Forestry and Land Scotland is advising forest visitors that access to Leanachan Forest (near Fort William) will be limited for extended periods while major forestry operations are carried out.

The planned works, a mix of civil engineering and harvesting, will take place from May this year to March 2023, and while access to the whole forest will be affected, there will be a particular impact on the Torlundy /North Face area from September onwards.

Civil Engineering works beginning in May ’22, in preparation for September’s harvesting, will also cause significant disruption to visitors on the roads.

David John Robertson, FLS Area Visitor Services Manager, said;

“We’re planning a substantial amount of work at Leanachan so there will be temporary closures and controlled, timed access as operations progress.

“There will be a lot of heavy machinery on site and much of the work will be hazardous and make the forest area unsafe for visitors. It is imperative that anyone coming to the forest over the Summer follows all safety signage and any instructions from bankspersons.

“There will also be very limited parking at the North Face Car Park, and at roadside on the approaches that need to be kept free to allow HGVs and heavy machinery clear access to the work sites.

“We would therefor advise visitors to make use of the car parking at Nevis Range and in Fort William.

“We will keep everyone informed of exact timings and specific details as our plans develop and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience this will cause."

As well as the thinning of conifer trees over a large portion of the upper sections of forest, there will also be timber harvesting and subsequent haulage.

Civil engineering works will be required to enable the harvesting and thinning, and will include flailing, ditching, the widening and resurfacing of forest roads and some preliminary minor tree felling to enable these works.

Periods of planned work include:

• May to June – Civil Engineering works Torlundy to North Face forest roads (Map 2)
• July to August – Civil Engineering works MacKenzies Road (Map
• Sept to January 23 – Harvesting and ongoing haulage (Map 1)
• Jan to March 23’ – Civil Engineering repairs and reinstatements. (Map 2)
• March 23’ – North Face car park redesign works commence (Indicative date)

Notes to editors

1. Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers in a way that supports and enables economically sustainable forestry; conserves and enhances the environment; delivers benefits for people and nature; and supports Scottish Ministers in their stewardship of Scotland's national forests and land.

2. forestryandland.gov.scot | twitter.com/ForestryLS

3. Media enquiries to Paul Munro, Media Manager, Forestry and Land Scotland Media Office 07785 527590 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.