Easdales Climb Into Scotland’s Top Five Wealthiest in The Sunday Times Rich List 2026
James and Sandy Easdale
Inverclyde businessmen Sandy and James Easdale have once again been recognised among Scotland’s wealthiest individuals after featuring prominently in The Sunday Times Rich List 2026.
The Greenock-born brothers, best known as the owners of transport giant McGill’s Group alongside a substantial UK-wide property portfolio, have secured a place within Scotland’s top five richest people according to this year’s annual publication.
The latest list highlights another strong year for the Easdales, whose business interests continue to expand across transport, commercial investment, residential property, and regeneration projects throughout Scotland and beyond.
The Easdales, are also 112thn the UK rich list, with an estimated worth of £1.47bn.
The Easdales have become one of Scotland’s most recognisable entrepreneurial success stories, building a diverse business empire from Inverclyde roots.
Their continued inclusion among the nation’s wealthiest individuals reflects the sustained growth of their interests, particularly through:
McGill’s Group - Scotland’s largest independent bus operator
Strategic commercial and residential property investments
Regeneration and development projects across the UK
Expanding private investment ventures
The brothers have consistently climbed the rankings in recent years, cementing their status as major figures within both Scottish business and property sectors.
Scotland’s Wealthiest Individuals in 2026
According to The Sunday Times Rich List 2026, Denmark’s Anders Holch Povlsen remains Scotland’s richest individual, while several major business families and entrepreneurs also recorded increases in wealth over the past year.
The 2026 Scottish top ten includes prominent names from retail, energy, transport, publishing, spirits, and property investment.
Scotland’s Richest People 2026
Anders Holch Povlsen
Glenn Gordon and family
Sir Ian Wood and family
Lady Philomena Clark and family
Sandy and James Easdale
Mahdi al-Tajir
The DC Thomson family
JK Rowling
Sir Brian Souter and Dame Ann Gloag
Lord Laidlaw
The annual rich list continues to provide a snapshot of the UK’s wealthiest entrepreneurs, investors, industrialists, and business leaders, with many fortunes shaped by long-term investment strategies and privately owned businesses. There are now 157 UK billionaires, 20 less than four years ago, and the minimum entry level has dipped to £340m.
The compiler of the list, Robert Watts, called it a "tale of two exoduses" as one in six families who appeared two years ago don't feature in 2026.
"Many foreign billionaires who have been living in the UK have also dropped out because they have moved away," he said.
"We have also seen a sharp rise in the number of British nationals now resident in Dubai, Switzerland and Monaco. As UK nationals these people remain on our Rich List - wherever they now live."
The annual publication tracks identifiable wealth including property, land holdings, company shareholdings, and other major assets.
This year’s edition also noted wider economic shifts affecting the UK’s wealthiest individuals, including changes in taxation, investment trends, and international business confidence.
Despite a reported reduction in the overall number of UK billionaires compared to previous years, Scotland’s leading business figures largely continued to see growth across their investment portfolios.