A rare opportunity to purchase a diverse commercial forest on Royal Deeside
Arntilly Wood lies on the south side of the River Dee between Aboyne and Banchory in an area renowned for its Scots Pine woodlands. The surrounding area is a combination of forestry, farmland and open heather hill to the south. The woodland is planted along a free draining ridge with a mainly north westerly aspect.
The forest extends to 359 hectares planted on gently sloping land. The lowest point is 110m asl, rising to 330m asl on the western slope of Craig Lash. The site has been in woodland for many years, with the current extent visible on the 1900 Ordnance Survey. The current conifer timber is mixed age, with some from the 1930s, much from the 1960s and more recent replanting following clearfells.
The current productive timber area is around 278ha. The primary species is Scots Pine with some Sitka and Norway Spruce and various other conifers. Yield Class is typical for Deeside being Pine at YC10 or YC12, with other conifer species higher.
An area of previously felled timber requires replanting providing a further 23 hectares, bringing the total crop area up to 302ha or 84%. The purchaser will be responsible for restocking.
The site is sustainably managed under FSC certification, and is very well located for timber markets at Aboyne (James Jones and Sons) and Banchory (Cordiners Sawmills).
The property includes areas of native broadleaves throughout, and a Caledonian Scots Pine regeneration zone to the southeast along the ridge, adding to the biodiversity interest. There are a further 23 hectares of pasture, which are currently used for livestock grazing or as fallow land. These areas add to the site biodiversity. The pasture offers potential for new woodland creation subject to the necessary approvals.