Property consultancy Bidwells has extended its 25-year relationship with Crown Estate Scotland after being appointed as the managing agent for its rural portfolios across both the North and South of Scotland.

This new contract builds upon Bidwells' established role in overseeing Crown Estate Scotland's coastal portfolio. The newly acquired rural remit covers 87,400 acres and includes 470 leases across Moray, Midlothian, and Dumfries & Galloway. The diverse portfolio features a mixture of residential properties, tenant farms, visitor attractions, and small businesses.

The five-year agreement includes the option for an extension of up to four years. It will be led by Ralph Peters, Head of Rural, Scotland, and managed from offices in Inverness and Perth. To support the contract, Bidwells is currently recruiting to expand its Scottish Estate Management team by one third, increasing its local expertise for tenants, communities, and stakeholders.

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Ralph Peters, Head of Rural, Scotland at Bidwells, said: "This appointment also marks an important continuation of our commitment to growth in Scotland and the expansion of key client relationships in the region. Strengthening our presence here reflects both the opportunity within the rural economy and our confidence in the long-term potential of this market.

"Managing rural estates at this scale demands high performing professionals, commercial insight, strong local knowledge and trusted relationships and we are proud to build on our 25-year relationship with Crown Estate Scotland through this partnership.

"Our focus is clear. We are committed to ensuring Scotland's rural communities thrive by working closely with all stakeholders to enable the estate's delivery of long-term value across farming , and visitor enterprises, in line with Crown Estate Scotland's commitments as a responsible landlord."

Oster Milambo, Director of Property for Crown Estate Scotland, said: "We are very pleased to strengthen our already strong relationship with Bidwells in order to help Crown Estate Scotland continue its commitment to providing a high level of service to all our tenants and customers. This new contract with Bidwells is an important vehicle in the delivery of our Corporate Plan and meeting our commitments to tenants on our four rural estates, as the largest single Landlord of tenant farmers in Scotland. We look forward to working with Bidwells on this contract over the next few years."

The agreement highlights a shared alignment of values between the two bodies, matching Crown Estate Scotland's focus on commercialism, collaboration, integrity, and excellence with Bidwells' sustainable approach as a certified B Corp. Across the UK, Bidwells manages more than four million acres of coastline and countryside.