A forest sitting on land home to a historic gold mine in central Scotland has gone up for sale.
Located between Balquhidder and Lochearnhead in northern Stirlingshire, Leitters Forest has come on the market for offers over £1,950,000.
The site spans 120ha and is based in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park boasting views down Loch Voil and up to the head of nearby Loch Earn.
The woodland is made up of a high proportion of Sitka spruce, used for commercial timber, with the forest sitting on the location of a historic gold mine according to Landfor, the property agent handling the sale.
Part of its boundary runs along the A84 road providing access to the timber markets in the region and further afield. The perimeter of the forest is deer fenced to provide protection from excessive deer browsing on the younger restocked areas.
The property sale also includes sporting rights with the potential for red and roe deer stalking as well as rough shooting of occasional wild game birds in season. According to the listing the stalking rights are leaded for deer control purposes until March 31 2025.
The mineral rights are also included in terms of the title with the exception of those reserved by statute, the property agents said. Though little was known about the history of the gold mine on site.
Patrick Porteous, of Landfor, described the forest as “an interesting purchase” because it had its first crop felled and had been replanted in stages, with timber available in the next 20 to 30 years.
He said: “The property was suitable for a buyer looking for short and long-term investment given the different stages the trees were planted at.”
The listing stated the woodland was originally established in the mid-1950s with a substantial crop of Sitka spruce and hybrid larch.
Conifer plantations, including varieties such as the non-native Sitka spruce, have drawn controversy due to questions over their impact on the environment and biodiversity.
However, industry leaders have said Sitka spruce remains one of the best species of tree for the timber trade.
Mr Porteous expressed due to a slowdown and lack of tree planting in some areas across Scotland over 15 years ago, the country was looking at a timber shortage by 2035.
“I know people are quite anti-Sitka, but we need to keep the cycle up,” he said.
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