Some people are unclear about whether Highland Titles Ltd is a charity and the simple answer is that it is not a charity. It is a simple for profit limited company, (Registered Company Number 1599) registered in the country where I live (Alderney), with one share – which is owned by the Guernsey registered charity, The Highland Titles Charitable Trust for Scotland (Registered Charity Number CH444).
We are set up, therefore, in much the same way as the National Trust for Scotland (Registered Charity Number SC007410), which wholly owns a for profit trading company, called National Trust for Scotland Enterprises Ltd (Registered Company Number SCO95585). The National Trust for Scotland Enterprises Ltd is not a charity, but as it is owned and controlled by the National Trust, it behaves much like one. The Company trades for the benefit of its shareholder – the National Trust for Scotland, and Highland Titles Ltd trades for the benefit of its shareholder The Highland Titles Charitable Trust for Scotland.
This arrangement of a Charity owning a trading company is one recommended by The Charity Commission and HM Revenue & Customs. They recommend that where a charity relies on trading (rather than or in addition to donations), then they should create such a subsidiary trading Company. Highland Titles starts from the premise that there are enough small charities milking donors for funds and so we have chosen not to simply hold out a begging bowl hopefully. We offer a product that is popular and profitable through a subsidiary trading company. Those profits are all ploughed back into Scottish conservation.
