Insight Hub

• 2 November 2021

Anderson Strathern appoints Willie Shannon in Shetland

• 20 October 2021
• | Stuart Orr

Rural tax – know your property!

You might think the difference between a residential and a non-residential property would be obvious. By its nature, the farmhouse is different from the field and the cottage different from the cowshed.

• 18 October 2021
• | Douglas McLachlan

How cyber-secure are you?

In case you missed it, October is Cyber Security Awareness Month. It seems like just about every day brings another news story about an ever increasing list of businesses and other organisations who have fallen victim to a cyber-attack or a data breach, but just who is behind these?

• 15 October 2021
• | Linsey Barclay-Smith

Grand Designs – what makes a rural development plot a dream home?

For many, finding and buying your dream home is a matter of browsing online property pages until the right one comes along and everything falls into place. For others, the opportunity to build from the ground up is far more appealing and that journey usually starts with securing a development plot.

• Date: 28 October 2021

Universities Conference

We held our Universities Conference on 28th October, where you heard from our legal experts Andrew Brown, Paul Brown and Douglas McLachlan on the key employment, immigration and data protection concerns for universities. 

• Date: 30 October 2021

Property services pop up clinic

The Coronavirus pandemic has changed the property requirements of many, both personally and in business. Now that we can meet in person again, we have arranged a free pop up clinic at our Haddington office on Saturday 30th October.

• 4 October 2021
• |

Secret Wills – Does your will get the Royal Treatment?

The High Court has ruled that the will of the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh shall remain a secret for 90 years. It was decided that it was both undesirable and inappropriate for the will to be open to public inspection. However, we do not all get the royal treatment and this recent decision leads to questions surrounding the privacy of our wills. Have you considered what happens to your will after death and who is able to see it?

• 30 September 2021
• | Tom Docherty

Finding a route out of the HGV driver crisis

The shortage in commercial goods drivers across the UK is now in plain sight; with empty shelves in the shops and closed petrol stations. How have we got into this mess and what can done about it – will there be a route out of the crisis any time soon?

• 29 September 2021
• |

Temporary Visas for HGV Drivers and Poultry Workers

It’s difficult to miss this week’s coverage of petrol stations running short of fuel supplies, and scenes in the media of queues and fist fights on the forecourts.  As if that was not enough, it’s been suggested that insufficient stocks of certain foods in the run up to December, particularly turkeys, could lead to ‘Christmas’ being cancelled (Alan Rickman’s Sheriff of Nottingham has much to answer for). 

• Date: 12 October 2021

Natural Capital webinar

We hosted our online event covering COP26 and Natural Capital opportunities for rural landowners on 12th October. In the run up to COP26, the interaction between business and nature is more important than ever. Recognising the inherent value in the natural resources around us can help us to benefit our economy, the environment and our wider society.

• Date: 7 October 2021

Annual Charities Conference 2021

We hosted our online charities conference on 7 October looking at how Scotland's charities can best respond to the changing landscape and how a commercial mind-set and sound governance can support a positive future.

• 22 September 2021
• | Ewan Regan

Employee Ownership Trusts – the quietly booming industry

There is one area of the Scottish economy that is quietly booming. Amidst talk of the succession crisis with the ‘silver tsunami’ of business owners who reach retirement age and want to exit their business, an increasing number have found a solution that fits their aspirations perfectly. Many business owners are now considering a sale to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).