Police Submit report on RCI offences to COPFS

NORTH GLEN ESTATE LTD

On 6 May 2025, I published a blog highlighting the fact that the owner of North Glenbuchat Estate, North Glen Estate Ltd., an overseas entity registered in the Turks and Caicos Islands, had failed to register as a recorded person in the Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interests in Land (RCI). Failure to do so by 1 April 2024 is an offence under paragraph 10(10) of the regulations and is liable to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (currently £5000).

I reported this alleged offence to Police Scotland on 7 May 2025.

I published further blogs on the topic on 13 May 2025, and in July 2025, as well as a guest blog by Alan Brown on a related offence by the landowner of Criganour Estate in Perthshire

It has taken some time to progress this matter but I am pleased to say that on 23 February 2026 I received the following email from Police Scotland in Ballater.

North Glen Estates Ltd.

Good evening,
 
The above crime report is now detected with an accused being reported to COPFS for a failure to comply with the legislation in relation to the above entity.
 
For the record North Glen Estates Limited is now compliant with the legislation as of 30/01/2026 with public viewing being available from 01/03/2026.

The email refers to North Glen Estates Ltd (plural). In previous blogs I noted that this was a UK company associated with North Glenbuchat Estate but that North Glenbuchat Estate Ltd (singular) was the owner since that is what is recorded on the Title Sheet in the Land Register ABN79509. However, in light of what I report on below, the Land Register may be incorrect.

The fact that North Glen Estates Ltd. has now registered on the RCI does not change the fact that is failed to do so by the statutory date and failed to comply for almost two years.

The RCI declaration can be seen here.

The associates are persons who have the right to exercise, or actually exercise, significant influence or control over the recorded person’s dealings with the land.

They are the Medina Trust, Front Street Nominees Limited, Coriats Trust Company Limited, Sarah Spencer and David St John Stewart.

Front Street Nominees Ltd. is understood to be a company registered in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Coriats Trust Company is based in Turks and Caicos. The Medina Trust is understood to be based in Switzerland.

David St John Stewart is resident in Turks and Caicos and was the Director of North Glen Estates Loan Company Limited.

I had understood that David Louis Mountbatten, Earl of Medina controls the estate but if he does so then it is through one of these associated Turks and Caicos Island companies and he is not named as an associate.

However, the final associate, Lady Sarah Spencer, is the former spouse of David Mountbatten’s father, George Ivar Louis Mountbatten, the 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven who has associated with North Glenbuchat Estate in the past. She is now married to Michael Alan Spencer, Baron Spencer of Alresford.

The RCI does not tell us exactly what role these companies and Stewart and Spencer play in the affairs of North Glen Estates Ltd.

It is also interesting to note that North Glen Estates Ltd is also registered in the Register of Overseas Entities even though it is under no obligation to do so since it acquired the land before 8 December 2014 and the RoE (bizarrely) only requires overseas entities who acquired land in Scotland after this date to be registered.

CRAIGANOUR ESTATE

I also published a guest blog on 8 May 2025 by Alan Brown. When the RCI came into force, he attempted to find out whether the owner of Craiganour Estate in Perthshire, Astel Ltd., had registered as an overseas entity (it is incorporated in Jersey). It had not.

After making a complaint to Police Scotland and after much faffing about, the Police eventually dropped the case. Alan complained and, after investigation, the Police were ordered to continue to investigate the case. As a result, a report was submitted to COPFS in early February 2026.

Shortly after the publication of Alan’s guest blog, Astel Ltd registered with RCI. Its associates are also a complex set of offshore companies and a Canadian lawyer living in Bermuda.

COPFS

These two complaints are now with COPFS and they will have to decide whether to prosecute North Glen Estates Ltd and Astel Ltd. Their decision will be based on there being a sufficiency of evidence to secure a conviction and that it is in the public interest to do so.

The evidential threshold for this offence is straightforward, namely that an entity is within the scope of the RCI regulations and has failed to register by 1 April 2024. The question of the public interest is an interesting one and I await the COPFS decision on this matter.

Meanwhile, I have dozens of other offences under the RCI regulations to report and will proceed to do so.

Comments are open but if this case becomes active, then they will be closed.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.