A CONSERVATION estate on the banks of Loch Lomond has been put up for sale for £4 million.
The 1200-hectare Cashel Estate, close to the eastern shore of the loch, has come onto the market.
It includes an occupied farmhouse as well as views over the loch and the right to launch a boat on the water.
It’s described as being home to native woodland and “diverse natural capital assets” including peatland, mixed ecosystems, biodiversity and carbon storage.
The estate is for sale through Goldcrest Land & Forestry Group for £4,085,000 as a whole or in five lots.
It is currently owned and managed by Cashel Forest Trust, who first purchased it in 1995, with a grant from the Millennium Forest for Scotland Trust.
It contains one of the largest, and oldest, of the “new” native woodlands in Scotland – 300 hectares of native trees including oak, birch, ash, aspen, alder, gean, hazel, holly, juniper, willow and Scots pine.
Montane scrub, a very limited resource in Scotland which offers support for biodiversity, has been planted on the extensive moorland
There is also a visitor centre which includes education displays and recent works have included the rebuilding of a wildlife dipping pond and installation of a viewing hide for red squirrels.
A peatland restoration project has already been carried out on 80 hectares of degraded peatland with phase two, involving a further 140 hectares, due to start in September.
It is thought there is further potential for peatland restoration and corresponding carbon credits, subject to validation tests.
Nander Robertson, operations director of Cashel Forest Trust, said: “Evolving forestry policy in the 1980s and 90s had only just begun to recognise the importance of protecting and expanding our native woodland cover.
“Grant support for the establishment of new native woodlands was a relatively novel concept at the time but Cashel is no longer alone. Since the 1990s a significant number of individuals and organisations have become devoted to the promotion and establishment of native woodlands throughout the UK.
“We are immensely proud of the woodland we have created at Cashel, transforming it over 25 years from a bracken covered farm into the stunning amenity it is today. This has only been made possible with the unstinting support of volunteers, funders and trustees.
“However, we feel we have taken it as far as we can. We hope stewardship will pass to a buyer who will be equally passionate about this land and build on the conservation work carried out to date. We are looking for a custodian who will further enhance this legacy and protect it for the future.”
Jon Lambert, partner of Goldcrest Land & Forestry Group, added: “Cashel is a breathtaking property with wonderful ancient and native woodlands in a fantastic setting close to the shore of Loch Lomond with fabulous loch views.
“It is much loved by the local community and there is scope to develop it further as a tourist destination, from a café/restaurant and/or retail offering to glamping opportunities, subject to consents.
“This is an exceedingly rare and desirable opportunity to purchase a stunning wild estate that has international importance and continue the excellent stewardship shown by Cashel Forest Trust.”
