The Dalbeattie Forest Long Term Plan Unit covers 1,200 hectares. It is located on the southern edge of Dalbeattie town, in the Solway area of Dumfriesshire, and forms part of our South Region. It was one of the earliest woodlands acquired by the Forestry Commission with a high variety and age of species, including significant areas of native and ancient woodland. The forest is very popular with the local community and visitors. To the east, west and south the forest is surrounded by farmland, woodland and woodland pasture. It is part of Scotland’s national forests and land, owned by Scottish Ministers on behalf of the people of Scotland, and managed by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS).

We are currently revising the Long Term Plan for this forest. The plan will outline the management prescription for the ten-year period between 2026 to 2036, and present the vision for the long-term management of the forest block. 

Draft versions of the plan will be published here, and we invite comments and feedback from the public on all of our proposals.

Community consultation

Scoping consultation with stakeholders (including the local community) is a requirement of the land management planning process but it is also a valuable opportunity for us to engage with the public, talk about our work, and discover what's important to you. We will be running an online consultation where comments can be submitted using the survey form provided below when the consultation is live. At all other times comments can be forwarded to the email address shown below. 

We will also be holding a drop-in public consultation on the 27 May at Dalbeattie Town Hall (Lesser Hall) from 3 to 6pm, where we would like to get views from as many people as possible.

Timeline

• winter 2025/26: development of draft concept
• winter/spring 2026: external stakeholder and public consultations
• spring 2026: development of final plans
• summer 2026: submission to Scottish Forestry

Documents and maps

• Map 1: location - location and boundary of the Long Term Plan Area
• Map 2: current species - shows the key features within and around the forest block
• Map 3: concept - shows the key factors that will influence the management of the forest block
• Accessible text for map 3

Have your say

We are keen to know what you think of our proposals and have created a form to encourage those interested to contribute their thoughts or opinions on the forest’s Long Term Plan.

Get in touch

If you would like to comment on the plan or receive further notification of plan developments, please contact:

enquiries.south@forestryandland.gov.scot