Strathlachlan Land Management Plan

This Strathlachlan Land Management Plan is a new ten-year plan that covers an area of 1869 hectares to the southwest of Strachur, on the east side of Loch Fyne. It will replace the current plan which is approved until May 2027.

The Strathlachlan plan area has a history of productive conifer plantation dating back to the 1940s, and there is a much longer history of ancient semi-natural woodland in this area. The area also includes areas of open ground habitat. The forest sustained extensive storm damage in 2010 and 2011, and in more recent times there have been confirmed infections in Larch spp. of Phytophthora ramorum disease. Some larch has already been felled under Statutory Plant Health Notices, with removal of the remaining larch a key driver in this new plan.

This new plan will look to maintain sawlog production in the forest for the future; enhance and expand the areas of native broadleaf woodland; and introduce greater resilience in the whole forest, through improved species, age and structural diversity, in the face of increasing threats of pests, diseases and extreme weather events.

In order to achieve this, in some areas we will have to construct new forest roads or access routes, which are shown on the accompanying maps; one above Feorline and one around Tom Soilleir, both in the eastern end of the main (central) part of the forest. The Feorline road and the first half of the Tom Soilleir road are likely to be required in the first half of the plan, so we are also consulting on these roads as part of this consultation. Known features that may be affected by these new roads include a hydro power scheme, watercourses, Marine Protected Area and various species present in and around the forest.  

Consultation is an essential part of the planning process, helping us develop well-informed and effective plans. Engaging with stakeholders, including the local community, ensures that that all parties have an opportunity to feed into the plan development. We welcome your input and encourage you to share your thoughts to help shape our plans for the area.

We are currently seeking feedback on our draft plan concept.

Please get in touch using the contact details at the bottom of this page.

We will be running a public drop-in session (note that this event will be in conjunction with the consultation for the new Glenbranter Land Management Plan) on the 19 June from 2pm to 8pm at the Memorial Hall, Strachur, PA27 8DG.

Consultation on the draft plans will be open until 20 July 2025.

• autumn 2024: project initiation
• winter to spring 2025: internal scoping and development of draft concept
• summer 2025: public and stakeholder consultation
• summer to autumn 2025: development of final plans
• autumn to winter 2025: submission to Scottish Forestry (our sector's regulator) for approval

• Map 1: key features
• Map 1: key features (accessible text)
• Map 2: concept
• Map 2: concept (accessible text)
• Map 3: planned roads
• Map 3: planned roads (accessible text)