Ms Tomlinson will take up the role from 1 April, succeeding Fraser Geddes following the end of his three-year term. She is a dual-qualified solicitor in Scotland and in England and Wales, has been with the firm for more than 16 years where she has already held senior leadership positions including as department manager of private client and as a non-exec board member with Anderson Strathern Asset Management.

She said: “I’m honoured to take on this role and excited about what lies ahead. It’s an interesting time for the legal sector with the rise of technology and AI and increasing demand from clients for a top-quality service.

“Law is rapidly evolving and my focus will be ensuring we continue to grow by championing innovation and maintaining strong teams with human connection at the heart of our services.

“My priority will be to ensure we continue to achieve outstanding results for our clients in the most efficient way. I’m excited about new ways of delivering that in the coming months and years.”

Murray McCall, managing partner at Anderson Strathern, said: “We are thrilled to announce Carole as chair.

“We are used to changing and evolving with the times, and although we are proud of our long and rich history, we will continue to be a firm that looks forward rather than back.

“There is no doubt we are looking at a year of economic challenges, political uncertainties and fluctuating markets, and excellent legal advice is crucial in the face of that. I am looking forward to this exciting new chapter for our firm with Carole’s expertise and talent as part of our leadership team.”