More next time on the Woodland Trust Scotland's plans for its 80-hectare Wood Hill property above Alva. July saw the WTS publish material on how it sees the woodland regeneration going, and this can be read at http://www.wt-woods.org.uk/woodhillwood/, especially the sections entitled "Long term intentions" and "Management plan". This is immediately interesting and informative - eg "currently there is a high proportion (73%) of trees made up of two age classes (planted 1940s and (planted 1970s)". The "long term" plan is just that: it's rare - and rather heartening - to read a document that includes phrases such as "it will be necessary to encourage the next generation of trees over the next few decades". This is especially encouraging when there is so much short-term-ism abroad in landscape matters - windfarm proliferation being the most obvious example.
If there are awkward questions to be asked of the WTS's plans, they perhaps relate to there being several references to deer (of which there appear to be very few on the Hillfoots), but only passing mention of those other arch-nibblers, sheep (of which the Alva/Tilli slopes have a fair number). Is there a degree of political correctness - or at least pragmatic neighbourly politeness - in this? Some would argue that serious woodland regeneration on the Ochils can never happen while so much ground is under ovine occupation.
Anyway, more on this in the spring. Thoughts and observations welcome.