Hello everyone, and welcome to our first newsletter of 2026. 

As we move into Spring, a lot is happening on site - in between rain, snow and sunny days! 

We are clearing the fallen trees left by the winter storms and putting the final touches to the cabin site, which is tantalisingly close to being ready to open. We also have news about recruitment and training that has been happening here at the woods.

Here we are in our tenth anniversary year as a community-owned woodland. Many will remember that before the purchase went through in late 2015, there was a proposal for an industrial biofuel site on the land here. 

 

The community stood together to oppose that project. That successful opposition led to the formation of the original steering group and the establishment of Glengarry Community Woodlands. The community had come to realise that owning land could support and influence the future of the Glen.

The Newsletter from December 2015 brought good news!  

Looking back now, that collective decision has given us a wonderful foundation. By choosing the name Glengarry Community Woodlands (plural), the original members also ensured there was space to grow.The Woodlands is now a Trust, but the original constitution written 10 years ago, remains exactly the same. 

Everything we do now, from the cabins to our woodland crofts and other future opportunities, is about making sure Glengarry remains a living community for every generation.

The storms have brought down several trees over the winter, which to be honest is to be expected, as the existing plantation trees have shallow root systems. There are no trees around the cabins which could pose a risk, but our two new access footpaths are blocked by a number of windblown trees. 

  On a positive note, it does means more wood for the sawmill and more room for native trees to regenerate.

  A number of uprooted trees around the site need attention.

We are pleased to have Simon Dakin and his small team, from BlueGreen Conservation, back at the woodlands to take care of the problem.

 

Simon has visited us often over the years. He cleared the route for our cabin track and selected and thinned trees for the timber cladding on our buildings. During the current visit, he and his team will clear the paths and the wider site, making all safe and tidy for our guests.

 

All the windblown timber is being carefully extracted and processed at our sawmill, some will be sold and some kept for our use. Our future visitors will use off cuts as fuel for the Cabin's wood burners. 

  

BlueGreen Conservation's specialised siviculture skills are in demand by many community woodland groups as well as by larger organisations such as The Woodland Trust and Scottish Forestry.

For our site, which is steep and has a lot of boulders, Simon's team use winches to extract the timber. The low impact approach also means the forest floor is protected which in turn supports the regeneration of native trees. The ground doesn't become compacted as it would with heavier machinery. The 'scuffing' which does happen, exposes the mineral soil creating little pockets for native seeds to settle in and germinate.

  

BlueGreen Conservation are unusual as they have no web presence- their skills are well known in Forestry circles so they are always busy. However, you can read more about Simon’s traditional forestry work in this article about Loch Arkaig on The Woodland Trust website. 

While some jobs around the site have been delayed by the weather and its effects, we are pleased to share that we have secured our Highland Council Short Term Let Licence much sooner than anticipated. 

This was a significant piece of paperwork to clear, involving a lot of preparation. It marks an important transition as we move from the build phase into daily management of the cabin business.

But we are not quite there yet, there is still plenty to do to get the cabins fully guest ready! 

This includes recruitment, with three new roles based here at The Old Depot. These are an Accommodation Manager, a Builder and Facilities Manager and a Finance Manager. The application process is underway and we look forward to welcoming new team members very soon. 

Employment and creating a sustainable income stream are important goals of the Trust. As we work through these steps, it feels closer than ever.

Everyone here is excited and a bit nervous about opening! We are aiming for a soft start to kick us off, including an informal visiting day for the local community, before opening fully to guests. 

We intend to have a formal launch day later this year, but first we will give the existing and new staff a chance to settle in to running the accommodation. 

No dates are set yet, but we will keep you posted.

We are delighted to congratulate our team member Garry Whyte who has successfully completed a 5-week Forestry Operations New Entrants (FONES) course, at the Scottish School of Forestry, UHI Inverness. 

The FONES course (and additional support including PPE and kit, accommodation and additional chainsaw training), has been fully funded by Future Woodlands Scotland's Forestry Skills Programme. This initiative provides mentorship and support for trainees from Community Woodland groups.

In addition, Garry will further add to his experience here at the woodlands with support from the local apprenticeship scheme. This is administered jointly by The Glengarry Trust, Fort Augustus & Glenmoriston Community Company (FAGCC), and Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust. It is a fantastic scheme and we hope that we might host future apprenticeships here at the woodland for local people who aim to enter the forestry sector.

Thank you to all the organisations involved, who have come together and created this opportunity. It is a fantastic investment both in our community woodland and in local skills. Garry's forestry expertise will be put to great use, and we are looking forward to seeing him become an important part of the ongoing management of our forest.

Glengarry Community Development Trust has recently joined LinkedIn. If you use LinkedIn, please give us a follow. 

You can also visit the Future Woodlands Scotland LinkedIn page, where they have shared images and video about the FONES Trainees' progress. 

As we enter Spring it's wonderful to see first hand the early progress of the newly formed Glengarry Community Gardens group. They are establishing a garden in the area next to the Old Depot here, and have also been busy around the Glengarry Community Hall. 

If you enjoy gardening, why not consider joining them? They are a friendly and welcoming group and you don't need to be an experienced gardener to take part. 

Find them on Facebook to see their latest updates, social fundraisers they are organising and for more information. 

We wish them the best of luck for their first year of growing!

The Trust has established a working group to develop a Behaviour Policy. This follows a period of reflection by the board after several challenges faced last autumn. Being part of an organisation like GCDT and living in the same community that we operate in, can be difficult.

  

As an community led organisation we believe it is important to be clear about how we interact with one another. This policy will set a standard of mutual respect for our staff, volunteers, community and the wider public. It will set clear expectations for behaviour both within and outside of our formal roles.

We look forward to sharing a draft with the membership soon.

As we prepare to welcome visitors, we would like to help them see the area through the eyes of our community. We hope to encourage our guests to explore what is on our doorstep respectfully and appreciate the area as we do.

We would love to hear from you. Is your favourite spot a walk along the River Garry? What wildlife can be seen there? Perhaps you would recommend a dip in Loch Oich or the walk to Loch Lundie? 

By sharing your suggestions on our website and socials, we can guide visitors on how to enjoy the area responsibly and remind them that this is a community-owned project and they are our guests. 

Please message comms@glengarry.org.uk with your visitor tips and your own thoughts about what makes our area unique.

 

This is your project, and we would love to share your stories with those who come to stay.

If you drop a message to the address above, you will be in touch with Helen Liddle. I am a local community member, Mum of two boys and freelancer. I am managing the Trust and Cabin social media channels and newsletters as part of team here at the Woodlands.

We have moved the newsletter to this new email format so you no longer need to download a PDF. This new layout is designed to be easier to read, with text that automatically adjusts to your screen, whether you are reading on a computer, tablet, or smartphone.

You can also follow the new social media pages and website for Glengarry Forest Cabins.

Please do ‘follow us’!