Harvesting starts as part of Storr native woodland restoration.
Tree felling and harvesting has begun at Storr Woodland, north of Portree on the island of Skye.
The woodland, which lies immediately below the Old Man of Storr, extends to some 82 hectares and currently carries plantation forest. The trees were planted in the 1970's and consist primarily of non-native coniferous species with very small areas of native broadleaf woodland.
The contract for harvesting has been awarded to Pinewood Harvesting Ltd, Alford. Associated access infrastructure will be undertaken by Glasnakille Ltd, Elgol and all works will be supervised on behalf of the Council by Scottish Woodlands Ltd. Timber haulage through Portree will be restricted to three loads per day in order to minimise disruption on a daily basis, but this does mean that harvesting cannot be completed until well into 2012. Haulage will be undertaken by Skye Transport. The work at Storr is approved by the Forestry Commission as part of a detailed Forest Management Plan which was the subject of widespread consultation.
Storr Woodland is part of the iconic landscape associated with the Old Man of Storr and the Trotternish Ridge and the current geometric woodland block is highly visible in the landscape. The site contains the primary footpath access to the Old Man of Storr which receives up to 50,000 visitors per annum, making this the busiest path on Skye and therefore of high economic importance to the island. Public access to the Old Man of Storr will be maintained throughout the work and members of the public are requested, for their own safety, to obey all instructions given on site.
Purchased from the Forestry Commission by Skye and Lochalsh District Council in 1994, with financial assistance from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), and subsequently transferred to The Highland Council, the property is now managed by the Planning & Development Service, which has already carried out improvements to the footpath, signage, car park and interpretive facilities.
The Council now intends to manage the woodland for continued public access and native woodland restoration. Once harvesting is complete, the site will be appropriately restocked with native species such as birch, willow and alder and there will be improved provision of car parking and paths. Community representatives have already been consulted regarding options for access improvements for recreation, the detail for which is not yet finalised.
Local Councillor Drew Miller welcomed the start of the work. He said: "This is excellent news as this area of Skye is very popular with tourists throughout the year and a walk to the Old Man of Storr is a highlight enjoyed by visitors and locals. Having the woodland managed and improved will really make a difference and I'm looking forward to seeing native trees planted once the timber clearing work is completed. Another important additional bonus is the improved provision of parking which has been an issue for many years at this popular spot."
Storr Native Woodland Restoration Project is funded by the Council within its capital programme. The Council's allocation of £100k will be supplemented by grant aid of £40k through the Scotland Rural Development Programme. The value of timber from the site is estimated at £75k, which will be reinvested in site improvements as part of this package of works.