The Area

Birse is a civil parish that covers 125 sq.kms (50 sq. miles) on the south side of the River Dee in Aberdeenshire. The parish has four main parts that form the basis of BCT’s logo: the three scattered rural settlements of Finzean, Birse and Ballogie and the largely uninhabited Forest of Birse covering over a quarter of the parish.

The parish’s c.300 households and c.750 population are divided almost equally between Finzean and the two smaller communities of Birse and Ballogie. Each half of the parish is represented by its own Community Council, while each of the three communities also has its own Community Association. BCT and these five other community bodies meet together as the Birse Parish Liaison Group (click here for recent minutes).

The locations of the 12 sites in the parish that BCT manages on behalf of the community are shown on the map and listed below:

1. Forest of Birse Commonty Pinewoods
   
2. The Bucket Mill
   
3. Finzean Sawmill
   
4. Finzean Community Woods
   
5. Finzean School Wood
   
6. Finzean Old School
   
7. Corsedardar
   
8. Slewdrum Forest
   
9. Ballogie Soutar’s Shop
   
10. Birse Kirk
    
11. Birse Community Hall
    
12. Balfour Forest