What we do

BCT undertakes a wide range of activities in Birse parish to promote the local common good and deliver wider public benefits.

The Trust’s main involvement is managing of land and buildings on behalf of the community at a dozen sites across the parish. They are all sites that are important to the identity, well being and future development of the community. The sites include a range of historic buildings and monuments: Birse Kirk and Birse Community Hall, Finzean Old School, the Ballogie Soutar’s Shop, the three water powered wood mills in Finzean (Sawmill, Turning Mill, Bucket Mill) and Corsedardar with the parish War Memorial and other standing stones.

BCT also manages 1,000 ha of woodland on behalf of the community. Over half of this area is the native pinewoods managed by BCT in the Forest of Birse Commonty, where BCT also holds rights over a further 3,000 ha of open hill. The other woodland consists of Balfour Forest (241 ha), Slewdrum Forest (167 ha), Finzean Community Woods (15 ha) and School Wood (< 1 ha).

In addition to managing the twelve sites, BCT also carries out a wide range of projects to support community development and promote the natural and cultural heritage of Birse parish. These have included establishing a Parish Archive at Finzean Old School, where BCT now looks after fascinating collections of old photographs, post cards and other documents and records, as well as different types of items of local historical interest.

The Trust organises a variety of different meetings and events each year and sends each household in the parish copies of its Annual Report and other mailings.