Community Purchase of Dornoch Woodland

Posted on 29 March 2023

Community Purchase of Dornoch Woodland

The Dornoch Trust, a charity set up to own and lease Community Assets, has recently purchased Earls Cross Woodland from Sutherland Estates. The woodland extends over 13 acres (5.38 hectares) and lies between Station Road and Earls Cross in Dornoch. The purchase was financed by an anonymous donation and works have been undertaken with small grants from the Dornoch Common Good Fund and North Highland Initiative.

The Trust has gone ahead with this purchase to ensure that the woodland will always remain in the hands of the Dornoch Community and will never be developed for road or housing purposes. The Trust has begun work in the woodland, with experienced contractors and the support of The Highland Council, to remove dangerous trees and poor quality self-sown saplings; this will ensure a real maintenance programme is in place and will encourage the growth of good quality new trees.

Looking ahead, the Trust hopes to improve signage and paths, including creating better access to users with limited mobility. The Trust also hopes to encourage schools, charities like Historylinks, and other bodies to use the woodland for the benefit of the whole community.

We very much hope that volunteers will come forward to share their ideas and to help with ongoing maintenance. Please contact dornochtrust@gmail.com with any ideas/comments you may have or if you would like to help in any way.

Patrick Murray, Chair of The Dornoch Trust commented "We are delighted to have secured the future of this woodland and we encourage the community to enjoy the woods and the walks and to come and take part".

Lynne Mahoney, Curator of History Links commented “It is fantastic that the woodland in Dornoch has come into the care of The Dornoch Trust. This historic woodland holds the potential for all sorts of educational and leisure activities. Historylinks Museum looks forward to running and taking part in events that will bring the community together to enjoy this beautiful space”.

In collaboration with Highlife Highland Countryside Rangers on a project called Mammals: Past, Present and Future. The children had a great time in Station Woods where the Ranger, Marcia Rae, had set up a mammal crime scene investigation! The children had to work out what animal had been in the area by the clues they left behind! The club set a camera trap to find out what animals are living in the woods, however, they only captured a hedgehog and domestic cats!