THREE of Scotland's richest men have been named among the wealthiest property holders in the UK.

THREE of Scotland's richest men have been named among the wealthiest property holders in the UK.

Oil tycoons Ian Suttie and Roy MacGregor have been included among the 12th annual Estates Gazette rich list alongside Highland Spring owner Mahdi al-Tajir.

The trio, who have all held the title of Scotland's richest man at some point, are said to have amassed property portfolios worth hundreds of millions of pounds.

Former United Arab Emirates ambassador Mahdi Al Tajir made the top of the list. Mr al-Tajir, who owns Highland Spring as well as companies Drift Properties and Park Hotels, was said to have a portfolio worth around £1.6bn.

The publicity-shy 82-year-old interests also include include oil and gas, metal trading and property.

Aberdeen businessman Ian Suttie's property holdings are said to be worth £450 million. Earlier this year he hit the news when his company First Oil greed to buy the bulk of the North Sea estate amassed by Canada's Antrim Energy.

Grocers' son Mr Suttie, 66, is said to value his private life but is known to support charities in the Aberdeen area and beyond, understood to have given a figure close to £10m to Aberdeen University to the Suttie Centre, a teaching and learning facility at the heart of the Foresterhill health campus which opened in 2009.

Roy MacGregor, chairman of both both the Global Energy Group and Ross County Football Club, is said to be behind a £300m portfolio of property owned through his firm MacGregor Properties.

The list is made up of those who are resident in Scotland, but does not reflect properties they own here.

Amancio Ortega, the founder of Spanish fashion chain Zara, tops the list for the UK as a whole. With a total wealth of £35.8bn, he is the richest person in Europe and holds a property portfolio valued at more than £4bn. Almost £1bn of that is invested in London real estate.