Urlar
Woodlands →
Our corner of the world is famous for its gentle woodlands. Just next to Urlar, the woods around the Birks of Aberfeldy inspired Robert Burns to write his best work. We take our responsibility to protect and enhance these woodlands very seriously indeed.
The Urlar Woods are mainly comprised of Birch. Its silver bark and delicate leaves are a hallmark of this place. We are actively diversifying this mix by planting mixed native species including Oak, Rowan and Caledonian Pine.
At Urlar, we are looking after our woodlands and helping them to grow in a careful way. This not only preserves the habitat for wildlife and for people, but also allows us to create carbon sequestration opportunities to support the long-term viability of this place.
A healthy, consciously managed, and expanding woodland is good for all of us. It provides excellent, sheltered grazing for our cattle and sheep, a fantastic home for other wildlife, and a beautiful place for people in the community to come and explore.
We are managing our woodland in a deliberate and conscious way. This involves preserving areas of wood with old-growth trees comprised of a mixed, native set of species. It also means removing some non-native species and either planting a new, native mixture, or encouraging the natural regeneration of existing stock.
We don't plant trees for their own sake. Our woodland creation activity not only improves tree cover across Urlar, it works in tandem with our sustainable farming and our goal to maximise biodiversity in this place.
Urlar is an undulating place, with woodland at varying elevations. We see opportunities to nurture a diversity of species in different parts of the land, including at a very high elevation. Supporting montane species, in particular, offers us a chance to really improve habitats and add more richness to Urlar's tapestry.
