Two Aberdeenshire farms with a combined total of just under 600 acres of prime arable land have been launched to the market this weekend by Aberdeen and Northern Estates (ANE).
The property division of north-east farmers’ co-operative ANM Group has been appointed selling agent for Cairnfechel Farm, near Udny, Ellon, and Hill of Crimond at Keithhall, near Inverurie. Its associate, James Craig, hailed the launch of the two farms to the market.
He said the sale of the two properties offered a single buyer or multiple buyers the chance to buy a “remarkable prime equipped Aberdeenshire farm property in a renowned arable and livestock region of the country”.
Both properties belonged to the late Norman Watson Taylor, who died last year at the age of 90.
He was the third generation of the Taylor family to farm at Cairnfechel.
Up until 1995 Mr Taylor ran a well-performing closed dairy herd of 160 Friesians, before concentrating on the arable side of the business. He is survived by four of his five daughters.
Cairnfechel, which extends to 480 acres of predominantly Grade 3 (1) and Grade 3 (2) land, includes a six-bedroom farmhouse, five farm cottages, and a mix of traditional and modern farm buildings.
It is available for sale as a whole or in two lots.
The first lot of Cairnfechel Farm, which carries a price tag of offers over £2.3million, comprises the farmhouse, cottages, farm buildings and 324 acres of land.
The second lot of land at North Coullie includes 143 acres of land and a compact block of semi-mature mixed woodland. It is available to buy for offers over £620,000.
Meanwhile, Hill of Crimond, which is located five miles from Cairnfechel, is also offered for sale as a whole or in two lots.
The first lot, which is offered to the market for offers over £475,000, comprises a 105.8-acre block of predominantly Grade 3 (2) arable land and a 4.8-acre sitka spruce plantation.
The second lot, which includes farm buildings and a four-acre paddock, is on the market for offers over £65,000.
ANE director James Presley said: “Given the scale and specification of the farms, we are expecting interest from near and far.
“This sale includes bare arable land opportunities at North Coullie and Hill of Crimond, while a buyer may also wish to continue running the entire portfolio together in line with the efficient and expansive operations of the late Mr Taylor.”
He said Basic Payment Scheme entitlements were not included in the sale, but they are available by separate negotiation.