Project Background

The land on which the woodland is planted has been managed
and farmed by the same family of tenant farmers for over
100 years. The current incumbent, being a secured (and
therefore heritable) tenant, inherited the farm from his father
who had also taken the reins from his father before him.

Farming is experiencing significant change. Sheep and cattle
prices are declining and traditional farm subsidies, such as the
Basic Payment Scheme, are being replaced by the Sustainable
Farming Incentive, encouraging farming practices which
improve water quality, wildlife, climate change mitigation and
air quality.

The conventional forms of farm income are therefore
declining. Meantime, the farmer wants to ensure the farm
offers a viable livelihood for the next generation. As a result,
they are considering new, forward thinking uses for their
land and woodland creation, which sequesters carbon and
enhances biodiversity, is one such example.

The family has allocated 44 hectares of land towards
establishing a native mixed woodland. This uses the less
productive land situated up the hill from the main farm and
helps restore an area of ground whose ecology has been
damaged by heavy sheep grazing in recent decades.

By planting a portion of the land with trees and substituting
livestock sales for woodland-generated carbon income, the
family are striking a healthy balance between producing the
food we eat while enhancing the nature and wildlife in our
countryside. In so doing, they are setting an example for
farmers across the UK to follow.

The Planting Scheme

The woodland comprises a balanced mix of Scots pine (19%
of the total area), birch (20%), rowan (32%), hazel (5%), alder
(32%), and willow (9%). The alder and willow are well suited to
the damper areas of ground, especially at the site’s northern
end. The Scots pine, being native to the area, is amply
equipped to withstand the bitter climate.

The land is rugged and the climate around the project is harsh.
As a result, Tilhill’s forest manager, who designed and planted
the project, chose species which, being native to Argyllshire,
are well equipped to survive the cold winters, wet summers
and biting winds. Trees were also planted in wide spacings
from each other so that, as they grow, they develop a natural
resistance to these conditions.