The Strath nan Lub Land Management Plan (PDF 963KB) was approved by Scottish Forestry on 30 September 2020, following consultation with a range of stakeholders and will be due for revision in 2030.

The plan area lies to the south of Strachur and to the north of Ormidale on the Cowal Peninsula. It lies parallel to the A886 just to the west of the Argyll Forest Park. The total area is 2580ha of which just over 1000ha are forested. The remainder is made up of managed open space and includes the Cruach Mhor Wind Farm. The elevation ranges from 30m at Glendaruel to 586m at the summit of Meall Dubh and the varied landform is a mix of peat flats, rolling slopes and craggy outcrops.

Climatic conditions favour the strong growth of Sitka spruce and this is the dominant species in the forested area, meeting a key objective of timber production. The oldest productive stands date back to the 1950s and account for roughly 25% of forest cover, the majority of cover is now 2nd rotation forestry established in the late 1980s accounting for a further 44%. There are a number of other tree species within the area but these account for a relatively small percentage of the total. The large amount of open space is a mixture of ground managed for environmental benefits and grazing leased to local residents.

Cruach Mhor windfarm was completed in 2004 and is managed by Scottish Power Renewables. The windfarm takes up a not insignificant part of the forest management area, accounting for roughly 11%. It is capable of generating 30 Megawatts of power which is fed into the National Grid. Forestry and Land Scotland will continue to work with Scottish Power Renewables to help ensure smooth airflow is provided to the turbines to maintain optimum efficiency in electricity production.

Though Strath nan Lub does not play a major part in the provision of recreation facilities it does host a section of the Cowal Way and also access to local residents for shorter walks, one of the aims of this plan will be to maintain that level of access and, where possible, improve the visitor experience.

Land management plan documents

• Summary of the plan (PDF1.1MB) - key details of plan proposals
• Strath nan Lub land management plan (PDF) - main text and appendices providing background information and details of felling and restocking proposals
• Certificate of approval (PDF 125KB) - dated and signed permission to carry out forest operations

• M1 Analysis and Concept (PDF 2.9MB) - indicates main issues and plan concept to address these
• M2 Management zones (PDF 1.2MB) - simplified map of broad management objectives
• M3 Management (PDF 1.3MB) - indicates the proposed felling sequence
• M4 Future habitats (PDF 821KB) - shows how species distribution changes as trees are felled and ground restocked
• M5 Roads and access (PDF 1.3MB) - existing and proposed infrastructure
• M6 Thinning (PDF 1.3MB) - shows areas to be thinned
• M7 Heritage and conservation (PDF 1.3MB) - significant conservation and known heritage features
• M8 Viewpoints (PDF) - viewpoints for visualisations

• VP1 A886 (PDF)
• VP2 Strondavon (PDF)
• VP3 West Glendaruel road (PDF)