The West Sutherland Land Management Plan (LMP) covers an area of 6684 ha. Forests included in the new West Sutherland LMP are located along the A837, in a beautiful area of western Sutherland renowned for it’s mountainous landscapes and geological interest. The River Oykel Special Area of Conservation lies at the heart of the forest and many of Scotland’s most iconic native species can be found here from Atlantic salmon to Golden and White Tailed eagles, osprey and otters.

Over the period of this plan we will begin land management restructuring on a landscape scale. Our vision is that by the end of the first decade much of the diseased and windblown forest of non-native conifers will have been removed. The first steps to restore over 1400 ha of blanket bog will have been completed, with trees removed and hydrology altered. Bog vegetation will be in the initial phases of recovery and over 450 ha of native riparian woodland will be establishing itself on the banks of the burns, rivers and lochs. Natural regeneration in the Einig Caledonian Forest Reserve will be turning to established woodland of pine, birch, aspen and rowan. We will see the establishment of the next rotation of smaller scale, mixed species productive coupes of conifers. Black grouse populations will be recovering and water quality will be improving.

Documents and maps

• Contents (PDF 413KB)
• Summary of proposals (PDF 236KB)
• Coupe summaries (PDF 704KB)
• Tolerance table and regulations (PDF 154KB)
• EIA - Deforestation (PDF 154KB)
• EIA - New planting (PDF 169KB)
• EIA - Roads (PDF 150KB)
• Introduction (PDF 330KB)
• Presentation (PDF 304KB)
• Aims and objectives (PDF 184KB)
• Rationale and concepts (PDF 405KB)
• Proposals (PDF 1.2MB)

• Map 1 - Location and viewpoints (PDF 19MB)
• Map 2a - Issues and objectives: Water (PDF 1MB)
• Map 2b - Issues and objectives: Environment (PDF 6MB)
• Map 3 - Concept and rationale (PDF 5.3MB)
• Map 4 - Geology (PDF 4.2MB)
• Map 5a - Soils (PDF 10.2MB)
• Map 5b - Peat depth (PDF 3.3MB)
• Map 6 - Climate extract: Ecological Site Classification (PDF 12.9MB)
• Map 7 - Yield class (PDF 15.2MB)
• Map 8 - Land capability for forestry (PDF 5.5MB)
• Map 9 - Management coupes (PDF 13.7MB)
• Map 10 - Thinning coupes (PDF 13.6MB)
• Map 11a - Proposed management coupes (PDF 12MB)
• Map 11b - Proposed planned roads (PDF 15.3MB)
• Map 12a - Future habitat zones (PDF 13.3MB)
• Map 12b - Future habitat species (PDF 14.1MB)
• Map 12c - Proposed future habitat coupes (PDF 14.9MB)
• Map 12d - Forest to bog restoration coupes (PDF 4.7MB)
• Map 13 - Deadwood ecological potential (PDF 14.9MB)
• Map 14 - Crop stability (DAMS) (PDF 13.6MB)
• Map 15 - Visitor zones and facilities (PDF)
• Map 16 - Deer management (PDF)
• Map 17a - Landscape character: West (PDF)
• Map 17b - Landscape character: East (PDF)