Forestry

Extensive commercial forestry for sale close to Edinburgh

A rare opportunity has arisen to acquire an extensive area of accessible commercial forestry and mixed amenity woodland close to Edinburgh.

For sale through specialist rural property consultancy Galbraith, Woodland at Buteland Farm represents an attractive forestry investment located within reach of a range of timber markets across central and southern Scotland.

With spectacular views over the surrounding countryside, the property extends to approximately 390.70 Ha (965.42 acres) in total.

The woodland contains a mixture of productive conifer species which are dominated by Sitka spruce with some smaller areas of secondary conifer including Norway spruce, Scots pine and Hybrid larch. There are a number of areas of mixed broadleaves which enhance the diversity, sporting and landscape benefits of the overall woodland.

Duncan Barrie, Galbraith partner handling the sale, said: “The woodland at Buteland Farm represents a fantastic opportunity for an interested party keen to expand their investment portfolio. Crops are growing well with all the 2013 and later planting having been undertaken with improved Sitka spruce. It is estimated that the Sitka spruce will achieve a projected Yield Class of 24 or more. Prospective purchasers should make their own determinations on projected Yield Class, but it is anticipated that the woodland will provide an opportunity to grow substantial volumes of high quality timber in the future.

“Whilst much of the recent planting has been established within deer fencing, there is also a well-managed resident population of roe deer and the woodlands have been laid out to facilitate deer management. In addition to expanding on the potential sporting opportunity, there is also scope for further environmental interests if desired.”

The significant areas of commercial woodland have been planted under various woodland schemes principally over the last decade and are interspersed with some smaller areas of mixed broadleaf woodland and older shelter belts. There is also an area of woodland, formally subject to lease which has been bought back in, felled by the previous owner some years ago and restocked in 2022.

All the younger planting has been carried out under a range of schemes with the latest planting being carried out in 2017, 2019 and 2022 under the current Forestry Grant Schemes. The Woodland at Buteland Farm occupies an accessible location on the boundary between the administration districts of Edinburgh City and West Lothian just to the south of the village of Balerno and to the south of A70. The Water of Leith partially bounds the property to the north west.

Woodland at Buteland Farm, Balerno, Edinburgh at offers over £3,500,000.

GMG Energy pounces on 400 acres of forestry in the northeast of Scotland

Sustainable biomass supplier and timber products specialist GMG Energy has made a strategic purchase of a substantial swathe of forest in the far north-east of Scotland to protect future supply and increase its resilience to market shocks.

The resource-rich company, which originated on a farm in the Strath of Halladale in Sutherland, has acquired 400 acres of softwood-planted land at Quintfall Forest, towards the east coast south of John O’Groats.

The forest contains 21,000 tonnes of productive timber, very roughly equivalent to 90,000 tree-sized logs. The sawmill at GMG Energy’s production facility currently processes in the region of 2,000 tonnes a year, meaning that the purchase has created security of supply for the foreseeable future.

As a major plank of its business model, the company is committed to replacing every log of timber that it uses, and plants 10,000 new trees a year, which grow to maturity in