Angus McCall, the man who could be dubbed Scotland's “tenants champion” is now an owner occupier.

Mr McCall has taken advantage of the decision by Sutherland Estates – one of Scotland’s largest landed estates – to sell some of its farms to the sitting tenants as part of a restructuring process.

This is part of an increasing move on the part of agricultural landlords towards giving their secure tenants the opportunity to buy their farms, especially where there is a definite line of succession and little expectation that the landlord could get the farm back in hand for the foreseeable future.

Mr McCall and his family have just completed the purchase of the 500acre Culmaily Farm which straddles the A9 just south of the village of Golspie. The farm is a traditional mixed unit producing malting barley, Luing cattle and prime lambs. The McCall family have occupied Culmaily since 1970.

Commenting on the purchase, Mr McCall told The Scottish Farmer: “The chance to buy the farm was totally unexpected and the decision to purchase is the biggest we have had to face as a family, but it is an opportunity not to be missed.

“It has involved some careful budgeting and forward planning and the next few years will be challenging, but in common with other tenants who have been able to buy their farms, we are finding it a liberating experience and have plans to invest in improvements to the farm infrastructure which we would not have contemplated had we remained as tenants.

“Financing the farm purchase has not been easy and has meant some hard financial decisions, however, having been tenants for over 45 years we have invested heavily in the farm and made substantial improvements during the course of our tenancy. In effect we have already paid for part of the farm and this is obviously reflected in the purchase price," he said.

“Mortgage companies realise this situation, they are keen to finance tenants and prepared to lend money at low interest rates for long periods of time providing they are presented with a viable business plan. One of the positive aspects of exchanging rent for a mortgage payment is the prospect that repayments are fixed for a period of time whilst rents will inevitably creep up over the years!

“I have spent the last 15 years trying to help strengthen the hand of tenant farmers by lobbying for a fairer rent review process, improved succession rights and waygo compensation, better treatment of tenants by factoring agents and increased letting of land, especially for new entrants," he added.

“The Land Reform Act has achieved many of these ambitions, but there is still a great deal to be done over the next couple of years to make sure that the Act is implemented as intended.

“There is also a desperate need to create conditions which would encourage landowners to put land back on to the letting market. Having been with the STFA for such a long time and having benefitted from the association’s work, I fully intend to continue to help for as long as necessary."