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£2.3m Gupta estate grant went ahead despite minister’s concerns

23.10.2026 08:56 · 2 views · 1 min read

Scottish Forestry proceeded with the Highland estate grant after officials told Mairi Gougeon that land ownership was not grounds to refuse it.

Scottish Forestry went ahead with a £2.3 million grant for Sanjeev Gupta’s Highland estate despite repeated concerns from the office of the then rural affairs secretary, Mairi Gougeon.

Internal emails and grant documents show officials saw the award to Jahama Highland Estates as a way to help meet Scotland’s 30 by 30 nature target. Gougeon had expressed unease, but civil servants told her they could not refuse the grant because of who owned the land.

The Scottish Government is separately pursuing Gupta’s GFG Alliance in court over alleged breaches of the Lochaber guarantee. Scottish Forestry has said it has no concerns about continuing to fund the estate despite that dispute.

Harper Vance Editorial team

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