Leanachan Land Management Plan

This Land Management Plan (LMP) presents the vision for Leanachan forest, to the north of Fort William in the Highlands.  It set out the management planned for the next 10 years to progress that vision.

The Leanachan forest area lies at the north foot of the Ben Nevis and Anoach Mor massif within the broad strath of the Great Glen close to the Highland town of Fort William. The LMP area covers around 3,100ha from 40m to 650m in altitude. It is made up of around 80% woodland cover, predominantly Sitka spruce and Lodgepole pine plantation of a wide range of ages alongside some native broadleaf woodland on the slopes and along the water courses.

The open ground is largely covered by the Lon Leanachain SSSI designated for its blanket bog and on the upper slopes, upland heath and acid grassland which lie on the northern periphery of the much larger Ben Nevis SSSI and SAC. The forest lies in the heart of the outdoor capital and hosts the Nevis Range Mountain gondola.

Plan objectives

The objectives for the future management of the forest recognise the location of the forest and the importance of the conservation designations.

Conifer sawlog timber production will remain an objective where the soils can support this with an increase in the diversity of conifer species to increase future resilience and provide a more varied forest environment for outdoor recreation.

The first 10 years of the plan will see a major peatland restoration project around the Lon Leanachain SSSI removing forest cover from its hydrological unit to maintain and increase the rewetting of the bog. The plan will also continue the work of recovering the native woodland along the upland edge and the ongoing development of the riparian woodland to improve water quality and fish habitat.

Consultation

The documents and maps below are the final proposals submitted to Scottish Forestry for consideration and approval on 31 July 2025.

Once Scottish Forestry have reviewed the submission and any changes requested by them have been agreed, the plan will go onto the Scottish Forestry Public Register for formal consultation. We will update this web page once the plan goes onto the public register.

The principal document is the Leanachan Land Management Plan, the first section of which is a summary of the proposals.  

Map 1 shows the location of the forest. Map 2 provides a simple overview of the concept behind the design. Map 3 shows the felling proposals while map 4 covers the potential thinning areas. Map 7 displays the future species and habitat vision for the forest.

The other maps provide background information and highlight the issues and opportunities taken into account during the preparation of this LMP.

Documents and maps

Maps

Visualisations

Appendix

Get in touch

If you would like further information or have any questions about this plan, please contact: enquiries.west@forestryandland.gov.scot