Good quality image. Well worded. Good deal
Received the digital certificate quickly.
Perfect 2nd anniversary gift for the wife while in Scotland!
3rd buy, always happy doing business, Awesome gift.
Great experience
Unique gift
Great experience
Unique gift
Not as an outright scam but more of a scheme where everyone is in on the joke of some obscure loophole in Scotland's property laws.
Selling of souvenir plots has been a cottage industry in the United Kingdom for almost 50 years. For a pocketful of dollars, one could purchase a little piece of Scotland and call themselves a Laird, Lord, or Lady. Sir Geoffrey Howe, then solicitor-general, summed up the appeal of these plots very nicely in his 1971 speech to the House of Commons:
"A trade had grown up in recent years in order to please tourists mainly from North America. Whereby they are able to purchase a 'square foot of Old England' for a comparatively modest sum. It helps the balance of payments. And it gladdens the hearts of our continental cousins and enables them to obtain a splendidly medieval-looking deed of title
The question is: can you really buy land and a piece of the peerage for $60?
The answer, once you read the fine print, is no!
The potential profit is tidy. Highland Titles Ltd. sells a variety of plots from starting at $60 NZD for 1 square-foot to $300 NZD for 100 square-feet. Taking a look at the math, selling a smaller portion of land is far more profitable than selling a larger one; with more than 400 acres of land available spread out over 5 reserves, they are unlikely to run out of space anytime soon. Even better, in the not-so-fine print of the website, they state that they maintain ownership and management of the land. Established Titles, owned by Hong Kong competitor Katerina Yip/Galton Voysey, has a different pricing scheme with the smallest plot going for approximately $50 NZD and 10 square-foot plots selling for $350.
So what loophole do these schemes exploit?
Regarding the use of titles, subject to good faith there are no obstacles to calling yourself a Laird, Lord, or Lady in Scotland. However, it is not possible to buy nobility titles. Elizabeth Roads, clerk for The Court of Lord Lyon and keeper of the records. Makes it quite clear souvenir plot owners are ineligible for a coat of arms or real claims to said titles. According to the Court, the titles of Lord and Lady do not relate to ownership of the land; Laird is not a title attached to a personal name but a specific description applied to a sizable parcel of land.
To maneuver around this, some sellers stretch their intellectual property to the legal limit. Highland Titles Ltd claim they are being tongue-in-cheek by giving buyers permission to use their registered trademarks of Laird of Glencoe, Lord of Glencoe and Lady of Glencoe. As this is not a true aristocratic title, it should not be stated on a passport or other forms of identification but, some reports indicate otherwise.
As for the land, again, it's all smoke and mirrors.
In 1979, souvenir plots were defined in Scottish law in section 4(1)b of the Land Registration Act of 1979, whereby a souvenir plot of land is land "…being of inconsiderable size or no practical utility, is unlikely to be wanted in isolation except for the sake of mere ownership or for sentimental reasons or commemorative purposes". Consequently, these pieces of land cannot be registered in the Land Registry or the General Register of Sasines. In 2012, updates to Section 22 of the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 2012 go further by replacing the or with and with further caveats of the land neither being a registered plot nor ownership of which being transferred or constituted in the Register of the Sasines at any time.
The Buyer is not conferred with real rights in the eyes of Scots Property Law, only a contractual right with the Seller. It is a nuance in Scots law that distinguishes between real and personal rights. Without registration, the buyer only has personal and no real right of ownership. Should the land in question be bought by a second party in a manner that enables them to register the land, the original purchaser could not prevent that sale and may only be able to seek legal remedy from the seller. To the credit of these companies, there is no evidence of double selling plots and guarantees that your plot is "yours" appears "genuine"; you can even pass the land down to your descendants.
During Howe's original speech, he was concerned that including souvenir plots in the Land Registry would quickly overwhelm the resources available. In England, where similar schemes operated, the government changed their laws in 2002 to require the registration of souvenir plots and appeared to have coped alright.
In recent years, the business model has survived as companies change tactics. Some lean more toward the novelty element while others emphasize their conservation partnerships. Bandai Namco recently partnered with Highland Titles in promoting the recent release of the game Elden Ring, hosting a competition in which a souvenir plot was the main prize. Highland Titles have also popped up in Oscar news with plots being included in the infamous nominee gift bags. Regardless of how they rebrand, these business models must be scrutinized. When doubled-up with a conservation project, there is a lack of transparency and oversight with how these businesses operate and develop the land as nature reserves while also promising clients access to their "plot" and not releasing financial reports. In Scotland, these sales are seen as demeaning and criticized for the commodification of the country. Most importantly, people do buy into these schemes believing that they legitimately did confer some form of rights and ownership, even if it is an unsightly land in Scotland or at the very least a tree planted, these schemes are a lot less fun and a lot more exploitative than at first glance.
Until these companies engage in more honest advertising practices, skeptics in NZ can make complaints to the ASA or to the content provider and social media outlet if and when these schemes are promoted.
I think it is easy to get caught up with their bs like, the name a star scam years ago. it's best to stay away from these folks and save your money for groceries!
can you believe the prices nowadays...
a title of lady or lord for the cost of 50.00 and a tree planted!
Still haven't received the titles.,...
Thank you for sharing your review.
We have reviewed your order and can confirm that it was successfully fulfilled and shipped. We have now issued a full refund as a token of goodwill for any frustration caused. Kindly allow 5-10 business days for your refund to process depending on your financial instiution.
Please do let us know should you have any other questions for us, as we would be delighted to assist you in any way we can.
Our Warmest Wishes,
Established Titles
Everything went so easy, I'm proud to say that I am a Royal.
Excellent service. Fast delivery even during covid.
Dear Laura H.,
Thank you for sharing your review, we appreciate all feedback.
We aim to offer a light-hearted and novel gift that leaves a great legacy for the person receiving the gift. Every purchase dedicates a piece of land, this land will never be sold on, leaving a legacy for every customer, untouched in the Scottish Woodlands. A tree is also planted with every order through one of our tree planting partners. We appreciate that not every customer will appreciate this gift and extend a refund to any customer that is not 100% happy with their purchase, despite this, the vast majority of our customers are pleased with their gifts.
The Title Packs offer no right to rule nor do they grant peerage, but are based on a historic Scottish custom, where landowners have been long referred to as "Lairds", the Scottish term for "Lord", with the female equivalent being "Lady".
Our Warmest Wishes,
Established titles