That isn't what it said on the Lochaber Highland Estates (run by the same people as Highland Ttiles Glencoe Estates) website earlier this year, In fact thanks to a reader we know that this was precisely the issue mentioned in a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on 19/09/2012. What it said on their website was "The Title of Lord, Laird or Lady depends on owning a Scottish Estate".
Added 03/03/2013
Highland Titles / Lochaber Highland Estates now have had four complaints with the Advertising Standards Agency held against them since September 1012. I would appear that they are indeed regularly publishing misleading information on their own internet site.
It would seem if it really was Peter Bevis of Highland Titles Glencoe Estates who posted that, then he is quite aware that - "anyone can call themselves Laird without purchasing a plot from us, or indeed from anyone", but chose to say on his website that it is required to buy land in Scotland in order to do so!
That is an example of the standards of honest and integrity of the people behind Highland Titles Glencoe Estates , very little, you cannot believe a word they say.
A couple of quotations taken from the comments at http://highlandtitlesscam.wordpress.com illustrate nicely the point that no land purchase in Scotland or anywhere else is required in order to call yourself Laird, Lord or Lady. The ownership of land has no relevance.
That is an example of the standards of honest and integrity of the people behind Highland Titles Glencoe Estates , very little, you cannot believe a word they say.
A couple of quotations taken from the comments at http://highlandtitlesscam.wordpress.com illustrate nicely the point that no land purchase in Scotland or anywhere else is required in order to call yourself Laird, Lord or Lady. The ownership of land has no relevance.
"You’ve forgotten to mention that the titles Highland Titles Glencoe Estates and their like “sell”, are also fake, there is no title. Buying a piece of land in Scotland confers no right to any title that is not available to non land owners.
Anyone in the UK can call themselves pretty much whatever they like so long as there is no intention to commit fraud by doing so. So a non landowner calling themselves Lord Of Glencoe is just as valid as a landowner doing the same thing, there is no difference.
All these “title sellers” are doing is distorting and abusing Scottish tradition to make it seem that it is possible to gain a real title by giving them money to buy a worthless piece of land in Scotland, when doing so does not confer any title and non landowners can do exactly the same thing for free.
Anybody in the UK and many other countries can get their bank details & names on credit cards etc. changed to Lord Of Glencoe for free, without buying any land in Scotland! Just make out a Deed Of Change of name yourself and do it if you want.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deed_of_change_of_name
When you buy a piece of land that is all you get, a piece of land, that is it, Oh you might want to read the following before doing so to make sure you are even buying any land with real rights.
http://www.journalonline.co.uk/Magazine/57-4/1011036.aspx#.UEhaao1lR4d"
"Supporters of these fake title schemes frequently trot out that the proof the titles are real is that people have changed their name on bank accounts etc. to for example, Lord Of Glencoe successfully and I dare say that might be even be true. The trouble is that the fact of ownership of land in Scotland had nothing whatsoever to do with the name change. The same people could have changed their name to Lord Of Glencoe in exactly the same manner without owning any land anywhere ever!!!
The other standard “proof” is that it is fully legal to style oneself as a Laird Lord or Lady by owning land in Scotland, and it is ….. but it is also equally fully legal to style oneself as a Laird Lord or Lady without owning land anywhere, there is no difference.
It’s a simple con carried out by people with little care for anything other than making money with as little effort as possible, who have no regard at all for Scottish traditions or culture, don’t have anything to do with it."If you bought a piece of land in Scotland from Highland Titles Glencoe Estates and was led by them to believe that any Scottish title came with, or is in any way connected to that land purchase, I'd say you have been conned, ask for your money back.
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I have a lot more evidence suggesting dishonest and unethical business practices by several souvenir plot / title vendors which I have not published.. If you are a bona fide journalist or Government department with an interest in investigating this business and would like access to that evidence, please get in touch with me by using the email address on the right or sending me a comment marked "confidential", I will not publish comments so marked
