Alba Trees has acquired the business and assets of Christies of Fochabers, the long-established Scottish bare-root tree nursery, in a transaction completed by FRP Advisory on 3rd February 2026.
The acquisition secures the core operational assets of the Christies' nursery and enables continuity of production, customer supply and specialist growing expertise under Alba Trees' ownership. Graham Smith and Michelle Elliot of FRP Advisory completed the sale, which saw all 32 employees transfer to Alba Trees, ensuring continuity for staff, customers and suppliers.
Christies of Fochabers has a strong heritage in bare-root tree production, supplying restocking and new woodland creation projects across forestry and land management markets. The acquired assets materially enhance Alba Trees' production footprint and capability, strengthening its position as one of the leading suppliers to the UK forestry sector.
The acquisition allows Alba Trees to supply in-house bare-root production alongside its existing cell-grown offering, broaden its presence in restocking, new woodland creation and hedging stock. Alba will have the capability to serve new customers while deepening relationships with existing clients and provide a more resilient, flexible one-stop solution across stock types and planting needs.
Alba Trees will invest in the long-term development of Christies' nursery, applying best practice in operations, biosecurity and agronomic practices to supply premium quality stock. The acquisition reinforces Alba Trees' commitment to supporting the UK forest nursery sector and local rural economy in Moray and the north-east of Scotland.
For more information:
Alba Trees
albatrees.co.uk/
