SCOTLAND’S forestry secretary has hailed one of the country’s “most ambitious” peatland-restoration, forestry and woodland-creation projects. 

Mairi Gougeon, cabinet secretary for rural affairs, visited the Glen Dye Moor Project in Aberdeenshire, which expects to capture over 1.4 million tonnes of carbon over its lifetime.

Par Equity (‘Par’), the Edinburgh-based forestry investment fund manager, and Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva, established the project, which is being implemented by Scottish Woodlands with the support of Confor. 

Forestry Journal: Left to right, Tom Croy, Par Equity, Megan Parker, Scottish Woodlands, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon and Neil Crookston, Scottish WoodlandsLeft to right, Tom Croy, Par Equity, Megan Parker, Scottish Woodlands, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon and Neil Crookston, Scottish Woodlands (Image: Supplied)

Ms Gougeon met the project partners on Glen Dye Moor and toured the site, which extends to 6,356 hectares and sits to the eastern edge of the Grampian Mountains and the Cairngorms National Park, approximately 10 miles south of Banchory in Aberdeenshire. 

The cabinet secretary, whose brief includes forestry, said: “I’m really pleased to have the opportunity to see this landscape-sized woodland-creation and peatland-restoration scheme in its early stages of development.   

 “Importantly, the visit also provided me with further insight into the care and consideration that a scheme of this size and complexity can face. I was therefore particularly interested to hear about the stakeholder consultation to date, local employment opportunities, and the potential to facilitate education and recreation on the site. 

“Added to this, the Glen Dye scheme has the potential to make a major contribution towards net zero, whilst also delivering important biodiversity benefits.”