The Deeside woods area is made up of three forest blocks, Cambus o’ May, Pannanich and Inver, which are all located along the river Dee between Aboyne in the east and Braemar in the west. The woodlands are all within the Cairngorms national park and are accessed from the A93, north Deeside road.

Together the blocks cover a total area of 742 hectares. These woodlands are all of a similar size and set within the Dee valley forming a matrix with agricultural ground, grouse moors and native pinewoods.

The main objective for the woodlands is to manage them for the benefit of the environment and biodiversity. The plan includes details of thinning, low impact silviculture and small-scale clearfelling that will benefit a number of key species, including capercaillie, red squirrel, black grouse, juniper and a significant number of other biodiversity action plan species.

During the development of the land management plan for Deeside woods we have consulted publically including the local community representatives and stakeholders known to have an interest in the plan area.

The plan has been approved and is now active. It is scheduled to be renewed in July 2027.

Land management plan documents and maps

• Deeside woods land management plan summary (PDF 0.2MB) - a summary of the land management plan.
• Land management plan (PDF 4.2MB) - details our objectives for the area and our management proposals.
• Location map (PDF 3.6MB) - shows the location of Deeside woods in relation to the local area.
• Key features map (PDF 4.5MB) - shows the key features that have influenced the management of the forests.
• Current species map (PDF 4.2MB) - shows the current tree species that are growing in the area.
• Analysis and concept map (PDF 4.6MB) - shows how the key features have influenced the management of the forest.
• Management map (PDF 3.6MB) - shows the  management for the area.
• Thinning map (PDF 3.1MB) - shows the thinning  for the area.
• Future habitats and species map (PDF 3.1MB) - shows the tree species that will be growing in the area at the end of the plan period.