A rare opportunity to purchase a significant area of forestry in the iconic Tay Valley area of Central Scotland<br /><br /><br /><br /> <b>Description</b><br /><br />The forest is located in the spectacular Tay Valleys in Central Perthshire. Drumbuie Wood lies close to the historic Highland town of Dunkeld. The predominant land use in the surrounding area is a mixture of farming and forestry. Perthshire has over 200,000 acres of woodland and forests and is known as ‘big tree country’, containing some of the most spectacular stands of both hard and softwood tree species in Scotland. The location benefits from excellent access over the A9 to the north and south, the main arterial transport route in the Central Highlands. <br /><br />The forest forms part of the famous Atholl Estates, one of the principal landowners in Central Scotland. The woodlands have a long history of stewardship and are some of the oldest examples of managed commercial forestry. Situated in a fertile tree growing area the forests offer a rare chance to combine a fantastic timber investment opportunity with woodlands of diverse character, species and age structure, but also steeped in history. <br /><br />The managed softwood forests around Perthshire are amongst some of the oldest plantation woodlands in the country. Killechangie was bought by the 3rd Duke of Atholl in 1767 and Drumbuie by the 4th Duke in 1774. The 4th Duke, known as 'Planter John', was so enthused by planting Larch he was reputed to have asked for a cannon to fire seeds at inaccessible areas, and was a pioneer in the move to more commercial planting and timber production systems. The Dukes are reported to have planted some 27 million conifer trees, many of them Larch for future ship building, and developed a method of tree planting on mounds rather than in holes, the precursor to today's modern establishment practices.<br /><br />The Duke’s intention was to provide an income stream for the family well into the 19th Century and beyond. Estate timber was sought after due to its quality, and timber was used to build Dunkeld Cathedral, Forest Lodge and as scaffolding sections for the Dunkeld Bridge over the River Tay. At the onset of WW1 estate timber was in great demand, but lack of skilled staff away fighting on the western front required foresters to travel from Canada to fell timber. <br /><br />The estate has remained innovators in commercial forestry practice being early adopters of mechanisation and new planting techniques in the twentieth Century.<br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br />Acreage: 525.0803 Acres<br /><br /><b>Directions</b><br /><br />Lot 2 – From the A9 follow the signs for Dunkeld and Blairgowrie (southbound) or Dunkeld and Birnam (northbound). Follow the A923 east from Dunkeld past the golf club. The main entrance to the west block is three quarters of a mile from the town, shown at B2 on the sale plan, and the east block 2 miles, at point B5. <br /><br /><b>Additional Info</b><br /><br />Lot 2 Drumbuie Wood - This woodland comprises two closely located parcels of conifer forestry situated to the north of the A923 Dunkeld to Blairgowrie road, just northeast of Dunkeld. <br /><br />The total forest area is 212.5 hectares and comprises Mixed Conifers, including Sitka and Norway Spruce, Hybrid Larch and Scots Pine. The forest is mixed rotation with a long history of timber production, with a sawmill shown on the 1900 Ordnance Survey just north of the property at The Glack. The current timber is mixed rotation with over 20 different planting years recorded and the current weighted average age is 36 years old. The forest includes 31.8ha of felled land and the purchaser will be responsible for restocking with current restocking proposals being two compartments replanted with primarily Sitka Spruce and native broadleaves in sensitive zones, and one compartment of mixed conifer, mainly Douglas Fir and Scots Pine. <br /><br />The property is accessed at several points of the A923. The primary access to the western block is at NO034435 (B2) and the eastern block at NO038445 (B5). The sawmills at Polney and Cally are immediately west of the forest. <br /><br />Viewing - May be undertaken unaccompanied during daylight hours so long as viewers are in possession of a set of these sale particulars and have advised the Selling Agents of the date they intend to view. There are locked gates at B1, B2, B3 and B6 and viewing parties will need to obtain the padlock codes from the Selling Agents. For your own personal safety please be aware of potential hazards within the forests when viewing. The forest tracks are generally suitable for 4x4 only.