Scottish barony titles can pass through a family unnoticed for generations.
If you’ve been told, suspect or know that a title is connected to your family or an estate, this page explains what that means and how the process works.
What is a Barony Title?
A Scottish barony title is a form of hereditary dignity with roots in the feudal system. Historically, the holder of a barony was responsible for administering land on behalf of the Crown. Since 2004, barony titles have existed independently of any land. They can be bought, sold, gifted, or inherited in their own right. A Scottish barony title is widely recognised as the only noble title in the world that can be legally bought and sold by anyone, regardless of nationality.
Why You Might Not Know You Have One
Because a barony title was historically tied to land, many families who bought or inherited land a generation or two ago also acquired the title attached to it, often without this being separately noted or valued at the time. Ownership changes since 2004 are recorded in the Scottish Barony Register, a private register accessible only to Scottish solicitors, rather than on the public registers. This means a title can sit unrecognised within a family’s or an estate’s wider assets for years, particularly if the land itself has since been sold, subdivided, or passed down through several generations.
What Your Barony Title Could Be Worth
Barony titles are bought and sold on the open market, and prices vary depending on the specific title’s history and appeal. Recent transactions have generally been between £100,000 and £125,000.
How the Process Works
1. An initial discussion
We’ll talk through what we believe we’ve found, and we encourage you to involve your own Scottish solicitor from the outset. Together we agree a proposal on whether and how to proceed.
2. We compile the conveyancing pack
This is the file of title deeds and other material designed to satisfy a solicitor acting for the purchaser that we are offering a legally valid title.
3. One of two outcomes
- The title is established. We confirm that in our opinion you have a valid title, we agree with you the price to be asked and that you are ready to offer it for sale.
- The title can’t be established. You owe us nothing.
4. We find a buyer
If the title is established, we search for a suitable purchaser and negotiate a sale price. Our Commission payable by the seller is 10%.
5. Completion
Once a price is agreed, the purchaser pays a deposit. Missives are concluded, usually within four to six weeks, followed by date of entry, much the same as when selling a house.
Why Sell Through Us
Scottish Barony Titles is a family-run business, founded by Brian Hamilton in 1992. Since then, we’ve arranged the sale of around 250 baronies, 15 lordships, and 9 earldoms, finding new owners for roughly 95% of titles that have changed hands in recent years – for buyers across the UK, the United States, Canada, Singapore, and Switzerland.
We have matched more buyers with Scottish titles than any other company for over thirty years and are the leading authority on Scottish Feudal titles.
We handle every sale discreetly, with minimal publicity.
A Note on Legitimacy
It’s reasonable to want to check something like this before proceeding. Scottish Legal News reported the Scottish Barony Register’s own Custodian raising concern that such titles are increasingly missed in conveyancing and executry work, as fewer solicitors have feudal law experience – this is a more common situation than people expect.
Frequently Asked Questions
A. Barony Titles is recommended by Lindsays Solicitors in Edinburgh, the leading firm in barony conveyancing, and we are able to offer a list of Scottish solicitors with whom we have worked and will be able to supply a reference as to our probity and competence.
A. We will do research to establish if you have a valid title – this will cost you nothing – once we have agreed our terms of service.
A. This is a reasonably common situation. We would need instructions from all parties with a pecuniary interest.
A. No. We will provide all the information necessary to complete the sale as part of our service.
A. It usually takes around two months to prepare a title for sale. It usually takes around six weeks to complete a sale. We will discuss current market conditions with you when we come to an agreement to offer your title, as the time required to find a purchaser can vary considerably.
A. Yes. We will only sell for someone if they have engaged a Scottish solicitor. The purchaser will also be required to engage a Scottish solicitor. If you do not have a Scottish solicitor or they are inexperienced in this area of law, we can suggest some firms with barony conveyancing experience.
Contact / Enquiry
Get in touch, with no obligation. If you think a title may be connected to your family, or an estate you’re involved with, we’re happy to help you find out.
No cost, no obligation, and no pressure to proceed.