was missing<br />
during proofreading. Forgetting an<br />
accent can be dangerous in Gaelic (you<br />
might be referencing something rude!),<br />
so I made certain the correct accents<br />
were added.”<br />
Despite the challenges of lockdown<br />
Simone is committed to improving her<br />
command and understanding of the<br />
language.<br />
She adds: “I am aware of other learners<br />
àitefuirich<br />
Gàidhlig<br />
in my area, so once lockdown is lifted,<br />
I hope to set up a Cofaidh & Craic<br />
(coffee and fun) group in the area. More<br />
particularly, I hope to find Gaelic friendly<br />
venues to host the group as well as any<br />
excursion providers who can expand our<br />
working Gaelic knowledge, e.g. walking,<br />
foraging, boating, cycling, etc.” n<br />
Useful Links &<br />
Articles<br />
Visit Scotland’s Gaelic<br />
Tourism Strategy: https://<br />
www.visitscotland.org/aboutus/what-we-do/working-inpartnership/gaelic-tourismstrategy<br />
A collection of available online<br />
resources for (beginner) learners<br />
can be found here: https://padlet.<br />
com/Sgribhisg/storasan<br />
There is also a Gaelic LinkedIn<br />
group https://www.linkedin.com/<br />
groups/4025859/<br />
18 bi<strong>2021</strong> spring spring winter bi<strong>2021</strong> bi2019 19 11
www.bellingram.co.uk<br />
Follow Bell Ingram on:<br />
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,<br />
Linkedin<br />
Beauly<br />
Oban<br />
Ayr<br />
Aberdeen<br />
Forfar<br />
Perth<br />
Morpeth<br />
Ambleside<br />
Head Offce: Durn, Isla Road, Perth<br />
Northwich<br />
Thirsk<br />
Durn<br />
Isla Road<br />
Perth, PH2 7HF<br />
Tel: 01738 621 121<br />
Email: enquiries@bellingram.co.uk<br />
Aberdeen<br />
2 Albert Street,<br />
Aberdeen, AB25 1XQ<br />
Tel: 01224 621 300<br />
Email: aberdeen@bellingram.co.uk<br />
Ambleside<br />
Low Nook, University of Cumbria<br />
Rydal Road, Ambleside<br />
Cumbria, LA22 9BB<br />
Tel: 01539 896 101<br />
Email: ambleside@bellingram.co.uk<br />
Ayr<br />
33 Sandgate,<br />
Ayr, KA7 1BG<br />
Tel: 01292 886 544<br />
Email: ayr@bellingram.co.uk<br />
Forfar<br />
Manor Street<br />
Forfar, DD8 1EX<br />
Tel: 01307 462 516<br />
Email: forfar@bellingram.co.uk<br />
Highland<br />
5 High Street<br />
Beauly, IV4 7BS<br />
Tel: 01463 717799<br />
Email: highland@bellingram.co.uk<br />
Morpeth<br />
Ellington Business Centre<br />
Lynemouth Road, Ellington<br />
Morpeth, NE61 5HB<br />
Tel: 01670 862 235<br />
Email: morpeth@bellingram.co.uk<br />
Northwich<br />
Blakemere Village, Chester Road<br />
Sandiway, Northwich<br />
Cheshire, CW8 2EB<br />
Tel: 01606 523 030<br />
Email: northwich@bellingram.co.uk<br />
Oban<br />
5 Albany Street<br />
Oban, PA34 4AR<br />
Tel: 01631 566122<br />
Email: oban@bellingram.co.uk<br />
Thirsk<br />
Thirsk Rural Business Centre<br />
Blakey Lane, Thirsk<br />
North Yorkshire, YO7 3AB<br />
Tel: 01845 522 095<br />
Email: thirsk@bellingram.co.uk<br />
20 bi<strong>2021</strong> spring winter bi2019 1