KUWTK Inspired Me To Buy Land In Scotland

I highly considered having our officiant address us as Lady Katarina and Laird Michael during our wedding ceremony. We are Scottish landowners after all. Nobody needs to know that we only own one square foot of land between the two of us in a hillside town outside of Edinburgh. All that matters is that we are the proud owners of a piece of land that will stay in our family for centuries.

How did I come across this idea to purchase land, you may ask? Well, it was no other than Lord Scott Disick of Keeping Up With The Kardashians who inspired me to look into ways of becoming officially titled a “Lady.” In an episode of KUWTK, the Lord visits the United Kingdom and goes through all the necessary measures to officially earn the title of “Lord.” Becoming a Laird or, equivalently, a Lady is a lot simpler though.

In Scotland, anyone can legally call themselves a Lady or Laird; however, it is a designation officially held for individuals who own property in the country. While studying abroad in a small town outside of Edinburgh, I was interested in becoming a Lady and found a few websites online that allow you to legally purchase a square foot of land in the country of Scotland, regardless of your citizenship. For less than $15, you and your partner (if you’d like two names on the certificate) can become landowners of Scottish land. It’s a deal you can’t beat!

When using the website “Scottish Land Sales,” you can literally purchase land in seconds. Your online land pack will contain your plot registration number, exact coordinates of your land, a legal contract, a certificate of lairdship, and personalizable Laird of Bandrum headed notepaper. You can choose to buy the land for yourself or as a gift for someone else. The land can also be inherited after you pass on, and you can buy as many plots as you’d like. The only catch is you can’t build on your plot. Big bummer, I know you were probably already planning on building a tiny home on your land. But in purchasing a square foot of land, you’re doing the world a great service. These plots are all adjacent to each other and can never be built on, so in a way, we’re protecting this land from urbanization and ensuring that there will always be this beautiful part of Scotland forever.

The best part of owning this small piece of land is that you can visit it. The plots are located right alongside a golf course near Dunfermline. A train ride and a few bus rides will get you there from Edinburgh in less than an hour.

I first visited our land while studying abroad in July of 2017. I had just started dating my now-husband and wanted to do something special for us by visiting our land. I booked my first Uber ride ever out of Edinburgh to Dunfermline and had a very pleasant experience. I was scared at first venturing off about two hours away from my place of residence at the time, but excited nonetheless.

The only thing I had guiding me to our plot of land were the coordinates I put in my Google Maps. I figured I would check out the pub at the golf course first to see if they knew anything about the land. When I walked in, I nonchalantly ordered an Irn Bru, Scotland’s favorite soda. Eventually my conversation with the bartender led to me talking about the true reason I was there. The bartender had heard of the plots before, and even the guy next to me at the bar knew about the land. He said in a creepy voice, “You want to be a Lady, aye?” (In your dreams, I thought.) The bartender eventually got one of the managers, who took me outside and directed me to the path that led to the plots of land.

Everyone at the golf course was so welcoming (minus the creepy guy) and went above and beyond, providing me with the best information. I made my way up the hill and continued to follow my GPS. The second I got to the top of the hill, it began to rain and I had to take shelter under a tree with my umbrella. But in true Scottish fashion, the rain subsided within a few minutes and the sun came out.

I realized my land was very close, but noticed that my GPS was taking me into the direction of the tall grass. I continued anyway, determined to step foot in my little square of land. A few steps into the brush, and I had found it.

It was a surreal moment for me. Not many people will ever get to visit their land, yet there I was. The view was breathtaking, too. You could see the Forth Bridge, the William Wallace Monument, and all of Edinburgh from the top of the hill. It was amazing and worth the $100 Uber ride. I ended up taking some pictures and gathered my stuff to leave. The original Uber driver had warned me there’d be no Uber drivers available in this location for a ride back, but I figured I’d find a way. After a quick search online, I was able to find a taxi driver eager to make $100 to take me all the way back to the place where I was staying for my classes. The trip itself cost more than the land, but the memories will last a lifetime.

When we went back to Scotland this past August for our honeymoon, I was determined to share all of my previous experiences with my husband. We had been dating at the time I was studying abroad over there, so this place meant something special to us. Being that my husband was with me this time, we ventured to take a train ride and few buses to get to our land. We ended up getting off a few stops too early before the golf course and walked about a mile in pretty wet conditions. But when we finally made it into the pub, it was all worth it.

I ordered an Irn Bru like the first time, and the bartender could tell we were not there to golf. I felt silly explaining to her that we wanted to see our one square foot of land, but the manager behind her was so excited to hear we had come all this way to visit their beautiful town. Again, everyone was so kind and welcoming.

We made our way up the hill and everything was just as I remembered it. The moist air, vibrant greenery, and of course beautiful view were all as I left it. It was incredible getting to share this journey with my husband and remake all those special memories. I am really, truly lucky to have experienced this place not once, but twice.

So if you’re looking for something thoughtful to gift your significant other for an upcoming holiday, a plot of land in Scotland might be the thing for you. It’s not just a grassy area, but rather a place for a family to be remembered for a lifetime. Not to mention, you’re also saving a small portion of the earth in doing so!