'Rolls Royce' of Scotland's forests goes on sale for offers over £19.5 million

One of Scotland’s largest privately owned forests has come to the market for offers over £19.5 million.

Norwood Forest, a 939-hectare property near Hawick in the Scottish Borders, has been dubbed the “Rolls Royce” of Scottish forestry because of its size and quality.

The predominantly Sitka spruce forest, which has more than 12 miles of a “high-quality internal forest road network”, is up for sale after being held by the same family since the 1970s.

Norwood also includes a significant stone quarry with a stock pile of crushed stone and additional borrow pits, the sellers said, and wind farm interest in the area is considerable.

A forest dubbed 'the Rolls Royce of Scottish forestry' has come on the market | Goldcrest Land & Forestry Group

The land for sale also includes the Maiden Paps, twin hills so named because they have the shape of human breasts, other burns, ponds and a section of the Catrail – an 11.5-mile long ditch and bank cutting across the upper Teviot Valley that is thought to have been constructed in the 4th and 5th centuries.

Sporting rights are included in the sale and are unlet. Deer are currently professionally controlled by an in-house wildlife management team.

Jon Lambert, partner at GOLDCREST Land & Forestry Group, said: “Norwood is the Rolls Royce of large-scale commercial forestry. It is rare to come across a forest of this size that is of such superb quality.

“Possibly the most desirable, extensive operational forest in the south of Scotland, it has more than 200ha of mature high quality timber ready for felling and offering immediate income potential. With timber prices increasing, this will generate substantial revenue for the foreseeable future.

“Add the premium location, an excellent forest road network, a diverse age class structure, the outstanding quality of the forestry and Norwood ticks every box. It is an exemplary forest that has been managed to an exacting standard and I expect it to attract considerable attention.”

Felling of the first crops started in 2010, with some felled areas producing more than 500 tonnes per hectare, and large areas of second rotation crops are now established.

Conifers cover 735ha of the property, of which Sitka spruce accounts for 92 per cent. A long term forest plan was agreed in May 2024 with felling approved for the next 10 years.

Managed by the same firm since planting began more than 50 years ago, the aim has been “to maximise timber production and sequester carbon while also enhancing the amenity and conservation value of the forest where possible”, the advert said.

It said native broadleaves in the forest have improved biodiversity and added structural diversity.

Scottish Power Energy Networks has just commenced a consultation process for a proposed 400kV steel tower overhead power line to run from Gala North Substation to the Scottish Borders route which may affect Norwood, according to the advert.

In 1974 the current owner’s father bought Kingsrigg, a 582 hectare upland livestock farm. In 1976 the adjoining 214 hectare Hawkhass Estate was acquired and a final purchase of 152 hectares being Shankend Hill took place in 1993. The three properties have been owned by the Norwood Partnership since 2007.

According to the report Forest Ownership in Scotland 2022, written by the former MSP and land reform campaigner Andy Wightman, and Jon Hollingdale, former head of the Community Woodlands Association, 164 people or companies own 75 per cent of forested land in the country compared to 199 owners in 2012.

The figures came from analysis of four sample areas across Scotland. By far the largest owner in these areas is Gresham House.

The Scottish government is the largest owner of forestry in Scotland, owning about one third of the country's forests and woodlands which are managed by Forestry and Land Scotland.