GETTING A SMALL-HOLDING
IN DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY

Smallholding

Summary - during the summer of 1977, Clare and I looked in a desultory way for a small-holding in Dumfries and Galloway. During the summer of 1978 we were able to borrow a car and looked more energetically. We spent about one whole day a week driving around seeing people and places. We had about £10,000 to spend and were willing to do building or rebuilding work without limit. At first we demanded 4 acres of land, but later reduced our minimum to 2 acres.

After two and a half months of by no means all-out searching, we found a 12 acre holding with house with good walls and roof, in fact habitable. The land is 1,000 feet above sea level and needs draining throughout. It was offered by the Forestry Commission for £10,000. We offered £8,000 and to our surprise the offer was accepted. During the search we picked up some gossip, rumour, unsubstantiated assertion etc. about house and land purchases. This unreliable stuff is here passed on.

Information about houses - in Scotland there are no Estate Agents. People sell houses through solicitors (a more sensible system). Advertisements and particulars of all properties for sale through solicitors go out through the Solicitors' Property Centre, 48, King Street, Castle Douglas, Kirkudbright. The SPC issues a monthly summary of all properties on their books. Certain large solicitors and the Forestry Commission do not go through the SPC but they advertise very conspicuously in the local papers. British Rail is also worth approaching.

Land - very, very, few of the properties found through these sources were offered with land. We considered it worthwhile viewing ones we liked but that lacked land firstly because we got to see the country and get an idea of what kind of things were offered at what prices and secondly, because we hoped that having found a likely house, we might find a prospect of land as well. This hope. was justified.

In one case the cottage we looked at had 10 acres of obviously derelict land lying opposite it. We made a surprise personal visit to the owner (got his name from the owner of the cottage) and he was almost willing to sell us some of the land. But when he had time to think about it he changed his mind. An immediate offer backed by a suitcase full of fivers might have done the trick. The best time to call on farmers is 7.00 pm, not during hay or corn harvest. Start "Mr. McDonald? Can I have a word with you?" so as to get invited into the house and create an atmosphere of seriousness.

In another case the cottage, part of a crumbling estate, was beside a 2-acre walled garden. A simple enquiry of the selling solicitor revealed that the sellers would consider an offer for the garden as well.

Land is the main difficulty. Farmers are unwilling to let go of it unless it is undrained or otherwise grotty (I think going for undrained land may be the best bet - it can always be improved, after all). An anonymous 'phone call to a solicitor gave the following prices:

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