Castle Milk & Corrie are undertaking a renewal of their Strategic Long Term Forest Plan. They are a family run estate comprising of residential properties, commercial forestry supplying the domestic market, and award-winning lamb and wool production. The estate has around 10,000 hectares of agricultural, forestry and industrial land in and around Lockerbie, Annadale, Dumfriesshire, and has been in the ownership of the Buchanan-Jardine family since the 19th Century.
Their land covers a large area of varied landscape, soil types, land use, and species diversity. The Forest Plan is an important part of the management of their forests and will decide what areas of forest are felled and replanted over the next 20 years.
Over several generations, the Estate has invested heavily in the Forests and the Forestry Department. Their emphasis is on timber production, sensitive planting, good management and thinning and understand this is a significant challenge as their forestry contributes to the Scottish economy and climate change overall.
The Strategic Long Term Forest Plan will provide more detail on the extent and timings of felling in areas and likely restocking proposals for each clear fell area. Approximately 2,085 hectares of forestry is found on the estate, with the vast majority being productive conifer.
The estate’s long-established forestry department has planning records and diaries dating back to the 1800’s, employs a full time Woodlands Manager, and a team of forestry workers. The Estates forests are fortunate in that they have relatively good soils and are well suited to growing other conifers. The current age class of the forest is well balanced, with a steady amount of cutting over the last 15 years averaging at under 40 hectares a year. It is estimated that an annual cut of 40-50 ha should be sustainable over the long term if carefully managed.
During the last few years, Castle Milk Estate has undertaken major re-development projects to retain and enhance its properties so that their tenants can have the highest standard of living possible. Having participated in a public scoping consultation to engage with those interested in and who will be affected by the Strategic Long Term Forest Plan.
The Estate makes positive contribution to the forestry industry in Lockerbie through employment and timber production and has a range of wildlife, including birds such as buzzards, kestrels, owls, siskins, and crossbills. Thanks to a programme of grey squirrel control measures, red squirrels have started to re-colonise some woodlands where greys had become dominant.
As a natural product that fixes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in a highly useful material, Castle Milk hope that forestry will continue to thrive and show a way forward in the global climate crisis. This revision of the forest plan seeks to build on the strengths of the Forestry Department and provide a sustainable long-term future to continue the positive contribution of the Estate’s Forest.