A new funding opportunity has been created to help Scotland's hill and upland sheep farmers boost their business potential.
A special funding package under the Forestry Grant Scheme will now help farmers integrate new woodlands between 10 ha and 50 ha into their farms.
The Sheep and Trees Forestry Grants Package, opened by Forestry Commission Scotland, will enable farmers to apply for a woodland creation grant and the forest infrastructure grant for the same area at the same time.
This allows farmers to build access routes whilst also getting grants to get new woodlands established.
A typical 50 ha woodland could receive up to £200,000 for woodland creation and up to £40,000 in infrastructure grant aid. The funding will not affect an applicant’s Basic Payments.
'Commercial viability'
Jo O’Hara, Head of Forestry Commission Scotland said it is vital that farmers can continue to keep their sheep on the hills.
“Our new grants package can support this through helping them integrate woodlands into their business, increasing its commercial viability.
“Carefully managed woodlands can increase farm productivity and provide many other benefits too. The funding package creates an excellent opportunity to diversify and take advantage of land previously not considered possible due to a lack of access.
“Creating new woodland can offer sheep farmers an added flexibility to manage their land to its best potential and keep a regular income coming in.”
Forestry Commission Scotland said the benefits of creating new woodland through the new funding package can include providing important shelter and extended outwintering periods and improving farm business productivity – particularly on less productive land.
