Glenquicken Estate, Creetown, Newton Stewart, Dumfries and Galloway, South West Scotland, DG8

*The seller has produced a comprehensive information pack about Glenquicken estate and its current and future opportunities. Please contact the selling Agent to request access to the Data Room of information & maps referred to in each section below.*

SITUATION
Glenquicken Estate is situated 2.5 miles east of Creetown, a town which hosts a shop, museum, pub & restaurant, holiday park, hostel accommodation, butchers, whiskey warehouse, GP practice and petrol station. The larger towns of Newton Stewart, Stranraer and Castle Douglas are all accessed from the A75 trunk road and provide a wide range of amenities and high schools, supermarkets, hospitals and leisure facilities.

Railway stations can be found in Dumfries, Lockerbie, Stranraer and Carlisle offering local and national services. The M74 southbound the A74(M) northbound can be joined at Gretna or Beattock respectively, both which take approximately 1.5 hours’ drive from Glenquicken. Glasgow Airport is 90 miles north, and Edinburgh Airport 140 miles north east, providing both national and international flights.

Dumfries and Galloway is one of the most wooded regions in Scotland, and is considered a prime commercial forestry area in the UK, with easy access to major timber processing facilities in the south Scotland and northern England. Glenquicken Estate is located within the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Reserve, which covers most of South West Scotland and is a testament to low levels of light pollution and dark skies.

The Galloway Hills, in the Galloway Forest Park offer hundreds of miles of hill walking, as well as mountain biking as part of the 7 Stanes. Trout and salmon fishing in the regions lochs and rivers, as well as shooting and stalking, offer further recreational activities. The area also offers many golf courses, botanical gardens and castles.

DESCRIPTION
Glenquicken Estate forms a mixed upland estate in South West Scotland. With exceptional biodiversity, commercial woodland, sporting and development opportunities.

Geologically, the site is made up of metamorphic rocks with mineral rich veins, from the igneous granite mountain, which can be viewed from Glenquicken House. These veins were last mined for lead and silver in the 1800s. There has been sand and gravel extraction on site for at least 200 years.

The seller has produced a comprehensive information pack about Glenquicken estate and its current and future opportunities. Please contact the selling Agent to request access to the Data Room of information & maps.

FORESTRY - See Data Room Folders 3
The forestry at Glenquicken Estate benefits from both exceptional commercial conifer forest and a unique Swedish Match hybrid aspen forest. The conifer forest extends to approximately 350 acres and is predominantly Sitka spruce with areas of significant growth up to YC40. It was first established in 1992 with the planting of Sitka spruce, but also noble fir, Scots pine, lodgepole pine and a mixture of broadleaves.

The hybrid aspen forest was planted at Glenquicken in 2005. It now extends to 100 acres including open space. This is a unique forest the matrix of which is Swedish Match research hybrid aspen. Hybrid aspen grows 2-4 times quicker than native aspen and clones resistant to canker. The wood has varied end uses. The trees have exceptional biodiversity value. Being attractive to deer, it is good for stalking. Half of the roe deer at Glenquicken are within the aspen forest, with potential to shoot more. It can also be used for pheasant shooting and sheep grazing.

There is an approved Long Term Forest Plan in place which details the next 20 years of forestry management including felling and restocking. The current plan has three remaining felling phases at 8-year intervals starting 2030 and averaging circa 20 hectares per phase. When annualised income is calculated at over £100k per annum, based on quality and growth. The woodland has good access and is in close proximity to the A75 trunk road.

NEW WOODLAND CREATION SCHEME - See Data Room Folder 4
There are currently two new woodland creation schemes at Glenquicken approved under Forest Grant Scheme (FGS). The first, Glenquicken Phase 1, comprises 7.31 hectares of coniferous woodland. The second, Glenquicken Phase 2, comprises a total area of 33.26 hectares of which 28.76 hectares is conifer and 4.5ha is broadleaf. The case references for this are 23FGS75335 and 24FGS79139 respectively. There is also potential for more grazing land to be planted subject to the necessary consents and permissions. Within the Long Term Forest Plan (LTFP) boundary, there is circa 16 hectares of open space with potential for additional planting.

SWEDISH TIMBER HOUSE & POLICIES - See Data Room Folder 7
Glenquicken House is a 1800s Swedish timber-built structure with turf roof. Large windows and a connecting glass room combining the two rustic sections of the timber house together create a balance of traditional and modern, as well as making the most of the 360° panoramic views. Erected on site in 2005 having been transported from Sweden, Glenquicken House blends in with the surrounds and is sustainable, having been built with a traditional timber frame and walls, an air source heat pump, wood burning stove, solar panels assisting the mains electricity and a private water supply with a 40m fall. Glenquicken House sits at approximately 132m above sea level.

The accommodation over two floors comprises:

Ground Floor:
Vestibule, kitchen, hallway, dining/living room, shower room.

Lower Ground Floor:
Veranda, Hall with utility, back vestibule, shower room, living room.

First Floor:
5 bedrooms including master, 2 bathrooms.

The garden wraps around Glenquicken House on all sides. The surrounding hills were moved or cut through and material used to build, up to 3m high, decorative stone walls, high boundary banks, access roads, and large parking area. Looking north, over the lochan (with receded, large stone, seating area) there are uninterrupted views across the water towards Cairnsmore of Fleet. East towards Glenquicken Moor and Pibble Hill, south towards the 5m garden waterfall, earth cellar and in the distance, aspen forest, and west into the orchard, with fruit trees and raised beds.

OUTBUILDINGS & OFFICS PLANS - See Data Room Folder 8
Adjacent to Glenquicken House, there is a barn/garage and log stores (6.7m x 7.76m), and a unique Earth Cellar (4.81m x 2.13m) which retains a temperature of approximately 11°C all year round.

Under permitted development rights, Dumfries and Galloway Council have confirmed that no prior approval is required for the erection of an extension to an existing agricultural/forestry building to form a tree cell lab, welfare room, store and greenhouse. The planning reference for this is 22/1831/DPA with all documents available to view online at the Dumfries and Galloway Planning Portal. The site for this building lies to the south west of Glenquicken House, approximately 60-65 meters along the track. The site has a water connection with electricity nearby.

SPORTING - See Data Room Folder 10
Deer stalking culled circa 15 red deer and 40 roe deer last year. The estimated 12 resident hinds attract large stags from the Galloway Forest Park, and the Aspen Forest is a magnet for roe deer which are replaced from outside as soon as they are shot. Deer control is required to protect woodland from browsing and stripping damage, but the sporting could be developed further.
There is currently a deer control contract in place with the shooting syndicate ending February 2025. There is a container currently situated in a sand quarry on the property which is used as accommodation and storage on site and is owned by the shooting syndicate. A bridge and access has been built to a site near the estate entrance and within a woodland setting for a future shooters lodge if required.

GRAZING LAND / AGRICULTURE - See Data Room Folder 12
The agricultural land at Glenquicken Estate extends to approximately 125.79 hectares (310.83 acres) and is a mixture of permanent grass and rough grazing.

The land is easily accessed by a network of internal roads. The current owners have a herd of circa 30 native highland cattle which graze the land in a mosaic fashion that supports the species rich grassland across the subject. There are currently no fertiliser or pesticides in use and there is scope to develop this organic approach further. The cattle are available by separate negotiation. The county botanical recorder found 93 species of grassland and considered the biodiversity to be equal to two other Sites of Special Scientific Interest that they had surveyed in the county.

The land is classified between Grade 3(2) and 6(3) by the James Hutton Institute. The land is bound by post and rylock fencing and dry-stone dykes which are detailed in the features map. The land rises from approximately 110m to 383m above sea level at its highest point. There have been many surveys carried out on the land by the Heather Trust, RSPB and others, which detail the range of biodiversity on the holding.

METHOD OF SALE
Glenquicken Estate is offered for sale as a whole.

FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES
There is a micro hydro dam scheme with 2 dams approved enabling works undertaken and the option for a purchaser to progress. The 3kW scheme has been planned to provide a domestic electricity supply to the house, particularly in winter. The purchaser can complete these works but there is no obligation to do so.

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES - See Data Room Folder 5 & 8
There are various development opportunities which may interest purchasers.
• Five bothy sites have been identified by the seller across the property.
• Former Billy Diamond’s Cottage – a ruinous cottage situated off the Old Military Road (public road to the south of Glenquicken House). There is water, electricity and fibre on site.
• Craigneuk Steading – pre 1700s ruinous farmstead steading within the forest where there is lapsed planning permission for a Retreat Centre.
• Former Creetown water supply is owned and is situated near Billy Diamond’s Cottage site. Although it is no longer used to supply the village (750 pop.), the cistern and pipework remain in place.
• Quality sand and gravel on site which was historically commercially excavated until the 1990s (estimated 500,000 tonnes by seller based on an outline survey carried out by a plant company in the 1990s).

All due diligence on viability and planning is the responsibility of the purchaser. If any interested parties require further information on the above, please contact the selling agents.

IACS (AGRICULTURE) - See Data Room Folder 12
All the farmland is registered for IACS purposes and the farm code is 82/496/0043.

BASIC PAYMENT SCHEME (BPS) 2024
Basic Payment Entitlement was established on 15th May 2015. The Basic Payment Entitlements are included in the sale of Glenquicken and comprise 9.27 Region 1 Entitlements and 115.27 Region 2 Entitlements.

Any payments relating to the 2024 scheme year will be retained by the Seller. If applicable, the purchaser(s) will be responsible upon occupation of the subjects of sale to comply fully with the Statutory Management requirements to maintain the farmland in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) as laid down under the Cross Compliance rules of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2024 for the remainder of the scheme year.

FORESTRY GRANT SCHEME
There are two approved Forestry Grant Schemes for new woodland creation which the purchaser can take over and implement (FGS reference 23FGS75335 and 24FGS79139). The purchaser will also be responsible upon occupation of the subjects of sale to comply with all ongoing management requirements to maintain the woodland as laid down under Forestry Grant Scheme Contracts, felling permissions and the Long Terms Forest Plan for the remainder of the scheme. Formal transfer of obligations will be required in relation to all FGS schemes from the seller to the purchaser.

HISTORIC SCOTLAND
In the very north east corner of the subject, Glenquicken hosts part of a Scheduled Monument for the Pibble lead mines, with reference number SM5289.

OTHER DESIGNATIONS
The whole subject property is part of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Reserve designated by NatureScot.

MINERALS
The mineral rights are included insofar as they are owned. Any extraction licenses for sand, gravel and mining rights will be transferred to any purchaser insofar as they are owned.

TIMBER
All fallen and standing timber is included in the sale as so far as it is owned by the seller.

SPORTING RIGHTS
In so far as these rights form part of the property title they are included within the sale.

FIXTURES AND FITTINGS
No other items are included unless mentioned in the sales particulars.

POST CODE
DG8 7ET

WHAT3WORDS
To find this property location to within 3 metres, download and use What3Words and enter the following 3 words: ///spouting.confining.topping

SOLICITORS
Hall Baird Solicitors
The Old Exchange
Castle Douglas
DG7 1TJ

VIEWING
Strictly by appointment with the Selling Agents.

*The seller has produced a comprehensive information pack about Glenquicken estate and its current and future opportunities. Please contact the selling Agent to request access to the Data Room of information & maps. *

EPC Rating = D