5th February 2026 – Alba Trees is pleased to announce the acquisition of 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.

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.

Alba Trees are the UK’s leading cell-grown tree nursery serving forestry customers, landscapers and conservation groups nationwide.

Alba Trees is a UK market leader in the production and supply of cell-grown plants for sustainable forestry, native woodland and hedgerows. Cibus and Alba Trees will expand existing production while focusing on best-in-class agronomy and precision technology to prioritise plant health, product quality and resource efficiency. As a specialist in agtech and controlled environment agriculture, Cibus will leverage synergies with other portfolio companies within the existing Cibus portfolio. A core focus for Cibus is environmental sustainability and ensuring it is addressed at every level of the supply chain. This aim is shared with Alba and will be at the centre of the company’s future growth plans, aligning with the UK Government’s ambitions to plant nearly a million hectares of new woodland in order to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050

Rob Appleby, Founder and CIO at Cibus Capital LLP, investment adviser to the Cibus funds, said: “Our partnership with Alba Trees brings an exciting addition to the Cibus portfolio. Cibus invests in companies which prioritise decarbonisation, promote sustainable forestry, woodland creation and biodiversity. Alba Trees is an industry leader in this sector, providing farmers and landowners with the tools to achieve superior commercial returns and climate resilience.”

Read the full statement here.

Check out this lovely grassroots blog from Woodland Trust volunteer “Craftey Green Poet” on our wonderful site and the surrounding woodland. It is great to see a personalised account of our tree nursery with focus on our cell grown product.

Check out the blog here.