Finzean Community Woods

BCT manages the series of woods around Finzean Village for the continued use and enjoyment of local residents and to ensure the sustainable management of the woodlands.

There are eight woodland areas involved, each with its own character and involving 15 hectares in total. The areas south of the road through the Village are mainly mature self-sown native birch and pine woodland. Three of the four areas north of the road are new native woodlands planted in the mid 1990s, while the fourth area has a mix of mature conifers and more recent plantings.

The circular walk of just over a mile (c.1,700 metres) through woodlands around the Village is very popular and well used by local residents. The views from the path include the impressive landscapes west up the Forest of Birse and south towards the summit of Clochnaben. BCT maintains the condition of the path with regular cutting during the summer and other maintenance as required as part of BCT’s overall on-going management of the woodlands.

BCT has carried a wide range of improvements to the Community Woods since it first took over their management. BCT constructed 900 ms of new path as part of the circular walk and has also, for example, created a pond, removed old fencing, erected safety barriers at road crossings, planted native trees and carried out wildlife surveys. In 2002, BCT’s management of the Community Woods won the Scotland’s Finest Woodlands Award for woodlands smaller than 150 hectares

© Birse Community Trust 2010. All rights reserved.