STEPHEN Whiteford is moving Strutt and Parkets Perth office where he has worked for the past four years, to their office in Inverness.

He has helped develop Strutt and Parker’s Scottish farming department, under the leadership of Mary Munro, since its inception in 2015.

His farming expertise and understanding of rural businesses complements the services already offered by the Inverness office which provides land management and estates and farms sales in addition to forestry management and consultancy through Strutt and Parker’s forestry arm John Clegg and Co, as well as residential agency.

Stephen, who also will be taking an active role in managing the family farming business in the north, said: “I am delighted to be returning to the north of Scotland with my family and am very excited about further developing the strong rural team in Strutt and Parker’s Inverness office.

“I will work with our forestry, land management and farm sales teams in Inverness to provide a comprehensive service to rural businesses in the north of Scotland.

“It is a challenging time for agriculture and for businesses across the rural sector. The ability to streamline business efficiency, control costs and maximise economies of scale will become more important than ever before. I look forward to using my experience to help farmers and landowners strengthen their businesses and protect their assets as well as providing a full farm management service from grant applications to strategic business plans.”

Andrew Aitchison, head of rural consultancy for Strutt and Parker in Scotland, said: “Stephen is a well-known figure in the north of Scotland farming community and he takes to Inverness a wealth of knowledge and wide-ranging expertise. He will be a valuable addition to the team, developing a farms consultancy business, extending the reach of our rural services in the north of Scotland and marking a new period of growth.”

Head of Strutt and Parker’s Inverness office, Kevin Maley, said: “We are pleased to welcome Stephen, well-known both within Strutt and Parker and throughout the north of Scotland, to our successful team. It is 10 years since we opened the Inverness office and this is a great way to celebrate that milestone.”