Land and new homes in Highlands & Islands
In Highlands & Islands, Land to Homes works with landowners who want to sell, option or promote land for housing, and with councils and housing associations on affordable homes. We manage planning and building on the sites we take forward, and people looking for a home can register their interest.
Highlands & IslandsFree site appraisal
Tell us about your land and we will call you back. No cost, no obligation.
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6248.
- Free site appraisalNo cost, no obligation
- Legal fees coveredReasonable fees, on options and promotion
- Nothing to pay upfrontOn promotion: we fund planning
- Direct purchaseSuitable sites, with or without planning
- UK-wideEngland, Wales, Scotland and NI
Our coverage in Highlands & Islands
Across Highlands & Islands, we cover Inverness and 5 other towns, among them Lerwick, Stornoway and Fort William. If your land is near a boundary, we also cover Moray, Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire and Angus & Dundee.
Typical sites we review near Highlands & Islands include backland plots with a workable access, fields put forward or allocated in the local plan and former garage blocks and yards. Because Highlands & Islands is in Scotland, land titles are registered with Registers of Scotland (Land Register of Scotland) and transfers attract Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT).
Send us a postcode in or near IV2 and we will start with a free desktop appraisal.
Services in Highlands & Islands
For landowners
- Sell Land for Development in Highlands & Islands
- Sell Land with Planning Permission in Highlands & Islands
- Sell Land Without Planning in Highlands & Islands
- Land Option Agreements in Highlands & Islands
- Land Promotion Agreements in Highlands & Islands
- Landowner Joint Ventures in Highlands & Islands
- Sell Garden Land and Backland in Highlands & Islands
- Sell Farmland and Paddocks in Highlands & Islands
- Sell Brownfield Land in Highlands & Islands
- Sell an Infill Plot in Highlands & Islands
- Land Assembly and Access in Highlands & Islands
- Free Site Appraisal in Highlands & Islands
- Sell a Building for Conversion in Highlands & Islands
Planning, design and build
- Planning Permission and Strategy in Highlands & Islands
- Architecture and Masterplanning in Highlands & Islands
- New Home Construction in Highlands & Islands
- Serviced Plots for Self-Build in Highlands & Islands
New homes and housing
- New-Build Homes for Sale in Highlands & Islands
- New Homes to Rent in Highlands & Islands
- Affordable Housing in Highlands & Islands
- Social Housing in Highlands & Islands
- Council and Housing Partnerships in Highlands & Islands
Funders and partners
- Funding and Investment Partners in Highlands & Islands
- Build to Rent Partnerships in Highlands & Islands
The Scottish system, as it applies in Highlands & Islands
In Scotland, planning applications for land around Highlands & Islands are decided by the council as planning authority, using National Planning Framework 4 and the Local Development Plan, which together form the statutory development plan. Instead of outline permission, Scotland uses planning permission in principle, followed by approval of matters specified in conditions. Land to Homes can buy suitable sites directly or promote land through planning, and every conversation starts with a free site appraisal.
Affordable homes in Highlands & Islands are mainly funded through the Scottish Government's Affordable Housing Supply Programme, with councils and registered social landlords building them. Councils set local investment priorities in their Strategic Housing Investment Plans. On private developments, Local Development Plans often require an affordable housing contribution, secured through a Section 75 agreement. Land to Homes can bring forward land and deliver homes for councils and housing associations.
| National planning policy | National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), which forms part of the statutory development plan |
|---|---|
| Local planning document | Local Development Plan (LDP) |
| Who decides applications | The council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area) |
| In-principle consent | Planning permission in principle (PPP), followed by approval of matters specified in conditions |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) |
| Land registration | Registers of Scotland (Land Register of Scotland) |
| How a sale becomes binding | Land sales are concluded through missives, formal letters exchanged between solicitors that become a binding contract once concluded, followed by settlement on the date of entry and registration in the Land Register of Scotland. |
| Developer contributions | Section 75 planning obligations, with Section 69 agreements sometimes used for simple one-off payments |
Land and homes in Highlands & Islands: questions
What should I check before reserving any new-build home?
Check the specification, the tenure and any lease terms, estate or service charges for unadopted roads and open space, the warranty provider, the reservation terms and whether the developer is registered with the New Homes Quality Board. Instruct your own solicitor early, visit the site if you can and ask for everything important in writing.
Can Green Belt land be developed?
Green Belt is land around certain towns and cities where policy keeps land open, so new homes are normally resisted unless a local plan releases the land or there are very special circumstances. In England, recent policy changes introduced grey belt land, which can be more acceptable for development in some cases. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own green belt policies.
Can you guarantee my land will get planning permission?
No one can guarantee planning permission. Decisions rest with the planning authority or, on appeal, an independent appeal body. What we can do is assess the prospects honestly, prepare a thorough application and deal with likely objections early. If we think a site is unlikely to succeed, we will tell you before anyone spends time or money on it.
What is biodiversity net gain?
Biodiversity net gain is a requirement in England for most new developments to leave natural habitat in a measurably better state than before, assessed using a statutory metric. It can be delivered on site, off site or, as a last resort, through statutory credits. It affects how much land a scheme needs. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own biodiversity policies.
Do you buy land in Highlands & Islands?
Yes. Land to Homes looks at land across Highlands & Islands, including Fort William, Kirkwall and Inverness. Every enquiry starts with a free site appraisal, and on option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees.