Kinloch Woodlands SCIO

The SCIO owns and is responsible for the management of Kinloch estate, which comprises some 3,600 acres of hill ground to the south of Shieldaig, to the west of the Shieldaig-Lochcarron road and to the North of Loch Lundie. Some 1,000 acres has been fenced and planted with native trees with the aim of regenerating the local natural woodland.

The land which had previously been owned privately, was transferred to the Kinloch Woodlands Charitable Trust on it's establishment in 2001. It was felt that ownership by a charitable trust, with a mixture of family, professional and community trustees would make for more accountable and better long term management of the developing woodland than the previous arrangements.  In 2015-16, the Trust was re-incorporated as a SCIO, with increased involvement of community trustees.

Over the last ten years the woodland cover in the lower part of the fenced area has improved markedly. There is now a clear distinction between the appearance and natural habitat of this area, from which the sheep and deer have been excluded, and the area outside.  The SCIO is a participant member of the South West Ross Deer Management Group. 

The regeneration of the woodlands in the upper part of the fenced area, which was planted 5 years later, is taking longer mainly because the ground is more exposed. But over the next few years this too should start to come away, improving much of the landscape cover to the south of Shieldaig.

A  prime objective of the SCIO is to promote ways in which the woodland can provide a community asset now and for the future. Anybody is welcome to walk around in the fenced areas or elsewehere on the estate. An interpretation panel on a Torridonian sandstone plinth has been constructed at the gate by the electricity sub-station opposite Camasaidh on the Applecross coast road. The panel shows the route of 2 posted walks from the plinth within the emerging woodland area.