Public appointment: Interim Co-Chairs appointed to the Crown Estate Scotland Board

The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs, Gillian Martin MSP, today announced the appointment of Ailsa Raeburn and Michael Stewart as Interim Co-Chairs of the Crown Estate Scotland Board.

Interim Chairs

Ailsa Raeburn is Chair of the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust and Chair of Community Land Scotland. She works with communities across Scotland to support their development ambitions. Living in rural Argyll she understands well the opportunities rural Scotland offers as a place to live, work and invest, but also the challenges many communities face in becoming more sustainable and resilient.

Michael Stewart has extensive experience across commercial and public sector leadership and governance. He began his career in the Royal Air Force, leading teams in complex conflicts. He evolved this experience in international development developing strong expertise in leadership, risk management, organisation turnaround and transformation. He led multi agency entities in Afghanistan, Africa and the Middle East. He now works as an executive coach supporting senior leaders to navigate complexity and deliver change. Michael is committed to the highest standards of governance, accountability and sustaining value for Scotland.  

Appointment

The appointments will be for up to four months and will run from 1 April 2026 until a permanent Chair takes up appointment, which is expected to be before 31 July 2026.

Once the permanent Chair takes up appointment, Ailsa Raeburn and Michael Stewart will continue their appointments as board members of Crown Estate Scotland.[SW1.1]

The appointments are regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

Remuneration

The appointments are part-time and attract a remuneration of £400.00 per day for a time commitment of 1 day per week.

Other ministerial appointments

Ailsa Raeburn is a Member of Highlands and Islands Enterprise for which she receives remuneration of £420 per day, for a time commitment of 2 days per month.

Michael Stewart does not hold any other public appointments.

Political activity 

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.  However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.   

Ailsa Raeburn and Michael Stewart have had no political activity within the last five years. 

Background

Crown Estate Scotland’s purpose is ‘investing in property, natural resources and people to generate lasting value for Scotland’. The organisation is at the heart of Scotland’s journey to net zero and has a key role to play in promoting sustainable development across a range of assets and sectors.

Crown Estate Scotland is a self-financing Statutory Public Corporation accountable to the Scottish Ministers and to the Scottish Parliament. It is responsible for managing a diverse portfolio of land and property - called the Scottish Crown Estate - including seabed, coastline, commercial property and rural estates. Revenue profits from the Scottish Crown Estate are transferred to the Scottish Consolidated Fund for public spending and capital profits are reinvested in the Estate.

The diversity of the property, rights and interests comprising the Scottish Crown Estate means that decisions on investment, use and sale of assets have the potential to deliver significant economic, social, and environmental benefits for communities and business across Scotland. Community wealth building, impact investing, blue carbon (carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems), the transition to decarbonised energy and preventing nature loss are all areas of focus and opportunity for Crown Estate Scotland.