Martin Williams, Senior News Reporter
ONE of Scotland’s prime commercial forests boasting grouse and deer
shooting zones as well as planning permission for a windfarm has gone on
the market for £8.6 million.
Moness Forest Estate, in Perthshire, which includes 2,200 acres of
commercial woodland has been put on the market by civil engineering firm I
& H Brown which bought the landholding 11 years ago.
The lot is located within Perthshire’s so-called Big Tree Country – which
offers some of the most remarkable trees, woodlands and country gardens in
Europe.
Many of the trees date back to the reforestation projects between two and
three centuries ago by the so-called ‘Planting Dukes of Atholl’ who aimed
to both improve the land and increase profits derived from it.
Around 27 million conifers were planted on Atholl Estates alone, many of
them non-native species gathered from around the globe.
A spokesman for John Clegg and Co, which is marketing the property said: ”
With its breath-taking scenery and extensive network of walking and riding
routes, the area is well also loved by both locals and tourists.
“Not only is this a superb opportunity to own a swathe of one of the
country’s most beautiful areas, it is an opportunity for the investor to
buy into a much sought after market where demand outstrips supply and where
the returns are real.”
The Moness Forest can be bought on its own for over £6.8 million, while the
382 acre North Calliachar Forest with wind farm consent is available with
offers over £1.4 million. The smaller 91 acre Gatehouse wood is on offer
for over £425,000.
Moness Forest Estate, which is adjacent to the existing Calliachar Wind
Farm was established as a commercial forest established in the mid-1980s,
after previous owners diversified after fallling demand for lamb.
The agents say that moorland management work in the form of heather burning
has resulted in a “health assemblage of upland bird species including the
iconic red grouse.”
Scottish forestry makes major contribution to the country’s rural economy
with a recent report calculating it provides a £1 billion boost to the
conomy annually supporting 25,000 jobs.
And Jon Lambert of John Clegg & Co said there remains a demand for
commercial forests.
“Following strong trading in 2014 and 2015, 2016 has seen continued high
levels of interest in the commercial forest market place, with Scotland
retaining its dominance in the UK commercial forestry sales sector,” he said.
“Post Scottish Referendum and Brexit, the sustained market demand for
forest properties has been attributed to a combination of increasing
capital values and an expectation of medium to long term increases in
timber prices.
“This position is set against the relative volatility of the wider
investment market place as well as uncertainties surrounding currencies
which have seen investors seek ‘secure’ land-based investments with a
traditionally low correlation to other asset classes providing a safe hedge
against wider market failure.”
The national Scottish forest estate covers, 24,710 square miles, equivalent
to around 8.2 per cent of Scotland s land mass. Scotland created 83 per
cent of all new woodland in the UK in 2015-16.
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