Lairg - Coille Righ Woodlands

Coille Righ Woodlands near Loch Shin -

PLEASE NOTE RV TIME CHANGED TO 11.00 and CHANGE OF RV LOCATION

RV 11.00 at Coille Righ Plantation near Loch Shin, IV27 4NY Map Ref NC 408237 entrance to forest track 

310 ha Planting year 81 – 86  Investment Conifer (SS/LP) planting with mixed results owned by Society member Peter Nielsen, Managed by the owner and Crosscut Forestry.

Conifer investment with new native planting and natural regeneration, combining a sustainable commercial forest with biodiversity and carbon capture. 

 Main topics of discussion:

• Introduction  to Coille Righ. History and philosophies.
• New planting 2010 of native species (near the entrance to the forest).
• Felled area (38 HA, 2018-19) and natural regeneration. Ongoing experiments to promote natural regeneration. And the results so far.
• Deer control issues. One and a half COVID years (March 2020 till October2022) without proper deer control and you are lost. The deer took over.
• Ideas and visions for increase of biodiversity, the Climate Forest. Optimising Natural capital and carbon sequestration. The combination of sustainable commercial forestry and environmental/biodiversity and CO2 needs for improvement.

After the introduction and the viewing of the two relevant areas Peter and Joanna will be your hosts of a small lunch in our building, venison based of course. This would also be the time for questions and discussion.

So food and drink is provided for. You need not worry about that. But if you have a folding chair or a stool please bring it along. We have plenty of space but only 8 chairs.

 Afterwards, on the way back south we would like you to view briefly a part of a nearby plantation near Rosehall. The sitka crop there was prematurely felled to waste some 8 years ago to make the way for a wind farm development. Nothing was done to promote regeneration and deer control hardly existing. But nice sitkas growing happily. (TBC)

Directions (from Peter Nielsen): 

Drive up to Lairg and proceed on the A838 along the north bank of Loch Shin, direction Durness and Kinlochbervie for approximately 15 miles. When you pass the Overscaig Hotel (not a hotel anymore) you continue some 800 yards and you will see a forest gate on the right (uphill). Turn into the forest some 900 meters and you will see our forest operational building. There will be signage for parking. Go to our building and feel welcome.

NB There will be RSFS signs at the at the road side access to the forest.