Scotland saw a rise in the number of hill farms marketed during 2022, as farmers sought to capitalise on the high prices being paid by forestry and environmentally-motivated buyers.
Property consultancy Strutt & Parker analysed data from the past 12 months, showing that 24 hill farms came to the open market in Scotland, compared with 11 in 2021 and nine in 2020.
Diane Fleming, farm agent for the firm in Scotland, said: “Hill farms accounted for 27% of the farms on sale in 2022, when they usually make up between 10 to 20% of farms - this signals that some farmers have been tempted to take advantage of the premium prices that have been on offer from forestry and natural capital buyers.”
