Home security checklist for rural Moray homes

Moray is a safe place to live, but rural homes have their own security challenges. Houses may sit at the end of long tracks, can’t be seen from the road and have outbuildings full of valuable kit. Help may be some distance away. This checklist is designed for cottages, farmhouses and rural homes across Moray, from the Laich to Speyside. Work through it room by room and building by building.

Doors

• Final exit doors have a BS 3621 mortice deadlock (timber), or a multipoint lock with an anti-snap cylinder (uPVC/composite). See BS 3621 explained.
• Euro cylinders are rated TS 007 3-star or SS312 Diamond. See anti-snap cylinders.
• Back and side doors, often the real way in at rural homes, are as secure as the front.
• Doors that aren’t used are bolted top and bottom from inside.
• Outward-opening doors have hinge bolts.
• You can see who is at the door before opening, using a door viewer, chain or limiter.
• Keys are not left in the lock on the inside, where they can be reached through glass or a cat flap.

Windows

• All ground-floor and accessible windows have key-operated locks or locking handles.
• Traditional sash-and-case windows have sash stops or sash locks.
• Window keys are kept somewhere sensible, out of sight but quick to reach in a fire.
• Window restrictors are fitted where children could climb. See window locks and restrictors.

Outbuildings, sheds and garages

Rural crime often targets outbuildings rather than the house.

• Sheds and workshops have closed-shackle padlocks on strong hasps, fixed with coach bolts or security screws.
• Garage doors have working locks, and an up-and-over door has an extra garage defender or floor lock.
• Quad bikes, chainsaws, strimmers and power tools are locked away, chained to a ground anchor where possible, and marked with your postcode.
• You’ve recorded serial numbers and photos of valuable equipment.
• Ladders are locked away or chained, so they can’t be used to reach upper windows.

Read how to secure your shed, garage and outbuildings.

Gates, drives and boundaries

• Field and yard gates are locked when not in use, and hinges are capped or reversed so gates can’t be lifted off.
• Driveway alarms or gate sensors alert you to vehicles arriving.
• Hedges near the house are kept low enough not to hide someone at a window.

Lighting and visibility

• Dusk-to-dawn or PIR lights cover doors, the yard and outbuildings.
• Lights inside are on timers when you’re out.
• Your property name or number is clearly visible from the road. It helps emergency services find you, which matters a lot at rural addresses.

Alarms and cameras

• An intruder alarm, if fitted, is serviced, the codes have been changed since you moved in, and it’s used.
• Any CCTV covers the approach, outbuildings and vehicles, and is checked regularly.

Keys

• You know how many keys exist for each lock.
• Spare keys are with a trusted neighbour, not under a stone or plant pot.
• Any key safe is properly rated and fitted. See key safes.
• Locks were changed when you moved in. See changing locks after moving house.

Neighbours and community

• You have phone numbers for neighbours, and they have yours.
• You’ve thought about joining Neighbourhood Watch Scotland or a local rural or farm watch scheme.
• You report suspicious vehicles to Police Scotland on 101, or 999 if a crime is in progress.

When you go away

• Someone checks the house, collects post and parcels, and moves the curtains.
• Valuables are locked away, and outbuilding keys aren’t left in the house where a burglar can find them.

Read the full holiday security checklist.

Winter and long nights

Moray’s long winter nights give burglars more cover, and snow and ice can make it harder for help to reach remote properties. Before winter:

• Service uPVC doors so they don’t stick in the cold. See why doors stick in winter.
• Check outside lights and timers work and are set for the darker evenings.
• Make sure you can get out quickly in a fire, with keys for deadlocked doors kept near the door but out of reach from outside.
• Keep a torch by the door, and a phone number for a locksmith saved in your phone.

Getting help

Police Scotland publishes crime prevention advice on its website and runs local initiatives on rural crime. For a hands-on review, book a security assessment. Colin Buchan spent 25 years in the Royal Air Force Police, specialising in protective security, and now looks after homes and businesses across Moray as a Qualified Master Locksmith.

Key points

Rural homes are mostly at risk through back doors, outbuildings and the simple fact that nobody is watching. Strong locks on every door, secured outbuildings, good lighting, marked equipment and good neighbours together make a rural property a much harder target.

This guide is general information for homes in Scotland. It is not legal or insurance advice. Always check your own policy, tenancy agreement and official guidance.