Ross & Skye Forest District Inverness Woodlands Land Management Plan

Map 3: Analysis & Concept

Ü Date: 06/10/2017

Legend

CORE_PATHS

SEPA_SMALL_RIVER_WATERBODIES

SEPA_RIVER_WATERBODIES

Classification CLASSIFICATION

Class A

Class B

Class C

Transfer Point

Unclassified

powerline_oh

Natural_Reserves

Blocks EXTENT

Craig Phadrig

Culloden Woodlands

0 0.5 1 2 3 4 Daviot Kilometers Ord Hill Skyline is visible from the and A862. Tree felling for safety of railway may require relocation Design future forest management interventions to of heronry. Process to be agreed with SNH / RSPB. minimise the impact on these views.

Views to Beauly Firth to be retained where possible. Beauly Firth

Elevated spine of Craig Phadraig. Open mixed woodland with rocky outcrops popular for informal recreation.

Neighbouring woodland strip between FES boundary and residential areas. Conifers between railway and minor road to be felled during next plan period and replaced with native species.

Good views from eastern edge of wood over Inverness Craig Phadraig vitrified fort: and are mostly accessible to locals and - Is a Scheduled Monument; visitors who explore beyond the way marked trails. - Is destination of way marked trail; - Has great views to north west over Beauly Firth; - Will continue to be protected and kept open of trees.

There is only limited opportunity to improve views Where woodland is adjacent to residential properties of Inverness. management takes account of tree and whole forest stability, external appearance and internal character.

Gentle north western slopes are: - Least used for recreation; - A backdrop to Blackpark; Blackpark - Integrated with surrounding fields and woodlands; - Visible from across the Beauly Firth and local roads. Clear felling to continue in rotation across these Craig Phadraig forms the backdrop to much of areas. Inverness. Clear felling to be avoided on the visible south and east slopes. P A notch on the skyline, caused by past attempts to create a viewpoint, is growing out. Inverness

Copyright Getmapping plc Woodland edge follows side of narrow public road. Core recreation area and parking is on the Outline plan Management to take account of tree stability. Inverness side of the hill. 0 50 100 200 300 400 500 Metres N Craig Phadraig Craig Phadrig: Plans for next 10 years: • Felling of trees in block south of railway for safety; • Removal of trees alongside railway for safety; • Thinning of woodland areas visible from Inverness to improve visitor experience, views and woodland structure; • Clear gorse from rocky outcrops to the north of the fort; • Thinning, clear felling and replanting in ‘coupes’ above Beauly Firth; • Regular monitoring of mature trees along woodland boundary directly adjacent to residential areas; • Promotion of informal recreation in Craig Phadraig. Dense, even-aged mixed conifers approaching felling age. There is a requirement to keep railway Stability of mature woodland areas is paramount. We aim to retain it for >10 years until neighbouring areas line clear of fallen trees. We will remove windblow as it occurs. have become big enough to feel like woodland.

Where woodland is adjacent to residential properties management to take account of tree and whole forest stability.

To allow removal of timber to occur we are investigating extraction via Moray Estates. Scrub forms impenetrable barriers along roadsides reducing its amenity value. Regular maintenance of roadside vegetation is required to improve the visitor experience.

Main Inverness to Edinburgh / Glasgow railway line Due to flood risk in Smithton, no clear felling is scheduled until flood risk is better understood unless we suffer catastrophic windblow. This small area of woodland, cut off from rest of forest by railway and road, is due to be felled. Felling to take place in conjunction with any Network Rail works.

Culloden Battlefield trail

Where woodland is adjacent to residential properties management to take account of tree and whole forest stability.

Prisoners Stone - an important link with Culloden Battlefield. The area around it will be kept open P as forest regrows.

Big tree welcome at main car Wide network of marked and unmarked trails park entrance to Culloden provides ample scope for informal recreation across Woods. By regularly thinning the forest. For safety, forest areas are closed when we aim is to keep these for forest operations are taking place. long term.

Tall Douglas fir trees are an identifying feature of Culloden forest. Their long term retention is a high priority. The wood- land character will alter as younger trees grow up between the older ones trees to eventually replace them.

Dog fouling in woods is major problem -a dog free Maturing Sitka spruce area is being thinned by area is being developed in an attractive area of Scottish School of Forestry students as part of birch where children's play is encouraged. their training. Copyright Getmapping plc Outline plan 050 100 200 300 400 500 Metres ± Culloden Woods Culloden: Plans for next 10 years: • Improve main car park in Smithton; • Small scale clearfells of unthinnable areas (mainly east of Culloden road); • Manage forest roadside vegetation; • Clear up windblown trees; • Thinning of woodland areas to improve visitor experience and woodland structure; • Investigate flood risk mitigation opportunities; • Investigate extraction next to Balloch via Moray Estates;

• Regular monitoring of mature trees along woodland boundary directly adjacent to residential areas; • Promotion of informal recreation in Culloden. Mature Scots pine forest due to be clear felled this year.

Forest roads provide access to much of the forest Requirement to keep railway line clear of allowing high input management to maximise tree fallen trees. Any felling to take place in quality. Being close to market increases income conjunction with Network Rail works. that can be gained, making management more profitable.

Forest road network allows public access around forest area adjacent to Sunnyside. Pedestrian link paths connect to the forest road.

Culloden Muir forms part of an extensive network of woodland which interlocks Strip felling farmland, crofts and small settlements. Area:

Area to be Strip felling managed by Area: Scottish School of Forestry Culloden Forest students as part of their training.

Conifers to be felled and area converted to native broadleaves to integrate better Mature forest will continue to be felled in with neighbouring battlefield area. strips and allowed to regenerate naturally as a way of avoiding large scale clear felling and replanting. Sunnyside P

Railway marks divide in forest management approach: - To the west, near Sunnyside, we will manage for people; Wet area where repeated windblow is Culloden - To the east standard forest management will continue to be practiced. Battlefield occurring is likely to be felled and replanted with more suitable species.

Copyright Getmapping plc Outline plan Culloden Muir 0100 200 400 600 800 1,000 Metres ± Culloden Muir: Plans for next 10 years: • Maintenance and potential removal of trees alongside railway; • Smaller scale felling in strips with natural regeneration in eastern part of forest; • Clear fell an area of mature Scots pine and replant; • West of Culloden Road convert forest to native woodland to reinforce landscape character around battlefield; • Scottish School of Forestry to manage central area of forest; • Promotion of informal recreation around Sunnyside, west of railway. A9 to Inverness

Increasing numbers of people are accessing Daviot Wood from new housing developments on the southern edge of Inverness. Council’s car park on A9 is a popular place from which to access P Daviot Wood.

Much of Daviot Wood has been felled or is about to be felled. We are trying to delay felling near car park, despite repeated windblow, to keep as many mature areas as possible.

Daviot Wood is alongside the A9 on the approach to Inverness. Future forest interventions will be designed to enhance views from A9.

Area of mature forest to be felled in the near future.

Power lines with associated way-leaves cross the forest area creating linear, open rides.

Daviot forms part of an extensive area of forest, under various ownership, on upland south of Inverness.

Daviot

General Wades Military Road passes along the western boundary of Daviot Wood

Daviot offers a variety of routes for informal recreation. Its forest roads link up with tracks across adjacent land.

Daviot Wood is a productive forest, managed through clear felling and restocking. This is the best method here due to its exposure and wet soils.

It is a structurally diverse forest with successful restock. The intention is to continue to manage in the same way.

Quarry scheduled to be extended - forest is successful in screening and reducing scale of the rock faces from further afield.

Drainage to south is to River Nairn, an Daviot Wood is visible on the skyline important salmon river. Management is from A9 northbound carriageway. Outline plan designed not to impact on water quality Copyright Getmapping plc A9 to Aviemore Daviot

050 100 200 300 400 500 Metres ± Daviot: Plans for next 10 years: • Felling of an area of mature pine located in centre of forest, adjacent to the trails; • Delay some of the felling near car park to retain diversity of woodland character and structure. • Investigate opportunities to improve links with Milton of Leys and its further development; • Carry out regular thinning operations; • Replanting felled areas with a range of conifers and broadleaf trees; • The quarry is due to expand; our forest will help to screen this; • Promotion of informal recreation in Daviot. Clear felling to continue in rotation across the flatter parts of Within the main visitor area understorey Ord Hill vitrified fort: Ord Hill Woods. The current crop is poor and will be felled regeneration will be monitored and periodically -Is a Scheduled Monument; over the next ten years and then replanted with other conifers. removed to maintain its open woodland feel. - Is destination of a way marked trail; - Is covered by open Scots pine woodland; Replanting is growing well. We aim to thin out - Will continue to be protected. the trees as they mature so we may not have to clear fell in the future.

The main car park is accessed from a Kilmuir minor road from Drumsmittal, north of A9 junction.

Ord Hill is visible from across Inverness and P the surrounding area. We want to make sure it remains an attractive backdrop to the city. Our long term aim is to mange without clearfelling. Unfortunately most areas are currently not stable enough to do this, so clear felling in carefully designed areas will be necessary.

Recreation in Ord Hill Woods is taken all the way across and around the hill on a mixture of formal and informal paths. Easiest access is along the forest road.

All of Ord Hill is used as a venue for orienteering Ord Hill joins up with adjacent woodland of different ownership to Openings in the trees make good viewpoints create an extensive wooded area over the Beauly and Moray Firths, Kessock Bridge around North Kessock and Kilmuir. North Kessock P and Inverness. We aim to retain and improve a selection of these as the trees grow.

FES woodland encircles neighbouring properties. All management and recreation needs to be mindful of the impact on these close neighbours. Outline plan Kessock Bridge Ord Hill Copyright Getmapping plc 0 50 100 200 300 400 500 Metres ± Ord Hill: Plans for next 10 years: • Felling and replanting of conifers in flatter northern part of forest; • Felling and replanting of conifers in limited areas across front face of Ord Hill to restructure the forest and prevent future instabilities. • Thinning of trees on hill top to maintain open woodland feel; • Targeted felling and high pruning to retain and improve a range of views to Inverness, and Beauly Firth; • Promotion of informal recreation in Ord Hill.