There are almost 100 estates across Scotland that have gone unclaimed and could see some Scots earn a fortune in inheritance. Some of those passing have left behind six-figure sums.
When somebody dies with no written will or known family, their estate is passed to the Crown where it is held, waiting to be claimed. These estates are kept for 30 years, and if no one comes forward to claim it then the money could disappear into the Treasury’s accounts.
But in the meantime, any relatives who couldn’t be tracked down at the time of death can still make a claim on the estate, and bag themselves an inheritance. The government publishes a list of these unclaimed estates on a regular basis - you can search it here.
