Ancient Scottish forests threatened by millionaires

From The Scotsman:

Pine forest at risk from billionaires’ playground, fears charity

Published Date: 25 August 2009

By FRANK URQUHART

ONE of the last remnants of Scotland’s ancient Caledonian pine forest could be destroyed in an act of “environmental vandalism” under plans to turn part of Perthshire into a luxury resort for the super rich, Britain’s leading woodland charity has claimed.

Four hundreds acres of the most southern surviving fragment of the ancient forest – formed at the end of the last Ice Age – may be “razed” to pave the way for the controversial plans for the Dall Estate on the shores of Loch Rannoch.

Another 600 acres of fragile woodland, a vital habitat for a range of wildlife, will also be threatened by the £1.3 billion scheme, according to the Woodland Trust.

The trust, whose claims were rejected last night by the developer, is the latest conservation organisation to condemn the potential impact of the proposals by Malcolm James, the laird of the Dall Estate, to turn his property into the most exclusive resort to be built in Scotland.

Irreplaceable Caledonian Forest faces developer’s axe – Register your complaint: here.

See also here.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said building the super resort at Loch Rannoch could have a serious impact on the capercaillie: here.

November 2010: The quirky capercaillie is thriving in Scotland, responding well to conservation attempts to boost numbers: here.

Scots Pine shows its continental roots: here.

August 2012. Conservation charity Trees for Life has announced an ambitious new goal to double its current rate of restoration work in Scotland’s Caledonian Forest, with the establishment of one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration within five years: here.

In the winter months, the mountain ranges of central Europe attract thousands of tourists for skiing, snowboarding and other outdoor sports, but conservationists fear this annual invasion may threaten indigenous bird species, including the capercaillie. The research reveals how the growth of human recreation may be a key factor in the rapidly declining population of these iconic alpine birds: here.