Free advice for central belt farmers considering tree planting

The Imrie family farms at Hillhead Farm in Torrance, near Glasgow and undertook a free Farm Woodland Assessment in 2017. Matt Imrie said it gave them the information and confidence needed to move forward with tree planting.

He explained: “I came across an article in the Scottish Farmer magazine advertising the free assessments and decided to apply.

“The consultant who carried out the assessment for Scottish Forestry arrived at the farm one day and was so great to deal with. We walked the site and discussed different options and, more importantly, the farm’s objectives.

“It didn't take long for the report to arrive which detailed a couple of different design options, the benefits each would bring to the farm, the funding available and the next steps.

“It was an excellent document provided with no pressure which gave us the opportunity to consider the information and make a decision.

“Now that the trees are in the ground, it is clear that integrating trees into the farm was the right decision and this was all kicked off by the Farm Woodland Assessment.”

There are a limited number of assessments available and applicants must be based within the Central Scotland Green Network or Climate Forest areas. 

A map showing the eligible area is included in the application form, covering Ayrshire and Inverclyde in the west to Fife and the Lothians in the east.