July 2010

Glenlivet Estate staff thank visitors for open day success

An open day allowing Moray and Highland residents a behind-the-scenes glimpse of modern land management succeeded in attracting 60 visitors to the award-winning Glenlivet Estate.

Guests were taken on a number of tours within the 23,000 hectare estate to see activities such as forest harvesting, conservation works, game management, and the day-to-day running of Ruthven Farm. Competitions and activities for children also took place as part of the event, which was held on Saturday 3 July.

Staff from The Crown Estate and managing agents Smiths Gore highlighted recent developments in the area, while future plans were also discussed across a number of areas including biodiversity, recreation and access, community involvement, education, and enterprise.

Vicky Hilton, Countryside Manager at Glenlivet Estate, said the support and involvement of local communities was crucial to the estate’s future development.

“It is integral to our work at Glenlivet that we have an open exchange of ideas and comments from residents and we would like to thank visitors who made the open day such an informative and enjoyable event,” she said.

The Open Day followed the estate being held up as an exemplar for diversity and innovation in Scotland’s Finest Woods Silver Jubilee Awards, held to celebrate the best of the best in forestry practice over the last 25 years

June 2010

Access facilities on The Glenlivet Estate have been further improved, thanks to an army of University Officer Cadets.

The 32 Cadets from the Tayforth Universities Officers Training Corps (TUOTC) have spent two days at the Glenlivet Estate working to rebuild and improve facilities on the estate including: refurbishing a footbridge on a trail at Glenmulliach forest; repairing flood damaged steps by Packhorse bridge car park; installing new benches and creating footpaths.

Materials for the works and the Cadet’s accommodation was provided by   The Crown Estate who own Glenlivet. The initiative is part of a Military Aid to Civil Community (MACC) campaign, which has had a long involvement with The Crown Estate, although this is the first time that TUOTC cadets have taken part at Glenlivet.

 “These projects are not just a great training experience for the officer cadets, they will also bring huge benefit both the local community and many visitors we get here every year” explained Vicky Hilton, Countryside Manager at Glenlivet Estate.

She continued: “They have contributed so much in their two days here, and we are enormously grateful for their hard work.  I hope we will be welcoming them back to Glenlivet in the future.”

The Crown Estate has been proactive in encouraging youth and other volunteer groups to get involved in the maintenance and development of visitor facilities at Glenlivet, helping to bring new people to the area and contributing to individual development of young people. 

Major Andy Douglas, who supervised the cadets said, “This has been a fantastic experience all round.  The cadets learn a great deal from having to work as a team completing these projects - solving practical problems, and making a contribution to the community. Glenlivet is a great place, and I hope to continue this partnership by returning here in future years.”

February 2010

Glenlivet gets ready for spring

The Crown Estate Countryside Rangers at Glenlivet Estate are helping local wildlife get ready for spring as they put up over a dozen bird boxes made by local community groups.

Tomintoul Youth Club and pupils from the rural skills course at Speyside High School joined forces with the Countryside Rangers and the Glenlivet Wildlife Recording group over the winter months to make bird and bat boxes. More...

December 09

Glenlivet Estate installs eagle ‘des-res’ to attract iconic birds

A bespoke nesting platform has been built on the Glenlivet Estate in a bid to attract more breeding pairs of golden eagles to make it their home.

The project was undertaken by North-East Scotland RaptorWatch, a partnership involving RSPB Scotland, Grampian Police, Scottish Natural Heritage and Cairngorms National Park Authority. The Glenlivet Estate is one of 22 working with RaptorWatch to try and improve breeding numbers of golden eagles, peregrines and hen harriers in Scotland’s north-east.  More....

December 09

Tree o'clock

Crown Estate properties across Scotland recently joined in a world record attempt to plant 1 million trees across the UK in one hour.

At Glenlivet Estate, twenty nine volunteers helped plant an impressive 2,250 trees to start what will be a new 40 hectare native Caledonian woodland near Altnaglander.  More...

November 09

Glenlivet Estate celebrates green tourism award

The Crown Estate has won a major industry award in the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards held recently.

The Glenlivet Estate which is part of The Crown Estate, won the Green Award category. The Green Award recognises organisations or groups which are proactive in raising awareness of the environment, adopts high standards of sustainable business management and have a strong involvement in local conservation activities.  More...

Sept 09

A tree came to school today

Pupils at Tomintoul Primary School have used a tree from a local Crown Estate forest to create benches and flower tubs for their playground. The project was the idea of Vicky Hilton, Countryside Manager for The Crown Estate’s Glenlivet Estate.

Vicky said: “We wanted to support the ‘FSC Friday’ event being run by the Forest Stewardship Council, which  aims to raise awareness of the FSC logo as a mark of responsible forestry and highlight the fact that forests and woodlands in the UK and internationally need to be well-managed. More...

June 2009

Long Service Award for Crown Estate man after 44 years on Fochabers Estate

A well known Morayshire man who spent his working life with The Crown Estate was presented with a Long Service Award on his retirement this week. Jimmy Gordon joined The Crown Estate in 1965. He retires from his position as foreman of the Fochabers and Glenlivet Estates maintenance squad after 44 years, a period that saw him move from salmon fishing into joinery and finally to team management.

More...

June 2009

Expanded plans for Scalan seminary
Following discussions between The Crown Estate and the Scalan Association, the association has to purchased the old Scalan farmhouse and arranged a long-lease further grounds to protect and enhance the historic seminary of Scalan and its surroundings in the Braes of Glenlivet. The seminary has long been a place of pilgrimage for many, and attracts visitors from all over the world because of its importance to the Catholic Church in Scotland. The Association has carried out renovations to the building in recent years and had been keen to secure ownership of the additional building and management of the wider site to allow future improvements to be carried out. More...

May 2009

Glenlivet event focuses on plight of the water vole

The Crown Estate and the Cairngorms Water Vole Conservation Project are teaming up to celebrate National Biodiversity Week with a community event looking at water vole conservation at Glenlivet Estate.   The event, to be held on Thursday 21 May, at the Glenlivet Estate Office in Tomintoul and will start at 10am with an introductory talk about water voles and the work of the project.  The group will then move outside to get hands-on and learn about how to find water voles in the wild. More...

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