SUTHERLAND & CO (OLD CRAIG) LTD

💤Zombieactive
SC400504 · ltd · incorporated 2011-05-27
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to May 2025
Net worth
£2.48M
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: asset-holding vehicle with strong profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (78/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
3 officers (1 active, 3 linked, 3 with DOB)
90
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
37 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £2,478,820
Cash YoY
+20%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£2.0m
↑ 20% YoY
Net Worth
£2.5m
↑ 11% YoY
Current Assets
£2.5m
↑ 13% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£509k£1.0m£1.5m£2.0m£2.5mMay 2024May 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-05-312024-05-31
Total assets£2.48M£2.23M
Current assets£2.54M£2.26M
Cash£1.96M£1.63M
Debtors£467.0k£460.6k
Net assets£2.48M£2.23M

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (22 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-01-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-03-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-06-27
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  4. 2024-02-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-03-31
    📄
    accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AAMD
  6. 2023-02-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-12-19
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  8. 2022-12-19
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  9. 2022-10-03
    ➖
    SUTHERLAND, Allen William resigned
    director
  10. 2022-06-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  11. 2021-06-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  12. 2020-02-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  13. 2019-02-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  14. 2018-01-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  15. 2017-02-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  16. 2016-06-07
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  17. 2016-02-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  18. 2015-05-31
    ➖
    SUTHERLAND, Constance Margaret resigned
    director
  19. 2014-06-01
    ➕
    SUTHERLAND, Ian Alan appointed
    director
  20. 2014-06-01
    ➕
    SUTHERLAND, Constance Margaret appointed
    director
  21. 2011-05-27
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As SUTHERLAND & CO (OLD CRAIG) LTD
  22. 2011-05-27
    ➕
    SUTHERLAND, Allen William appointed
    director

Owner dependency

98/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "SUTHERLAND" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 61 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

60/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 61. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
The Executors Of Mr Allen Sutherland
Individual · British · DOB 09/1941 · age 85
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting03/10/2022
Mr Ian Alan Sutherland
Individual · British · DOB 01/1965 · age 61
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting28/05/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Allen William Sutherlandceased 03/10/2022· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

Similar companies

Active · Agriculture · AB postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
EAST COAST VINERS (PEAS AND BEANS) LIMITED→
SC465480 · est 2013
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£13.37M—180012y8579y
TREETOP FORESTRY LIMITED→
SC292083 · est 2005
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£12.98M—460020y8772y
ALTNAHARRA ESTATE LIMITED→
SC228455 · est 2002
£634.2k
£487.8k–£780.5k
——824y8571y
CHALLENGE FISHING COMPANY LIMITED→
SC192237 · est 1998
———627y8369y
FORTRIE FARMS LIMITED→
SC158055 · est 1995
———1030y8376y
GARDINER ICM LIMITED→
SC197812 · est 1999
——£2.60M—26y8364y
LORANTHUS FISHING COMPANY LIMITED→
SC312585 · est 2006
———019y8370y
M B AQUARIUS LIMITED→
SC259115 · est 2003
———022y8370y
M.V. QUANTUS LIMITED→
SC150141 · est 1994
——£32.29M—32y8369y
MEARNS TRACTORS LIMITED→
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———122y8362y
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——£24.40M—31y8379y
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——£440.0k—29y8358y
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →
🔒Advanced scoring suite

Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2011-05-27
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC01110 — Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds

Registered office

Old Craig Farm
Meikle Wartle
Inverurie
Aberdeenshire
AB51 5AS

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-02-28
Last made up to: 2025-05-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-06-10
Last: 2025-05-27

Officers (1 active · 2 resigned)

SUTHERLAND, Ian Alan→
director · ~61y · appointed 2014-06-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SUTHERLAND, Allen William→
director · ~85y · appointed 2011-05-27 · resigned 2022-10-03
Resigned
SUTHERLAND, Constance Margaret→
director · ~85y · appointed 2014-06-01 · resigned 2015-05-31
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Recent filings (37 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-01-21
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-11
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-06-27
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2024-06-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-02-05
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-12
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AAMD
2023-03-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-02-27
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-12-19
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-12-19
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-06-21
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-06-29