Inverewe access upgrade to aid felling

A FOREST access at Inverewe Gardens could be used as a temporary loading area for timber after the National Trust for Scotland announced plans to cut down some of its mature trees.

The trust has lodged a planning application to upgrade the access and form a parking/loading area.

“The temporary facility is required to assist in the harvesting of 450 tonnes of commercial timber in the forest,” said the trust in its planning application. “The timber has reached maturity and is now ready for harvesting and any delay may result in the timber being susceptible to wind blow.

“It is proposed to improve the entry and exit transition on the existing access area and create a new parking area for trucks with a small timber stacking area. Following the extraction of the timber the stacking area will be landscaped to merge into the surrounding area.”

The access, which is 225 metres north-east of the gardens’ restaurant on the Poolewe to Aultbea road, is currently used for access and as a felled forest area.

Surface water will be directed away from the public road and contained on-site through the use of silt traps and soak away.

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