The Commercial arm of Anderson, Shaw and Gilbert now has a new website aimed at those interested in buying or selling a guesthouse or a bed & breakfast.

As well as a list of ones for sale, it includes information and links about finance, business planning, surveys, EPCs and legal services.

This feed was drawn from the ASG Property website

Congratulations to our own Elise Thomson who ran the Inverness Half Marathan yesterday, 17 March 2013.  Well done Elise.   

Elise will also be taking part in this year's Baxters Loch Ness Marathon in Inverness on 29 September 2013, running in support of Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland.  

This feed was drawn from the ASG Property website

Anderson Shaw & Gilbert’s new Ullapool legal service was officially opened today (March 14) by Bruce Beveridge, President Elect of the Law Society of Scotland and Mary Macrae, Director of the firm.

Bruce Beveridge said, “The legal profession in Scotland is undergoing significant change but one constant is that clients in rural as well as urban areas want ready access to good service and sound legal advice. I welcome Anderson Shaw & Gilbert’s innovative initiative to give clients an accessible, local service and wish them every success.”.

Mary Macrae, Director of Anderson Shaw & Gilbert said: "Clients in the area can now rely on Anderson Shaw & Gilbert’s broad expertise and fast, efficient service closer to home. Gillian Meighan, one of our solicitors who lives locally now opens Anderson Shaw & Gilbert’s legal service twice a week in Ullapool Village Hall. We are delighted with the warm welcome Ullapool has given us.”.

Highlands and Islands MSP, Jean Urquhart, also welcomed the new service saying: “I am really pleased to see this well known and established law firm are having a presence in Ullapool. Opening an office and employing someone locally is ideal as it helps climate by reducing car journeys and fuel consumption and saves on everyone’s time.”

Photographs: showing Mary Macrae, Bruce Beveridge and Gillian Meighan opening the office in Ullapool are available from Gillian Meighan.

Background:   Anderson Shaw & Gilbert is open on Mondays and Thursdays in Ullapool Village Hall and by appointment.

Anderson Shaw & Gilbert is one of the larger Highland firms with ten solicitors, several property professionals and a team of dedicated support staff. It was established in 1881. ASG Commercial is a division of Anderson Shaw & Gilbert offering a commercial property sales and marketing service.

For information, comment or photographs contact:

Gillian Meighan at Anderson Shaw & Gilbert on: 07780 600218 or gm@solicitorsinverness.com
Anderson Shaw & Gilbert, 20 Church Street, Inverness.
t: 01463  236 123    e: email@solicitorsinverness.com    web:  www.propertyinverness.com
 

This feed was drawn from the ASG Property website

The Crofting Commission has issued a statement concerning decrofting applications made by owner-occupier crofters who occupy their crofts, which could have major implications for those concerned.  Anderson Shaw & Gilbert are considering the implications of this development and will provide a follow up briefing note shortly.  We can advise you on any aspect of crofting law and we can provide help and advice if you think you might be affected by this latest development.

Contact: Findlay Boyd or Mary Macrae on 01463 236 123

This feed was drawn from the ASG Property website

Anderson Shaw & Gilbert, Solicitors and Estate Agents in Inverness are drafting free Wills for art lovers who want to leave a legacy to the Arts for the month of February 2013.

Love the arts, Leave to the arts - is a scheme set up by Arts and Business Scotland which encourages people to leave a legacy to the arts. Participating firms are offering to draw up a simple will or a will amendment free of charge to anyone who leaves a legacy to one of over 40 arts organisations.

There are 24 law firms across Scotland involved in the scheme. Anderson, Shaw & Gilbert is the only firm in Inverness participating in the scheme.  Fred Kelly, Director of Anderson Shaw & Gilbert said: 

“Anderson Shaw & Gilbert are delighted to donate our time and expertise to this initiative. Everyone should have a will so that they can provide for their loved ones as well as any favourite charities and organisations. This scheme saves arts donors the cost of making a will and contributes to local and national arts organisations in Scotland’s lively cultural community.”

Eden Court is the only arts charity in the Highlands taking part in the scheme. “Eden Court is a registered charity and we rely on the generosity of our supporters to help us deliver our programme of arts for the Highlands,” said Colin Marr, Theatre Director. “This national scheme is really important and we are very grateful to Anderson Shaw & Gilbert for supporting it. Leaving a legacy to us, however small, means you are helping secure the future of Eden Court and giving generations to come the chance to enjoy the arts you love.”

For further information about:
Anderson Shaw & Gilbert and its involvement in the scheme, please contact Marion Forrest on 01463 236123.

Arts and Business Scotland, and the scheme, please contact Vina Oberlander on 0131 556  3353 / 07900 383 888  www.aandbscotland.org.uk/legacies

“Love the arts, Leave to the arts”  cultural charities in the scheme are:

Citizens
Craft Scotland
Dance Base
Dance House
Drake Music Centre
Dundee Rep Theatre
Eden Court
Edinburgh International Book Festival
Edinburgh International Festival
Edinburgh International Science Festival
Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop
Edinburgh World Heritage
Festival & Kings Theatres (FCTT)
Filmhouse/EIFF
Glasgow Film Theatre
Glasgow Life
Glasgow School of Art
Greenock Arts Guild
Hearts & Minds
Horsecross Arts Ltd
Leisure & Culture Dundee
Live Music Now
Moray Arts Centre
Music in Hospitals
National Galleries of Scotland
National Youth Choir of Scotland
National Youth Orchestras of Scotland
ON at Fife
Royal Botanic Garden
Edinburgh Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Saltire Society
Scottish Ballet
Scottish Book Trust
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Scottish Music Centre
Scottish Opera
Scottish Poetry Library
Sense Scotland
Stellar Quines
The Georgian Concert Society
The Queen's Hall
The Royal Scottish Academy of Art & Architecture
Tron Theatre
 

This feed was drawn from the ASG Property website

On Monday December 3, Anderson Shaw & Gilbert opened a new legal and property service in Ullapool.

Mary Macrae, Director of the firm, said “At Anderson Shaw & Gilbert we recognise the importance of providing excellent client service as well as expert legal advice. We want to give our growing number of clients in Ross-shire and Sutherland an accessible, local service.”

“We are very pleased that Gillian Meighan, a solicitor who lives in Ullapool, has joined the firm. Gillian has a broad range of legal and business skills which will benefit clients and the firm. She will work two days a week in the Ullapool Village Hall and can visit clients who find travel to Ullapool difficult.”

Gillian said, “I am delighted to be working with Anderson Shaw & Gilbert in Ullapool. It’s important that people in the area can have access to a local solicitor who is available every week.”

“I am working with a great team at team at Anderson Shaw & Gilbert. Our clients rely on our expertise and experience on a wide range of legal work, whether its crofting law, winter lets, commercial property or will writing. I am looking forward to bringing that service to Ullapool.” she concluded.
 

This feed was drawn from the ASG Property website

Mary Macrae, who is the firm’s licensing law specialist said: “Common sense prevailed.” in the Inverness Licensing Board decision to overturn the curfew for entry to Inverness nightclubs. Mary presented the case for abolition on behalf of the Licensed Trade Association and some Inverness publicans.

The midnight curfew for entry to clubs began only a couple of years before more demanding regulations came into force in 2005. These led to the increased use of qualified stewards and better regulation.

While police figures for the period show a decline in anti-social behaviour in recent years, there are also fewer people going to pubs and clubs with almost 70% of alcohol sales recorded from off-sales. Customers were having to leave pubs well before closing time to get into the clubs before the curfew which was an inconvenience to them and meant that Pubs were at a competitive disadvantage. The Licensed Trade Association and many publicans felt that needed to change and Mary was asked to represent them at the Inverness Licensing Board hearing on 6 November 2012.

Mary and the clients she represented listened to customers who wanted to choose where to go and when on a night out. Some had their nights ruined when only some of their group were admitted to a nightclub and others when they couldn’t get back in and were left on their own after leaving a club briefly only to find they were refused re-admission. Also, fewer pubs were putting on entertainment which their customers missed.

Mary said, “I have seen the consequences of the curfew for several years. There was no clear evidence that the curfew made a difference to the level anti-social behaviour but there was evidence that pubs and their customers were put at a disadvantage and inconvenienced. Only 9 out of 32 licensing board areas have a curfew so it seems that most believe that curfews are unnecessary and that licensing objectives can be met by current legislation which demands effective regulation, good policing and a common sense approach.”

“With 22 out of 59 licensed premises in Inverness and the surrounding area closing in recent years it was time for them to have a level playing field with clubs again. I am delighted that the voice of reason prevailed.”
 

This feed was drawn from the ASG Property website

CONGRATULATIONS to Anderson Shaw & Gilbert's team who took part in this year's Corporate 10km Challenge - well done. 

(L to R) Susan Smith, Fred Kelly, Tina Forbes, Elise Thomson and Ewen Macdonald. 

This feed was drawn from the ASG Property website

Our ten essentials on purchasing a plot and building a new house in the Highlands & Islands

We have acted for many clients in the purchase of house plots (both serviced and unserviced) throughout the Highlands and Islands. Every transaction provides its own set of unique challenges but the same issues can and do crop up time after time. That’s why we’ve put together our 10 top tips for purchasing a house site in the Highlands and Islands. We hope you find these useful….

Finding a plot

Consider where you want to live. It sounds obvious but you need to consider the things that are important to you especially if you are moving from a larger town or city. Are you looking for a coastal hideaway in a remote corner of Skye or a something closer to the facilities provided by the big lights of Inverness or Dingwall? Think about proximity to schools, shops, even a local pub! Access to high speed broadband is improving all the time in the Highlands. Check what’s available by contacting the estate agents in your preferred area(s). A good place to start is the Highlands Solicitors Property Centre – click on www.hspc.co.uk. Also, make sure you speak to locals in the area you are looking at. The people of the Highlands and Islands are renowned for their hospitality!

Planning

Make sure you know what size/type of development is likely to be permitted on your chosen site. Speak to the planning office in advance of making an offer and don’t let yourself in for a later disappointment. It would be prudent to seek quotes from a few builders at this stage. Some builders will provide an inclusive package (from design through to build). Make sure the builder has NHBC cover if you are not using an architect for the design and supervision of the project.

Crofting

If you are considering the purchase of a plot on a croft then you must familiarise yourself in advance with the issues involved. Crofting is widespread throughout the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and is still an important way of life for many rural communities. In most cases the owner of the plot will need to have the land formally removed from crofting control by way of a “de-crofting” application to the Crofting Commission. This can take up to 12-14 weeks in certain circumstances. Normally, outline planning consent will be a pre-requisite to de-crofting. We can advise you on all crofting law issues. The Crofting Commission has prepared some useful guidance leaflets – see www.crofting.scotland.gov.uk for more information.

Conveyancing

When you have chosen a site, contact a solicitor who should be familiar with rural conveyancing and have him/her prepare an offer for the purchase. Your solicitor will discuss the issues involved and will provide you with an estimate of the legal costs. Your offer may need to be conditional on the availability of planning consent and de-crofting (if not already dealt with by the seller). Please also remember to check for connections to services – make sure you are aware of the availability of water, telephone and electricity for your plot BEFORE you commit to buying it – nothing is more important! Your solicitor is there to keep you right on these matters but you will need to make your investigations and satisfy yourself regarding the availability of services and connection costs. Likewise, you will need to consider the route of an access road to the site if vehicular access is not taken direct from the public road. Sometimes it may be necessary to lead services or take access to the site over land belonging to a third party. Your solicitor will deal with these issues as part of the conveyancing process.

Funding your project

Make absolutely sure you have access to all the funding you need before you commit to the land purchase. Most high street Bank and Building Societies will require you to own the land and have full planning consent and a building warrant in place before lending on a self-build mortgage. Your mortgage lender will also require the site to be professionally valued. Please remember to include architect’s fees (if applicable) when calculating the overall build costs of your house.

Always give yourself a contingency fund for unforeseen costs – your architect or builder should be able to advise you on this.

Building on Skye and the Highlands & Islands can be expensive – transport costs are generally higher than the rest of the UK.

Planning & Timescales

Do allow plenty of time for completion of the planning application process, de-crofting process, service connections and legal formalities, in your overall project plan. As a guideline you should expect the overall conveyancing process (from submission of planning to completion of the purchase) to take at least 12 months to complete. You then need to factor in lead-in times with your builder once the purchase of the site has been secured.

The winter (and even the summer) weather conditions in the Highlands and Islands can be extreme and do make certain types of construction impossible or at very best stop/start. “Four seasons in one day” are not uncommon– you should therefore expect everything to take longer than you planned for the build.

And finally…..

    ….. try to relax. Be realistic with your budget and timescales, be patient and try not to worry! Remember we’re here to help you through the process.

This feed was drawn from the ASG Property website

Anderson Shaw & Gilbert are proud to announce their support Kinlochshiel Shinty Club through a three year sponsorship deal of the first team's shirts. The first team was in stunning form in 2011, becoming champions of the North Division 1 League with a 100% record. In 2012 the team will compete in the shinty top flight: The Orion Premier Division. The club boasts international players Finlay MacRae and Keith MacRae in their ranks. Kinlochshiel Shinty Club was the result of an amalgamation of three clubs Kintail, Lochalsh and Glenshiel, who first joined forces in 1958. The Club is currently based at Kirkton, near Balmacara, Kyle of Lochalsh and is in the planning stages of developing new playing facilities at their recently acquired site in Balmacara.

Anderson Shaw & Gilbert, Director, Findlay Boyd states "We are delighted to be associated with Kinlochshiel Shinty Club and we wish the first team every success in the new Orion Premier Division".

The club is the only team specifically referred to in the Runrig song, Clash of the Ash, in the line;

"Tell me who’s gonna mark the Kinlochshiel Bear He’s hard as nails, quick as a flash He comes down from the caves For the clash of the ash"

The following photograph and article was published in the West Highland Free Press on 24 February 2012.
Photo_from_newspaper

Photograph courtesy of Willie Urquhart, West Highland Free Press

"Kinlochshiel have new main sponsors going into their first season in shinty’s premier league – solicitors Anderson Shaw and Gilbert, who have agreed a three-year deal with the club.  Welcoming the agreement, Shiel committee member Keith Loades said: “We are very pleased to be associated with Anderson Shaw and Gilbert, Findlay Boyd and Fred Kelly both have west-coast connections and they have been a lot of help in arranging the purchase and legal agreements on the land for our new pitch.

Findlay Boyd and Keith Loades are pictured with Kinlochshiel players Finlay MacRae, Graham Morrison and Mark Macdonald showing off their new tops after last Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Beauly.”

This feed was drawn from the ASG Property website