Irish buy more and more farms in UK

IRISH farmers whose land is being developed for housing and holiday homes are using the proceeds to buy up farms in Britain, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

However, it’s probably farmers from north of the border who are leading the “invasion”, with Northern Ireland farmers reckoned to have been frequent buyers in the south west of Scotland.

“With Irish land being sold for residential development, Irish farmers are taking advantage of relatively cheap farmland in the UK,” said RICS spokeswoman Sue Steer.