Scottish Land Matching Service (SLMS)

About SLMS 

The Scottish Land Matching Service (SLMS) provides independent advice and facilitation services to those seeking or offering opportunities in farming and crofting. They are a government-funded service and free at the point of use. 

SLMS was established in September 2019 against the background of an ageing demographic in farming and crofting, and a lack of opportunities for young entrants with particular barriers in access to land and capital. Their objective is to improve access to land-based opportunities for new entrant farmers and crofters. To date, they have received 1500+ enquiries from people seeking and offering opportunities in farming and crofting across Scotland. 

The Team 

Independent advisors Ian Davidson and Allan Young bring a wealth of expertise and experience to every enquiry. Both have backgrounds in farming and as officers with SGRPID. Ian has also led a distinguished career within Scottish Government which culminated as Head of Agriculture Policy prior to his retirement in 2019.  

What SLMS does and how it works 

SLMS have helped over sixty people into joint venture agreements and provided free expert advice and support to hundreds more. Opportunities range from small-scale market gardens and grazing lets to larger-scale hill farms and estates – and everything in between. Recently they helped facilitate a contract farming opportunity at SRUC’s Acrehead Dairy in Dumfries, which attracted a lot of interest from new entrant and next generation farmers across the country.  

The first step in the process is to register on the website www.slms.scot.   

Sometimes finding a match is straightforward, such as grazing land coming up in the right location. However, in most cases, with things like joint ventures, it is important to find the right combination of people – the Provider and the Seeker – who can work together to build something for the benefit of both. This can take time. 

If a potential match is found, introductions are initially made by phone or email and then an in-person meeting is arranged to see how things might work. Sometimes multiple visits are needed to work through the finer details of an agreement. Building a positive working relationship takes time, but it is the solid foundation of any successful joint venture. 

Sign Up! 

Any new entrants and next generation farmers and crofters who are looking for a way to get started or move forward can join the database. You can sign up by filling in the registration form at www.slms.scot/sign-up stating what type of opportunity you are looking for and where. An advisor will then follow up with you for a brief chat and you will be added to the database. You will then be notified if anything that matches your search comes up.