A Sutherland crofter says the government’s failure to strike the right balance between farming and forestry could cost him his livelihood.
Marcus Munro, who runs a small crofting enterprise and shooting centre at Burnside Croft, Altass, Lairg, had hoped to buy the land surrounding his 51-acre holding but was outbid by Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS).
He claims to have had a gentleman’s agreement with the late owner of the land, at Woodburn Farm, for its sale and has hit out at the government for allowing land suitable for agricultural use to be bought up by the national forestry agency.
According to Mr Munro, the government failed to take heed of reports from its own local departmental office that the land was being used for agricultural purposes.
The land had been put up for sale in three lots and Mr Munro had put in two offers – one for two of the lots and another for all three.
The farmhouse and better land surrounding it has been sold for agricultural use with the remaining two lots sold to Forest Enterprise Scotland – the arm of FCS which is responsible for managing the national forests.
A letter sent to Mr Munro by farm minister Richard Lochhead states: “FES carried out an appraisal procedure which reviews whether or not potential land purchases meet with their acquisition policy.
“I believe that it was agreed that this land purchase would enhance the National Forest Estate, offering the potential to meet a number of national objectives in terms of land use integration, habitat enhancement and biodiversity as well as new timber transport options and new productive and native woodland creation.”
In his letter, Mr Lochhead said he was confident the sale was in line with the government’s objectives, urging Mr Munro to participate in any stakeholder and community consultation on future plans for the land.
“Any future grazing opportunities that may arise will be offered to the local agricultural community,” added Mr Lochhead.
Speaking exclusively to the Press and Journal, Mr Munro said his shooting business, which was supported with around £120,000 in government grant funding, was reliant on use of the land which had been purchased by FES.
He said the forestry agency’s feasibility study contained “incorrect information” and estimated that only around one third of the land was plantable, as opposed to the study’s estimate of two thirds.
“If it was another farmer coming in to farm it then I wouldn’t mind,” said Mr Munro.
“But with the forestry, I didn’t have a chance. They will plough up all the land next to us and we will be completely surrounded by trees. If we had purchased the whole farm, the plan was to look seriously at starting a deer farm.”
Mr Munro currently uses the land as part of his shooting business and to graze his small herd of four breeding cows and flock of 80 breeding ewes – loss of this, said Mr Munro, would “really flatten us”.
A letter from FCS director Bob McIntosh to Mr Munro reveals that the agency bid £142,000 for the land.
“This was in recognition of the importance of this opportunity to consolidate our fragmented land holdings in the area, provide options for future timber transport and to improve our ability to develop a better mix and balance of land use and habitats across the wider land holding,” wrote Mr McIntosh.
He said the forestry agency had paid heed to the advice from the local government office and only bid on the less productive lots of land, as opposed to the whole farm.
A spokesoman for FCS told the Press and Journal: “Our £142,000 bid for the lower quality land at Woodburn was successful and will allow us to consolidate our fragmented land holdings in the area, give us more flexibility to improve the range of habitats and to develop a better land use mix. It also gives us potential options for future timber transport that would reduce the need for timber lorries to use public roads.
“We will be consulting on plans for use of this land and the surrounding forest area.
“We did not bid for the farm buildings and better land, which we understand have been acquired as a basis for a farming business.”
Last week a fresh spat erupted over plans to plant trees on more than 1,200 acres of farmland in the north and north-east.
The land is made up of three farms – Culdrain, Upper Tullochbeg and Ittingston, and Curlusk and Broadfield – near Huntly and Keith.
The Scottish Tenant Farmers Association urged all farmers to responded to an FCS consultation outlining the tree-planting plans.
The tenants body has called for the land to be turned into further starter units for new entrants.
FCS said it welcomed input from stakeholders before any plans become finalised.