A round of applause for Anders Holch Povlsen

[colin]

For those who love wild landscapes the most wondrous experience is to gaze down from a mountain ridge onto a natural forest stretching out to tomorrows horizon.
I have to applaud Mr Povlsen for using his wealth to give us back that gift and show what it is possible to achieve. The second largest land owner in Scotland with 218,364 acres is rectifying hundreds of years worth of neglect. The highlands brought back to their natural state is a project which not only inspires the soul but will be great for business and jobs through tourism.
https://treesforlife.org.uk/blogs/article/glenfeshie-reborn/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3953118/The-new-King-Scotland-ultra-secretive-billionaire-traumatic-past-set-Scotland-s-biggest-landowner-bid-time.html

I hope other landowners will be inspired by his example and see what might be.

[scotia]

Yes - But...
The inhabitants of the North of Scotland have unpleasant memories of other large landowners, particularly the Duke of Sutherland and his estate managers. The human inhabitants became an endangered species, driven from the straths to make way for sheep. Hence there has developed a dislike for absent landowners who hold more land they could possibly use for themselves. Yes - I applaud philanthropic landowners so long as they respect the needs of the local communities, but too frequently ownership changes hands for a variety of reasons, and the philanthropic policies also change. I would feel happier if the land was directly owned and managed by the local communities.
For those of you who don't know the North Coast of Scotland, on a warm sunny day it is entrancing. There are wonderful beaches and blue seas with a backdrop of majestic mountains - and it is not too difficult to get a beach or a mountain to yourself! But the climate is generally harsh, particularly during its long winters. Its no wonder that Loch Erribol was called Loch 'Orrible by the seamen stationed there during WW2. This land is unlike Glen Feshie. With or without deer, trees find it difficult to grow, except in locations sheltered from the strong winds, and where the Durness limestone outcrops, bringing fertility to patches of land in a predominantly acid heath.

[Dod101]

Owned and managed by local communities? You mean nationalised and handed to the local communities who they may or may not have the skills and resources to do very much. The ex Vestey estate at Assynt has not been a glowing success to the extent that the Vestey's are reported to be offering to lease back the sporting rights simply because the locals do not have the resources to develop it despite the Scottish Government lending them additional funds (that is some of my taxes)

You cannot compare the Flow Country of the far North with Glen Feshie and not sure why you raised it as I am not sure anyone could do a lot with that.

Povlsen is pretty much the exception but good for him I'd say.

Dod

[colin]

The inhabitants of the North of Scotland have unpleasant memories of other large landowners, particularly the Duke of Sutherland

But I was not referring to the Duke of Sutherland ( which Duke what did he do?)
So we have two issues the political and the ecological.

I do not accept that it is has to be better if land is managed by local communities better for whom? someone has to make decisions which are made from a particular perspective necessitating value judgements and I see no reason why the values of my neighbors should always correspond to mine. I applaud Povlsen because I share his values and in our capitalist world he has the money (power) to make those emotional values real. Some people have different values and would rather see such wild land doing some good by being covered in wind farms, which to me would be horrendous . Those who will benefit most from Povlsens actions have not been born yet , it takes a hundred years before woodland starts to resemble an ancient forest, neither Capitalism or State intervention has shown itself capable of responding to the needs of future generations. Communism in the Soviet Union produced some of the most highly protected nature reserves in the world, today Europe's only lowland virgin oak forest Białowieża National Park is being logged , providing jobs for local people they say but that is never something I could applaud. I do not share their values I say find another way to make your money. Polvsen is doing what local communities and short term capitalism cannot do because ( I assume) it is too expensive and the real benefits lie far into the future.

I have only once passed through the Flow country on a long walk to Cape Wrath, I have backpacked in most areas of Highland Scotland but I have done far more abroad especially in Scandinavia which has retained large areas of forest in mountain areas. The Flow country can experience greater numbers of windy and wet days but it is mild by comparison, take a look at the Rapadalen valley in Sarek National Park https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=Nfm7UQbm&id=FF484CF41F3E23985B40EDE640458DB00CC1DE6D&thid=OIP.Nfm7UQbm9z8MrAfUBOxIcgHaE8&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.stefanrieger.net%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2fsDSCF1703.jpg&exph=800&expw=1200&q=vegetation+Rappadalen+Valley&simid=608009145086709565&selectedIndex=21&ajaxhist=0 Every winter temperatures hit -30 every tree will be buried in snow, notice the valley landscape is a mosaic of wet bogs and birch forest, the bogs are overlying areas of poor drainage, the trees most likely on drier ground, I have walked across Sarek but not this valley as it is too wet in summer. Birch trees are colonizers, they produce thousands of seeds which are wind blown, they colonize the harshest habitats because like wind blown snow the seeds drop in the lee of ridges and large rocks which provide shelter, the growing trees then provide shelter for other seedlings to germinate, much of the flow country is water logged so a scrub habitat of willow and alder carr would develop in the wet dips with birch trees on the drumlins and moraine ridges. I once knew someone who said the Flow country was wooly mammoth habitat, it's not its moose habitat.
I do not know what Povlsen's management plans are for his northern estates but i say wait and see what germinates.
I certainly do not accept that local people understand their local ecology, changes happen slowly over lifetimes and generations, some of us have learned to see across longer timescales, many do not care, Polvsen clearly does.

[scotia]

Colin - the first Duke of Sutherland was responsible for some of the most notorious highland clearances early in the 19th century. The tenants in the straths (river valleys) were forcibly removed - and their habitations burned, to clear the land for sheep. Many emigrated, and others attempted to make a living on the poor coastal strip. Although this happened about 200 years ago, it has left a deep scar in the minds of the current inhabitants. They do not like the idea of a remote person or organisation owning large tracks of land, with the ability to significantly affect the livelihood of the inhabitants. Even if the owner has philanthropic ideas, these may not match the reality of life on these lands. And more seriously, when the ownership changes hands (we are not immortal), the management may become significantly less philanthropic.
Now back to tree growth in the far north - it is the wind that is the problem. Even in the lower lying areas of Caithness, where traditional farming is possible, the evidence of wind-pruning is considerable and trees are few and far between. And as you travel westward along the coast, the problem becomes more severe with only the river valleys providing some shelter and some soil cover over rock and peat. Moving slightly inland to the Flow country there has been a controversial attempt to carry out commercial planting of conifers. Around their margins, some tiny stunted saplings survive, and they give some shelter to the next rows of trees which grow to bush size, and these give further shelter to the trees deeper into the forest. Many would say that such plantations are no improvement on the natural peat bog.
Glen Feshie is a completely different environment. I have great hopes that the deer culling will allow the regeneration of native trees, and a much improved habitat. The neighbouring Rothiemurchus estate is an excellent example of how such an estate can be managed, to the advantage of the natural habitat, the local inhabitants and the many visitors.
And Yes - thanks to all philanthropists who use their money wisely to protect our environment for generations to come.

[Pendrainllwyn]

Interesting topic. 20 years ago I bought 100 acres of pure commercial woodland (Sitka Spruce, Scots Pine and Japanese Larch). Bar some long term retention it has since all been felled in several phases. I estimate 20 acres has been replanted with native broadleaves with the remainder replanted with several commercial species. My future income stream will unquestionably be less but the land will be easier on the eye and much more habitable for local wildlife. In years to come I hope it will appeal to someone who appreciates its environmental value as well as its lumpy income stream. Not quite in Povlsen territory but hopefully I am making a positive difference - even as an absent landlord who rarely gets the pleasure of walking around it. From an emotional perspective it's arguably the best investment I have ever made.

Pendrainllwyn

[colin]

Scotia
world history is full of such people as the first Duke of Sutherland, the ancestors of everyone alive on earth must have been negatively impacted by such people. To equate Povlsen with such a person seems to me more a position of ideological politics. The legal system today is very different than it was 200 years ago , and rightly tenants have more protection, On the issue of long term management beyond the span of a human lifetime, well yes I agree which is why I shall bequeath whatever funds may survive me to such institutions as the John Muir Trust , and If Povlsen has thought carefully about what he wants to achieve I expect that his Wildlands Company will be set up as a perpetual institution .Clearly the needs of local people must be taken into account otherwise there will be revolution and disorder, but that does not imply that local people will manage large areas of land better than any one else, as i have written we do not all share the same values and in any case what can be achieved depends on funds available.
In the post war years in England very little social housing was built in rural areas, they say because farmers still depended on labor living in tied cottages and as they dominated the local rural councils whenever the issue of building council houses in villages came up they repeatedly vetoed such proposals to maintain leverage on their work force , which is I believe why rural councils were abolished.

To say that trees can't grow in Northern Scotland because of the wind is not true, I have spent nights in a small tent in the highlands while force 10 gales blew, my tent never blew down because when one looks closely one realizes that the big storms come from the same westerly directions and as i have already written there are drumlins and ridges and rock outcrops which provide protection from the wind.If my tent can survive such storms so can trees, in Scandinavia there are prostrate and semi prostrate sub species of birch including betula nana which grow close to the ground, such subspecies may still exist in protected pockets of Sutherland and be able to take advantage of reduced grazing pressure, of course even under no grazing pressure there will still be treeless areas as a lot of land is too wet and boggy and no one wants to see deer removed entirely, but with reduced numbers of deer such areas would be far less extensive than today. In Craigellachie birch woods in the Northern Cairngorms birch woods grow at 2000 feet where they have horrendous storms, Oak woods growing on cliff tops along the South West coast of England are wind pruned but they still grow and create shelter belts for the trees growing on the lee side. No where in Scotland has a climate any where near as severe as the Rapadalen valley and as you can see from the picture natural forest can still develop.

Glen Feshie is a completely different environment

yes I know that and any forest capable of developing in Sutherland will be different.

From an emotional perspective it's arguably the best investment I have ever made.

Yes and such investments bring meaning to our lives

[scotia]

Some ramblings on the north coast:-
Many years ago when we annually visited family in the north east corner of Scotland, then journeyed along the north coast and down the west coast to holidays in Ullapool, we saw very little traffic on the (mainly) single track road. Most of the sparse traffic appeared to be continental registered cars - with their occupants clearly wishing to visit the extreme parts of the UK. Recently this has changed dramatically with much increased numbers of tourists following the publicised "North Coast 500" route. This is now tackled by numerous cyclists, motor bikers, cars and motorhomes. So driving on the remaining single track sections of the route is now no longer as relaxed as it was previously - be prepared to do a lot of reversing into passing places. So Anders' planned luxury hotel near Loch Eriboll should be able to attract visitors during the (short) summer season. It is also located in an area where trees do grow. As you approach Loch Eriboll from the east you see a remarkable change in vegetation from heather covered moors to grass and trees in the valley of the River Hope, made fertile by outcrops of the Durness limestone. Its almost like coming upon an Oasis in a desert. I wish Anders well in attempting to grow more Oases.

[colin]

I came across this from 2016, Anders' spokesperson denies that they own Eriboll or Strathmore, which is rather confusing as several articles say they do? Perhaps they have bought it since.
http://www.bratach.co.uk/bratach/archive/Apr16/Apr16_rocket-range-could-affect-hundred-million-plus-investment.html

another of interest
http://www.bratach.co.uk/bratach/archive/Sep16/Sep16_polla-is-latest-estate-to-be-sold-to-danish-businessman.html
It states an intention to bring deer numbers down to not more than 5 per SqKm from at one time 19 per sqkm.

On the subject of the Duke of Sutherland and the clearances. I believe that before the Dukes failed attempt to grow even richer by keeping sheep that the traditional approach to grazing the highlands was to make more use of cattle bred for the environment. Cattle grazing at appropriate levels has an ecologically positive impact by producing a wider diversity of vegetation and is even said to encourage tree regeneration in areas where the dominant grass type might inhibit young seedlings. There was a piece on country file a few months ago where they showed a traditionally run Lake district hill farm which had been given to the National Trust, the departing owners had never used machines only horses and never kept sheep just cattle, certainly the vegetation was very different and more diverse from what we have come to think of as typical in the Lakes.

[scotia]

Colin - thanks for the updates. The ownership around Loch Eriboll does seem a bit confusing. And I'm disappointed by the apparent dropping of the investment in a luxury hotel. I feel a little uneasy about re-wilding plans that are apparently forgetting that humans are the near extinct species in that region, and although these plans promise that no one will be turned out of their homes, there is no guarantee that there will be employment.
On the subject of the Space Port - has anyone checked on the average wind velocity in this region and on the (small) number of days on which a launch may be practical? Anyway, it is a bit of a red herring on carbon emissions - the increased traffic on the North Coast 500 will almost certainly out-do a Space Port. And there is also the NATO Military Firing Range at Cape Wrath, where bombs of up to 450kg are dropped on the neighbouring island. I believe that some years ago a shell landed off-target near the mouth of Loch Eriboll. I bet that scared a few seabirds and the odd seal - not to mention the orcas that are seen along the north coast!
Just in case you may suspect I am anti-trees, I should add that two of the charities which I contribute to annually are the Woodland Trust and the John Muir Trust.

[colin]

I guess that with the coming of the space port the days of single track roads up there are now numbered, a proper highway from Inverness to the site?
With the new highway perhaps other industrial developments will become feasible.

[Pendrainllwyn]

Just watched the videos on the John Muir Trust website. Inspiring. Some wonderful camera work. I would love to visit some of the more remote locations. The Trust is a worthy cause. It also makes me feel I am on the right track with my smaller scale efforts.

Pendrainllwyn

[scotia]

I guess that with the coming of the space port the days of single track roads up there are now numbered, a proper highway from Inverness to the site?
With the new highway perhaps other industrial developments will become feasible.

Yes - if it happens it probably would require a road upgrade. The arrival of the Experimental Fast Breeder Reactor at Dounreay resulted in improved roads up the North East Coast, and it brought highly qualified incomers, many of whom have stayed and have raised families in the neighbourhood. This significantly helped the brain drain from Caithness (which includes my wife) of locals who travelled south to University, and didn't return.
The John Muir Way runs Coast to Coast through Central Scotland - and a section of it runs through our village on a disused railway line. What makes the signage a little bit confusing is that it is joined for a short distance (also through our village) with the Thomas Muir Heritage trail. He was a local lawyer who fought for the rights of working people, and who was convicted of sedition and sentenced to 14 years transportation to Australia (in 1793).

[colin]

I would love to visit some of the more remote locations. The Trust is a worthy cause. It also makes me feel I am on the right track with my smaller scale efforts.

Yes absolutely, good luck.
I passed through Sandwood Bay which they manage on a walk to Cape Wrath some years ago, unfortunately the weather was pretty terrible at the time so I was not that inspired but if you can pick a nice day in June when the orchids are out or why not volunteer on one of their projects and get involved?

[colin]

I feel a little uneasy about re-wilding plans that are apparently forgetting that humans are the near extinct species in that region, and although these plans promise that no one will be turned out of their homes, there is no guarantee that there will be employment.

I have two perspectives on this aspect of the issue of re-wilding, one is that it's all a very long term game, the real beneficiaries will be the children and grandchildren of those who are in primary schools today , we can have no idea what will be the main drivers of the wider economy in 50 to 150 years time, but some predictions can be made, that where people have the choice they will want to live somewhere beautiful, that whatever work they do people will want to escape it from time to time and go hunting, fishing, kayaking, hiking, climbing or whatever in stunning landscapes, those people I am sure will have the option of traveling most anywhere in the world in a far shorter time than we can today. Personally i have backpacked cycle toured and canoed in several continents and on a good day nowhere is as beautiful as the best the Highlands have to offer but for me today the highlands can not compete with areas elsewhere which still have natural forest. There is an economy to be made out of meeting the needs of people who love wild landscapes, but without it's natural tree cover Highland Glens seem to me too often to be slightly sinister places which do not call out to me to venture happily and explore. Rectifying this involves a lot of work , ok volunteers will do what volunteers can do but there will still be much to be done by contractors.
There is another aspect to this which has been apparent to me over a few decades now, which is that some people believe it morally wrong that un-inhabited valleys still exist in the Highlands which seems to be allied to a position that a love of nature for it's own sake is some kind of paganism which must be resisted. Obviously I cannot identify at all with such viewpoints and the cynic in me tends to think they are promoted by those who are natural politicians and need to create an audience .

[scotia]

I passed through Sandwood Bay which they manage on a walk to Cape Wrath some years ago, unfortunately the weather was pretty terrible at the time so I was not that inspired but if you can pick a nice day in June when the orchids are out or why not volunteer on one of their projects and get involved?

If you look over to BeerPigs Snug, under the title Suilven around February this year, you will see a few comments (including my own) on the delightful Sandwood Bay. One of the contributors - Kiloran - helped carry furniture into the Bothy, and provided a photograph which also included a young lady carrying in a wicker chair. But so far no one has confessed to seeing the mermaid who is supposed to frequent this spot.

[scotia]

Colin - I'm much less travelled than yourself, but I have spent a lot of time visiting, and occasionally working (on hydro plant) in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. Yes I love the glens with ancient pine forests. Rothiemurchus estate is a prime example, and it was especially beautiful one spring when I was there after a late snowfall. I have hopes for the regeneration of Glenfeshie, from which I climbed my first (and only) Munro. But there is also majesty in the rugged bare rock mountains of the far North West - Foinaven and Arkle spring to mind. Re-wilding - yes I agree, but re-wilding with care and concern for the local inhabitants. I don't want the North of Scotland to be referred to as "The Empty Lands".

[colin]

re-wilding with care and concern for the local inhabitants. I don't want the North of Scotland to be referred to as "The Empty Lands".
Top

well yes of course. most people like me want to see local people taking ownership of such projects and being proudly involved and loving their environment.

[Pendrainllwyn]

or why not volunteer on one of their projects and get involved?

Unfortunately thousands of miles away. One day perhaps. It's great to read how much you value your environment. I lived in Scotland for a few years and loved the landscape. You are very fortunate.

Pendrainllwyn

[Dod101]

re-wilding with care and concern for the local inhabitants. I don't want the North of Scotland to be referred to as "The Empty Lands".
Top

well yes of course. most people like me want to see local people taking ownership of such projects and being proudly involved and loving their environment.

I have no objection to locals taking ownership but I object very much to the Scottish Government making very large grants to the 'local people' and then vesting the land in them, in effect nationalising the land. I am also not at all sure why returning the land to its native state is necessarily a good thing. In any case what are the native species?

Very many of the 'local' inhabitants are anything but of course, many being refugees from the over crowded south and thus are 'incomers' and often they seem to think they know best.

Matters are not straightforward.

Dod