Forestry and Land Scotland are at the early stage of reviewing the ten year Land Management Plan (LMP) for East Loch Shiel. This scoping stage analyses the issues and constraints to be considered for its management and proposes objectives and priorities, short and long term, which will inform the preparation of the LMP for the next 10 years.

The East Loch Shiel Land Management Plan (LMP) consists of three separate forests - Callop and Drumfern, Loch Shiel and Achanellan Forests, which extend along the east side of Loch Shiel, lying in the heart of the Scottish rainforest zone. Elevation extends from 5m above sea level at the shore of Loch Shiel to 756m at Sgorr an Tarmachain in Loch Shiel Forest.

In total the LMP area occupies just over 3780 ha, of which 1920 ha is forested and 1860 ha is open ground. Operational and 3rd party access is reliant on a forest road (see Map 1 and supporting text) with a single point of access off the A830 near Glenfinnan.

The LMP area is affected by multiple environmental designations of National and European importance. It is also covered by multiple landscape designations, all of which, reflect the importance of this land, location and forest. Also of note are two Scheduled Monuments, Corrantee Lead Mines in Achanellan Forest and Rubha an Fhaing Dhuibh - a settlement/fort on the loch shore in Loch Shiel Forest.

Large areas of crop are impacted by ancient semi-natural woodland (ASNW) designations including plantation on ancient woodland sites (PAWS). The existing native woodland comprises  upland birchwood, upland oakwood, wet woodland and native pinewood, which are also home to invertebrates and lower plants associated with some of the designated features. Most of the open land is classified as priority habitat.

Substantial proportions of non-native conifer crop are economically mature with large areas of these lacking operational access. Second rotation spruce crops are impacted by nutritionally poor soils as well the encroachment of heather. The Moine geology affects soil nutrition and the wet climate adds to the leaching of nutrients from these generally moderate to steep slopes. Poor growth rates are also attributed to some areas of deep peat. Watercourses from all but the most eastern areas of Drumfern drain into Loch Shiel – a designated oligotrophic loch which is a habitat to protected species such as black-throated diver, otter and salmonid species.

Draft objectives

The plan will meet the requirements of the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) and the UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS).

• Identify viable operational access to initiate the restructuring of mature crops in Achanellan Forest and south Drumfern, with consideration given to the impact on the environment
• Clearfell all remaining mature crops in Loch Shiel South, to facilitate large scale native woodland restoration whilst minimising non-native regeneration seeding threats. Plan for the early clearfell of localised non-native crops in this location
• Programme work for non-native regeneration removal in young establishing and established native woodland
• Remove infected Lodgepole pine in Drumfern and initiate forest-to-bog restoration where peat surveys indicate it is appropriate
• Secure establishment of all current felled and failed areas
• Programme work to protect and enhance veteran trees in designated woodland, Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland (ASNW) and PAWS areas
• Improve the resilience of known Chequered skipper habitat through the removal of encroaching non-native regeneration, consider the viability of managing these habitats by the controlled grazing of cattle
• Programme work to protect and enhance the Scheduled Monuments
• Plan new tracks for deer management access into currently inaccessible areas
• Upgrade strategic deer fences and manage the deer population to sustainable levels, to secure healthy habitats and the regeneration of native trees and woodland flora
• Manage the Ardgour pinewoods Special Area of Conservation/Caledonian Pinewood Inventory site so that it is establishing as native woodland habitat by the end of this plan period
• Manage public access to remove threats to European designated habitats from unauthorised and damaging activities

Timeline

Public consultation on the LMP Scoping brief: 20 October 2025 to 30 November 2025.

Public consultation events: 

28 October 2025, 2 – 6pm Sunart Centre, Strontian
30 October 2025, 2 – 6pm, Jetty Hut, Glenfinnan

Final revisions and submission to Scottish Forestry for consideration: 1 October 2026 – 31 December 2026.

Documents and maps

• East Loch Shiel Scoping
  
  
• Map 1 - Location | Supporting Text
• Map 2 - Ancient Woodland | Supporting Text
• Map 3 - Analysis | Supporting Text
• Map 4 - Key Issues - Deer | Supporting Text
• Map 5 - Key Issues - Environmental | Supporting Text
• Map 6 - Key Issues - Operational and Access | Supporting Text
• Map 7 - Concept | Supporting Text