National forest land is the forests, woods, open land and other property owned by Scottish Ministers on behalf of the nation, and managed by Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS).
Surplus land and property are normally offered for sale on the open market. The National Forest Land Scheme gives communities, housing bodies and NGOs a preferential opportunity to acquire surplus national forest land before advertising.
Communities also have certain legal rights to apply to buy any land for sale under Community Right to Buy (external link).
From time to time, FCS sells woodland and property as part of the overall management of the national forest estate to improve delivery of the Scottish Forestry Strategy.
Land and property sales pages
The property sales and woodland sales pages show the national forest land we are currently intending to sell. We also notify Community Councils, local newspapers and relevant non-governmental organisations.
National Forest Land Scheme Notification for 2009 - 2010
The Forestry Commission's sales programme, as agreed by Ministers, is £15m/year from plantation repositioning sales for the period 2008/09 to 2010/11, plus surplus asset disposals to the value of a few £million per year.
The Plantation Sales Map (PDF 347k) and schedule of areas (PDF 8k) identify the plantations that Forestry Commission Scotland is considering selling during 2009/10, and from which the actual 2009/10 sales list will be drawn.
These include some areas that were part of the 2008/2009 repositioning programme which have not yet been brought forward for sale.
This list is being formally notified under the rules of the National Forest Land Scheme which allows for off market purchase by local communities. None of the plantations chosen for sale will be available on the open market until such time as the National Forest Land Scheme notifications are completed and the community and non-government organisations have been given the opportunity to purchase.
- The Community Council Notification list (09-10 PDF 12 k) shows the status of the community notifications for these plantations. This will be updated as the situation progresses. Latest update: 25 March 09.
Further information can be obtained from donald.mclellan@forestry.gsi.gov.uk.
Sales that are not notified
Unless there is known community interest, we will not notify sales such as:
- Sales of houses or other developed sites to the sitting tenant
- Sales providing public benefit, such as road-widening schemes
- Exchanges of forest or open land to rationalise boundaries or landholdings
- Sales of small areas of land to the adjoining owner.
Area Land Agents and selling agents
Further information on current sales is available from either the relevant Forestry Commission Scotland Area Land Agent or our selling agents where appropriate.
