The 1,278 Hectare Kenmore Forest, by Inveraray, has been jointly awarded the John Kennedy Trophy for Multi-purpose Woodlands in the Whole Forest or Estate category of the Quality Timber Awards in the annual Scotland’s Finest Woodlands competition (www.sfwa.co.uk). The judges could not split the Houston Farms Partnership for the Elderslie Estates in Renfrewshire and the Hunt-Grubbe Family Trust for Kenmore Forest.
The awards were presented by Fergus Ewing MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, at the Highland Show. He said: ‘New figures have shown that Scotland is responsible for almost 80 per cent of new forest and woodland creation in the UK. This is testament to the value and importance of our £1 billion forestry and timber industry and the economic, environmental and social contribution it makes.’
The judges recognised that when the Hunt- Grubbe Family Trust acquired Kenmore Forest in 1999, ‘they had a vision of transforming what was a first generation planted forest with pioneer species into a diverse multi-purpose forest with a focus on high quality timber and improved access for recreation.