Strathdon Land Management Plan

The Strathdon Land Management Plan (LMP) area is located to the west of Huntly and is situated within the Cairngorms National Park.

The LMP area is approximately 1986 hectares in size and is split into two blocks. The previous plan looked at addressing the issue of the LMP area’s fairly even aged structure, which was a result of the trees predominantly being planted in the 1950s and 60s. The new plan intends to maintain this direction of travel and work towards the continuation of age structure diversity within the LMP area. Areas of Long-established woodlands of plantation origin are also present within the LMP area.  

The presence of Dothistroma Needle Blight (DNB) has heavily influenced past fellings in the LMP area and this plant health issue will continue to be monitored going into the next plan period.  

The LMP area provides important habitat for numerous species, with the main block (locally known as the Bunzeach) being identified as a red squirrel stronghold. On the southern boundary of the Bunzeach, a very small section of the Morven and Mullachdubh Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is present on our ground. In addition to this, the LMP area is adjacent to the Green Hill of Strathdon SSSI and Special Area of Conservation (SAC); and Morven and Mullachdubh SAC.  

• May 2024: the present Land Management Plan expired 
• December 2023 to January 2024: scoping of stakeholder interests concluded
• January to February 2025: final consultation period 
• spring 2026: draft plan ratified and submitted to Scottish Forestry

• Strathdon LMP vision and objectives
• Map 1: Strathdon location
• Map 2.1: Auchernoch key features and issues
• Map 2.2: Bunzeach key features and issues
• Map 3.1: Auchernoch concept
• Map 3.2: Bunzeach concept
• Map 4.1: Auchernoch zoned objectives
• Map 4.2: Bunzeach zoned objectives
• Map 5.1: Auchernoch current species
• Map 5.2: Bunzeach current species
• Map 6.1: Auchernoch management map
• Map 6.2: Bunzeach management map
• Map 7.1: Auchernoch future species
• Map 7.2: Bunzeach future species
• Map 8: Bunzeach civils
• Map 9: Bunzeach peatland restoration