West Pluscarden Estate, Elgin, Morayshire

Land
About 25 acres (10ha) of Permanent Pasture
113 acres (46ha) acres Rough Grazing

Forestry
About 109 acres Commercial Woodland
247 Native Woodland
23 acres Open Ground

Amenity
Picturesque setting in the Vale of Pluscarden with uninterrupted views over farmland and woodland; a rich and biodiverse habitat with pockets of native woodland; sporting opportunities include the potential to recreate a high quality low ground pheasant shoot and extensive roe deer stalking.

For sale as a whole
About 527 acres (213 hectares) in total

The Property
West Pluscarden Estate provides an exciting opportunity to purchase a large block of bare land and existing woodland in a beautiful part of rural Scotland with a variety of potential future uses including forestry, natural capital, conservation and bio-diversity enhancement, farming, or seeking planning permission to build a principal house to create a picturesque amenity/sporting estate.

The land is gently undulating and rises from 61 metres above sea level in the north to 200 metres at its highest point in the southwest corner at Hill of Edinvale. The land is classified by the James Hutton Institute capability for agriculture maps as mainly class 4 and 5 land, capable of producing a narrow range of crops through to land capable of use as improved grassland.

Forestry
West Pluscarden Estate contains an attractive mixture of mature broadleaves with a core of productive conifers of varying age ranges. The commercial area extends to approximately 44.22 hectares (109.26 acres) and comprises predominantly high yield class Sitka spruce with areas of Scots pine, Douglas fir and Larch.

The majority of the commercial crop was planted in 2015 and is now exhibiting strong yield classes, which will produce a good volume of timber when maturity is reached. There is a small area of mature conifers that would be suitable for immediate felling allowing a purchaser to benefit from immediate tax free income.

The land is subject to forestry grant schemes,
please contact the selling agents for more
information.

A copy of the compartment map and schedule is available from the selling agents.

Woodland Creation
The land at West Pluscarden Estate is a mix of rough grazing, permanent pasture, and existing forestry cover. The bare land elements have potential for the establishment of commercial conifer and broadleaf woodland.

The majority of the land is classified as grade F3 and F4 by the national land capability for forestry soil map indicating good flexibility for the growth and management of tree crops. The land also lies within the preferred area for woodland creation in the Moray Woodland & Forestry Strategy.

Woodland Carbon Code
This voluntary scheme provides landowners with an excellent opportunity to generate tradeable carbon units through new woodland creation projects. These units can then be used to offset carbon emissions generated from business or agricultural practices.

Amenity and Sporting
Until very recently the wider Pluscarden Estate ran an excellent and very well-regarded low ground pheasant shoot. There is considerable potential on West Pluscarden Estate to recreate a fantastic shoot utilising the topography and existing woodland.

Situation
West Pluscarden Estate sits in a picturesque and highly desirable setting in the Vale of Pluscarden, an area of great landscape value in the County of Moray and with the world famous Pluscarden Abbey located close by. The undulating topography and landscape allow for fantastic views across the estate and surrounding woodland and rich farmland drained by the Black Burn, a tributary of the River Lossie.

The County of Moray, is famous for its mild climate, beautiful and varied countryside with rich agricultural land, prosperous fishing villages and wide open beaches. The upland areas to the south are sparsely populated and provide dramatic scenery, some of which forms part of the Cairngorm National Park.

This unspoilt landscape provides a wide range of leisure and sporting opportunities including fishing on the world-famous Spey and Findhorn Rivers, skiing at the Lecht in the Cairngorm range, sailing and walking. The Culbin Forest is a short drive away with its marked walks and cycle trails and offers excellent opportunities for a wide range of outdoor pursuits.

The towns of Elgin and Forres provide a comprehensive range of shops and amenities; whilst Inverness (37 miles west) offers all the facilities of a modern city including its airport with regular flights to the south and summer flights to parts of Europe. Aberdeen (70 miles southeast) provides extensive city amenities including Aberdeen International Airport (66 miles) which offers regular connections to domestic airports and international destinations.

Private schooling is provided just north of Elgin at Gordonstoun School (12 miles). Other private schooling is available in Aberdeen at Albyn, Robert Gordons, The International School and St Margaret’s.

The estate is very accessible, situated between the A96 and A95 which provide access to the wider road network including the A9 and the A90 for routes in all directions. The A96 also provides easy access to Europe’s oil capital, Aberdeen, where culture, art and further amenities can be enjoyed.

With regard to agricultural services, the area profits from nearby grain merchants, machinery dealers and suppliers. The closest livestock market of scale is Aberdeen and Northern Marts at Thainstone by Inverurie.