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![\"ht1\"](\"http:\/\/www.clanshop.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/ht1.png\")
\nLove and Garbage blogger explains: “The other morning I was on twitter and saw a tweet from a twitter user called Highland Titles:<\/p>\n
Over the last 2 days Highland Titles – the company that sells ‘souvenir’ plots of land where you can title yourself a Laird, Lord, Lady of Glencoe became the focus of an onslaught of social media\u00a0activity\u00a0– a posse of very sharp\u00a0lawyers had the scent of\u00a0blood and went for them, it was quite incredible to\u00a0watch it all unfold. Highland Titles was left quite bruised\u00a0by the end. (if indeed it is the end)<\/p>\n
Highland Titles is run by the Bevis family, although they apparently live in Scotland they run their businesses from the tax haven of Guernsey. The Company is run under the created ‘charity’ with the grand title of ‘The Highland Titles Charitable Trust for Scotland’, also set up by Bevis. The charity is only registered in Guersey so it bypasses the laws and transparancy of being regulated by being a Scottish Charity. So their accounts\u00a0are not public.<\/p>\n
Anyway on with the story…<\/p>\n
It all began with some tweets from @loveandgarbage in response to the following ad Highland Titles put out as a general promotional tweet:
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\nLove and Garbage blogger explains: “The other morning I was on twitter and saw a tweet from a twitter user called Highland Titles:<\/p>\n
\u201cBuy land in Scotland & you may style yourself as Lord or Lady of Glencoe! From \u00a329.99.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now this raises immediate suspicions. and so I visited the website which was linked to from the tweet. For the Scottish property lawyer this is a mysterious hinterland that we rarely venture into. The site though was staggering.<\/p>\n
It sells tiny plots of land, some of only a square foot in size.<\/p>\n
— Here are the original tweets —<\/em> @loveandgarbage<\/strong> @loveandgarbage<\/strong> —Malcolm Combe joins in – a well known Scottish Lawyer—<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n @MalcolmCombe<\/strong> @loveandgarbage<\/strong> @loveandgarbage<\/strong> @loveandgarbage<\/strong> @MalcolmCombe<\/strong> —then Highland Titles joins in—<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n @highland_titles<\/strong> @highland_titles<\/strong> —- this was brilliant and set\u00a0the hounds racing\u00a0as they didn’t realise who they were talking to—- <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n @MalcolmCombe<\/strong> — so loveandgarbage asks themselves—<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n @loveandgarbage<\/strong> @loveandgarbage<\/strong> — lovenadgarbbadge proceeded to tell Highland Titles about Scottish Land Law<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n @loveandgarbage<\/strong> — there were a good few more tweets from love and garbage about the law (see all at: Buy land in Scotland… style yourself as Lord or Lady of Glencoe! Or something.’ By Malcolm Coombe.\u00a0A short Storify about Scots property law<\/a>)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n —basically it can all be summed up\u00a0with this following tweet—<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n @loveandgarbage<\/strong> —Highland Titles replies for not registering the land sold were—<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n @highland_titles<\/strong> @highland_titles<\/strong> — to which Ian Smart gets invited into the discussion—<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n @loveandgarbage<\/strong> @ianssmart<\/strong> — Highland Titles get asked to loop their solicitor in—<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n —Yet more Scottish Lawyers start to see this and respond—<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n @HighlandLawyer<\/strong> —Highland Lawyer also links to what the Lord Lyon has to say ‘http:\/\/www.lyon-court.com\/lordlyon\/776.html<\/a>‘—<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n — sadly Highland Titles do not bring in their lawyer and proceed to block everyone in the conversation.—<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n You can read the full discussion at ‘Buy land in Scotland… style yourself as Lord or Lady of Glencoe! Or something.’ By Malcolm Coombe.\u00a0A short Storify about Scots property law<\/a>\u00a0 There are some hysterical tweets from people that are well worth reading. (Malcolm Combe is a lecturer in law, former solicitor and an advisor to the Land Reform Review Group – oops!)<\/span><\/p>\n Highland Titles’ move was to block them all, this only set fuel to the fire ….<\/p>\n The world of twitter is where not just lawyers but bloggers, journalist and politicians hang out. This twitter ‘gubbing’\u00a0was reported on at The Common Space.<\/p>\n Read their article at: On our ScotClans Facebook page we reported on what was going on:<\/p>\n Meanwhile in twitter land more and more people were joining in. Many of them lawyers involved in Property\u00a0Law. It was going well and truly viral<\/p>\n More blogs appeared reporting the story…<\/p>\n Love and Garbage systematically takes apart the highland titles land ownership ‘bollocks’ (their words)<\/p>\n While all this was going on Andy Wightman was doing\u00a0the maths. How much land did they own, how much money were they taking. The money taken was all through the Guernsey based company so did not touch Scotland.<\/p>\n![\"ht2\"](\"http:\/\/www.clanshop.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/ht2.jpg\")
This set alarm bells ringing. Scots law, since the introduction of land registration under the Land registration (Scotland) ACt 1979 has not allowed ownership of souvenir plots to be sold. Section 4 (2)(b) of the 1979 Act prevented registration of a souvenir plot…” (from https:\/\/loveandgarbage.wordpress.com\/2015\/02\/12\/i-cant-believe-its-not-ownership-or-the-curious-tale-of-highland-titles-selling\/<\/a>)<\/p>\n
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\nNo you can’t. You’re talking bollocks @highland_titles Never heard of the rules prohibiting registration of souvenir plots?<\/p>\n
\nI see your website says you get a personal right to the plot @highland_titles. You know that means you don’t own it?<\/p>\n
\n@loveandgarbage ah, that just means you can transfer a wee plot without registration AT ALL. Because that makes sense. \ud83d\ude09 @highland_titles<\/p>\n
\n@MalcolmCombe I guess @highland_titles are well up on the 2012 Act and the implications of the 2000 ACt for barony titles.<\/p>\n
\nSo basically your deal is pay us money to not become an owner of a bit of land in Scotland @highland_titles<\/p>\n
\nDo you think people are idiots? @highland_titles<\/p>\n
\n@loveandgarbage Indeed. Finger on the pulse when it comes to Scots law (as applied via the Channel Islands). @highland_titles<\/p>\n
\nYes, the 2012 Act confirms the status of Souvenir plots – sold without registration http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/ohu7mqk @loveandgarbage @MalcolmCombe<\/p>\n
\nWe sell land. If you do not understand how land can be sold in Scotland, ask a Scottish lawyer http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/ohu7mqk @loveandgarbage<\/p>\n
\nHahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Ha. https:\/\/twitter.com\/highland_titles\/status\/565108747258064896 \u2026 cc @loveandgarbage, who really should speak to a Scots lawyer to clear this up.<\/p>\n
\nwell @highland_titles . Hey, @loveandgarbage how do you sell land in Scotland?<\/p>\n
\nWell @loveandgarbage as a Scottish conveyance I am aware that the sale of land requires missives of sale then a conveyance @highland_titles<\/p>\n
\nAnd @loveandgarbage both require to be formally valid under the 1995 Act @highland_titles The conveyance is then sent for registration<\/p>\n
\nwhen I suggested earlier you were talking bollocks @highland_titles this is because, as a Scots conveyancer, I see you’re talking bollocks<\/p>\n
\nIf Souvenir plots had to be registered, the extra cost would be prohibitive http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/ohu7mqk @loveandgarbage<\/p>\n
\nThank you for your opinion, Bill. We prefer to take the advice of an actual Scottish solicitor http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/ohu7mqk @loveandgarbage<\/p>\n
\nHang on @highland_titles I’ll ask @ianssmart who is a former President of the Law society. Ian, is my analysis of land transfers accurate?<\/p>\n
\n@loveandgarbage @highland_titles I am happy to confirm that it is.<\/p>\n
\n@MalcolmCombe @loveandgarbage Need to be infeft in land to call oneself Laird thereof, and can’t be infeft in souvenir plot…<\/p>\n
\nCoombe on Storify explains …
\n“Since the 17th century, ownership of land in Scotland has been tied to registration: put simply, if you are not registered as the owner of land, you are not the owner.”<\/p>\nROUND\u00a02<\/h2>\n
![\"Highland](\"http:\/\/www.clanshop.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/ht3.jpg\")
\nhttps:\/\/commonspace.scot\/articles\/314\/highland-titles-land-sales-demolished-on-twitter-as-legal-bollocks<\/a> The Common Space is the blog of the Common Weal think tank, which is\u00a0used by political activists\u00a0who want to create a better Scotland and lobbies for new policies. So bit of a hit there. Among regular contributors are the likes of Caroline Leckie and Leslie Riddoch; a journalist who has written extensively about land reform in Scotland.<\/p>\nROUND\u00a03<\/h2>\n
![\"ht4\"](\"http:\/\/www.clanshop.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/ht4.jpg\")
See the full feed at:
\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/clanshops\/posts\/909954222390870<\/a>
\nAlthough a few comments got removed we think by Facebook after we exposed one of the pro Highland Titles posters was a fake profile and reported it the argument continued on the page – HT owner Peter Bevis waded in with the usual personal insults which’ if you have ever found a spare three days to read the comments on this article<\/a> you will be familiar with. \u00a0However my favourite moment from this one is here:<\/p>\n![\"ht5\"](\"http:\/\/www.clanshop.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/ht5-300x221.png\")
<\/a>ROUND\u00a04<\/h2>\nROUND 5<\/h2>\n
![\"ht6\"](\"http:\/\/www.clanshop.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/ht6-300x200.jpg\")
<\/a>https:\/\/basedrones.wordpress.com\/2015\/02\/12\/highland-titles-scam\/<\/a><\/p>\nROUND 6<\/h2>\n
![\"ht7\"](\"http:\/\/www.clanshop.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/ht7-300x187.jpg\")
<\/a>
\nhttps:\/\/loveandgarbage.wordpress.com\/2015\/02\/12\/i-cant-believe-its-not-ownership-or-the-curious-tale-of-highland-titles-selling\/<\/a><\/p>\nKO!<\/h2>\n