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Borgie Forest contains Sites of Special scientific
interest surround the forest mainly designated for peatlend interests
and these from part of the Caithness and Sutherlands’ peatlands SAC
and SPA.
Borgie is part of the 12000
hectare Naver Forest, the Forest Enterprise management unit in North
Sutherland. Forest Enterprise manages a total of 33325 hectares of
stocked forest in Sutherland and Caithness of which 97% is conifer
plantation. The private forests in the area cover another 39524
hectares (83% conifer plantation) most of which is much younger than
the FE area. Borgie Forest therefore represents about 2.3%
of the total forest resource in Sutherland and Caithness |
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Borgie
forest is one of the most northerly forests in the United Kingdom.
Planted on poor hill ground, it is typical of many forests managed by
Forest Enterprise (FE) in the north: an unthinned coniferous
plantation of Sitka spruce and lodgepole pine, harvested using
large-scale clear-cuts. Re-planted after a devastating fire in 1942,
the forest is now entering the clear-fell stage with production
expected to average over 10 000 tonnes per annum in the coming
decades.
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Borgie was gifted to the nation by the Duke of Sutherland in the
aftermath of World War I, when woodland cover had fallen to below 5%.
The aim was to provide crofts for returning veterans on the better
ground, with a forestation planned for the poorer hill grazings, to
supplement the crofters earnings. Unfortunately, the forestry work was
less amenable to the demands of the crofting lifestyle than originally
envisaged, being both poorly paid and in conflict with other demands
for the crofter’s labour. Hence, in 1931, the land was leased to the
Forestry Commission by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for
Scotland. |
The
forest extends to 3136 hectares (7746 acres) of which 1700 hectares
(4199 acres) have been afforested. The initial planting took place
during the 1920’s but most of the forest burned down in 1942, leaving
little from that period. Replanting took place from 1945 to the end
of the 1970s. A 30 year programme of felling and restocking
commenced in 1993. Scots Pine and Spruce, which survived are now some
of the tallest trees in Sutherland at over 100 feet tall. The Borgie
Forest walks pass below some of these lofty pine and spruce giants and
through the wide variety of conifers used to replant the burned forest
- Scots pine, Sitka/Norway spruce, Japanese larch, Noble fir and
Lawson cypress. Another fire damaged a small part of the forest in May
2001.
There has been several studies carried out on aspects of the forest,
its feasibility and economic potential.
There are 1700 hectares of conifer plantation in Borgie Forest,
planted between 1945 and 1980. 62% of the area is under lodgepole
pine and 34% under Sitka spruce (similar to the whole of north
Scotland although a little older than average). Over the last few
years, clear felling and restocking has commenced. Sitka spruce’s
general characteristics are very similar to Norway spruce, Lodgepole
pine, characteristics are similar to Scots Pine
With much of the harvesting work likely to be contracted, there was
growing local concern that Borgie forest was not being managed in a
way that enhances the economic and social well-being of the
surrounding community.
The
principal species in Borgie Forest are lodgepole pine and Sitka
spruce. Excluding the recent replanting and very small coupes, the
lodgepole pine occupies 851 hectares and the Sitka spruce 466
hectares. Of the minor species, often in very small pockets, Scots
pine occupies 21 hectares, the larches 19 hectares, other conifers 13
hectares and broadleaves 4 hectares. This gives an approximate
species analysis of:
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Lodgepole pine 851
ha 62.0 %
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Sitka spruce
466 ha 34.0 %
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Scots pine
21 ha 1.5 %
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Larches
19 ha 1.5 %
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Other conifers
13 ha 1.0 %
-
B’leaves
4 ha 0.3 %
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