Event - Tuesday 27th March

Glenlivet Woodland Management and Woodfuel Production Workshop.  click here for further details.

Forestry Management

Afforestation in the 1950's and 1960's resulted in the establishment of the pine and spruce woods that are found across Glenlivet.  Managed by The Crown Estate, a restructuring programme of thinning, felling and replanting is now in progress across the 3,900ha of commercial woodland.  The aim is to produce a continuous crop of timber for the future and long term employment in the area, while maintaining and improving the benefits for shelter, diversity for wildlife and facilities for recreation.

Native broad-leaved trees account for a high percentage of newly planted areas and there are several  stands of semi-natural woods of birch and alder, which add greatly to the natural heritage of the area.  Birch woods support a rich and varied mix of plants and animals, but they have suffered a severe decline over the years as grazing animals hinder natural regeneration.  Steps are being taken to manage, protect and extend areas of birch wood, through farm based woodland management schemes.  Grazing pressure is reduced and natural regeneration encouraged, helping to conserve these attractive woods and the wildlife they support.

Over the last decade a number of new planting schemes have taken place at Glenlivet which have increased the estate's native woodland cover by over 10%.  The main schemes were the extensive 55.6 ha Altnaglander native woodland, and the 4 ha Defence Wood, one of 27 Trafalgar Woods planted across the country to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle.  In addition there has been a focus on planting riparian (riverside) woodlands across Glenlivet with multiple benefits for biodiversity and water quality.

Planting the Defence wood

A Sustainable Forest

All of The Crown Estate woodlands including those at Glenlivet are rigorously assessed against the high standards set in the UK Woodland Assurance Scheme (UKWAS), to ensure that they are being managed a sustainable and responsible way. All timber that leaves the forest carries the Forest Stewardship Council’s® (FSC®) unique chain of custody number which allows the final timber product to be traced back to its source, and to bear the FSC® tree check mark.

See www.fsc-uk.org for further details of the certification scheme