Scotland

Russell is a Partner at law firm Pinsent Masons LLP and has over 27 years of experience in the Property Sector.  He is based in Edinburgh has experience in a wide range of real estate work across the UK with a particular emphasis on property investment, development and finance.  One of the projects he is most proud of is the project he leads at Winchburgh which is one of the biggest and most exciting place making projects anywhere in the UK. When complete it will deliver at least 3,800 new homes, improved transport links, employment opportunities, state-of-the-art schools and stunning new outdoor spaces.  It will give a number or individuals and families a place they can live, work, play and relax and somewhere they are proud to call home.  It is shocking that some individuals in our communities do not have a private, secure, decent and affordable place that they can call home.

Seeing the benefits that have ensued from helping create a new community in Winchburgh sparked Russell’s interest in and involvement with LandAid.  He is delighted to lend his support and skills to help tackle youth homelessness in Scotland.

Carrie Armstrong is a Real Estate Partner at Addleshaw Goddard LLP based in Edinburgh.  She is a member of the Firm’s managing board.  She is a dual qualified lawyer and frequently acts and leads on cross border transactions for a range of portfolio clients.   Transport, infrastructure, retail and leisure assets and development feature strongly in her practice.  Carrie has three very active children aged 13, 15 and 17, so her spare time is mainly spent at the side of cricket, rugby and hockey pitches!

Murray is a dynamic, engaging and influential business leader with over 20 years of experience in global real estate, representing some of the world’s largest and most respected property advisory firms.

With vast experience as a Country Head, Regional Board Member and Director, Murray is a commercially minded, strategic and analytical leader. He has a successful and sustained track record of leading a company P&L with strong results in long-term revenue growth, accurate forecasting and effective delivery to senior management and PLC Board. Murray has productively developed, communicated and ensured compliance of operations across multiple disciplines and geographies, while ensuring alignment with companies’ wider visions and maintaining best-in-class standards of delivery.

His knowledge and capabilities lie predominantly in providing outstanding service and advice to a range of multi-national, corporate clients on the acquisition, disposal and optimisation of commercial investment assets, and successfully executing an extensive range of sales and leasing instructions across all commercial and residential sectors.

Neil’s areas of expertise are development monitoring, technical due diligence (TDD) and dilapidations. He also has a keen interest in sustainability. He is a Partner, head of TFT’s Edinburgh office and part of the firm’s TDD and dilapidations working party. He is a member of the Scottish Property Federation Building Standards and Sustainability Committees.

Neil’s prominent clients include Nuveen, APG, Tishman Speyer, Aviva, Legal and General and M&G.

Neil’s principal instruction is the Project Monitoring of St James Quarter, Edinburgh, a mixed-use development in the heart of Edinburgh on behalf of the investors, APG and Nuveen. Neil’s involvement started at the construction contract stage in October 2016. The leisure and retail element of the development completed in 2021, with the other elements (Hotel, Residential, Cinema and Aparthotel) due for completion by the end of 2023. Development costs are in the region of £1billion and comprise 850,000sq ft of retail, 214 room Hotel, Cinema, Aparthotel and 152 Residential Apartments.

Mark Colquhoun is a senior associate at BTO Solicitors in Edinburgh having joined in 2019, specialising in commercial property. He has over 20 years’ experience in the Scottish market acting across the comprop spectrum of clients from developers and institutional investors to supermarkets, hotel operators and corporate occupiers.

At BTO, a traditionally Glasgow firm, Mark’s role involves building the firm’s Edinburgh real estate business and has a separate sectoral focus on Investment/Development.

Outside of work Mark is usually found at a hockey pitch as captain of Alloa HC or coaching the juniors at Edinburgh HC. He has an interest in world music, travel, most sports and running around after his 3 kids.

Derek is the Service Director for Housing and Homelessness at the City of Edinburgh Council.
He started out his career as a Trainee Trading Standards Officer at the City of Edinburgh Council, with subsequent roles in Licensing, Community Safety, Environment Management, Transformation and Family and Household Support before he left in 2016 to take up the post of Head of Communities and Housing at Aberdeen City Council.

Following reorganisation he was appointed as Head of Early Intervention and Community Empowerment for Aberdeen City Council, and was responsible for Housing and Homelessness, Equalities, Community Safety, Community Learning and Libraries as well as developing early intervention and prevention practice for the Council. In this role Derek chaired Community Planning Aberdeen’s Anti-Poverty and Community Justice Groups, before returning to Edinburgh in March 2023 to his current post.

Derek has a strong interest in public health, data, prevention and early intervention practice and anti-poverty work.

He is a Trustee of the Scottish Professional Football League Trust and a Board Member of LandAid Scotland.

Elliot is Property Director at HFD Group, with significant experience across development, investment and asset management within the UK commercial property sector. He has a strong track record with large-scale office developments, alongside managing complex, multi-sector portfolios. His expertise spans the full development lifecycle, from acquisition and feasibility through to construction, leasing and long-term investment performance—with a particular focus on sustainability and ESG-led outcomes.

Among the projects he is most proud of are the redevelopment of city centre office buildings, that transform existing buildings into modern, energy-efficient spaces that support occupiers and contribute positively to the built environment.  Through his work, he has seen firsthand the positive impact that well-designed, sustainable places can have on the people who use them. He is keen to use his experience and industry knowledge to support LandAid’s mission to tackle youth homelessness in Scotland.