Mr McVicar, who has been on the Crown Estate Scotland board since summer 2021, will take on the role in early July, succeeding Amanda Bryan, the current chair, whose term concludes at the end of June. Appointed by the Scottish Ministers, his tenure will span three years.

Mr McVicar lives near Biggar, rural Scotland, and holds a director’s position at The Biggar Gin Company Limited. He brings to the table a diverse wealth of experience from both the public and private sectors. His previous roles include chair of the investment committee and general counsel at the UK Green Investment Bank, and partner of the energy transactions & advisory team at law firm, Pinsent Masons, where he currently serves as a consultant and senior climate adviser.

He also recently served as general counsel and an executive committee member at Ofgem

Crown Estate Scotland was established in 2017 to manage a property portfolio – called the Scottish Crown Estate – returning all net revenue to Scottish Government for public spending.

As of April 2022, the corporation had returned £60m to the Scottish Government, with the Scottish Crown Estate valued at £568.2m.

Mr McVicar said: “Crown Estate Scotland’s unique remit means it can play a key role in Scotland’s effort to tackle the climate and nature crises while driving sustainable economic growth.

“The expertise of the team, the diversity of the portfolio we manage, and the remit to deliver social, economic and environmental value makes this an incredibly exciting organisation, one which it will be a privilege to chair.

“Finally, thank you to Amanda who has worked tirelessly over the last six years to establish Crown Estate Scotland as a progressive, transparent and purpose-led business.

“Amanda’s exceptional leadership played a critical role in the business generating over £800m for public spending, ensuring our work benefits communities and businesses across Scotland, and delivering ScotWind leasing.”