Exclusive:Scottish land charity to erect 'giant 800-hectare' fence enclosure on Schiehallion for woodland

The electrified fence is to encourage natural regeneration of montane woodland, but has proved controversial with neighbours and visitors to the popular munro.

One of Scotland’s biggest land charities is to fence off the side of a munro for a montane woodland project in a move that has proved controversial for neighbouring estates and walkers.

The John Muir Trust (JMT) said it will start putting posts in the ground this year for 6.5km of electric fence on Schiehallion in Perthshire, one of Scotland’s most visited mountains.

The charity said the move will help the natural regeneration of mountain woodland tree species, including rare montane willow.

JMT said montane willow growing without protective fencing shows herbivore damage, and the aim of the new fence at Schiehallion is to protect this tree and others like it. | JMT

It claimed pressures from grazing by sheep and deer that wander onto the east of the mountain, which is owned by the JMT, has “significantly impacted” the mountain habitat, leaving only a handful of trees growing over 400m.

Map showing where the proposed additional 6.5km fence will go on Schiehallion | JMT

The new fence will travel from near the top of the mountain down the north and south sides and join an existing fence running below across the east of the munro. There will be a roughly 1km gap in the fence at the summit, leaving an open bit at the top of the enclosure, which will cover about 800 hectares of mountain side.

The charity said the main driver of the fence is to exclude sheep, but off-set wire, a specialised wire used in electric fencing, will be used to deter deer as well. It said “deer leaps” will also be installed “to allow deer to exit with ease.”

Neighbours said they are concerned the semi-enclosed area will be “a big lobster pot”, potentially concentrating deer impacts within the fenced area, not reducing them.

Some have claimed the new fencing could cause animal welfare problems inside and outwith the enclosure if communications with neighbouring estates are not clear.

Neighbour and critic of the woodland project Victor Clements, a native woodland advisor based in Perthshire, said little to no information has been shared with neighbours about the fence plan, with most of the information obtained through Freedom of Information requests.

A John Muir Trust fence at the bottom of the hill on East Schiehallion, around a small woodland area | Supplied

Mr Clements said: “Absolutely no one knows about this giant 800-hectare enclosure. Why is this?

“Everything about this move suggests it’s a significant scheme which is potentially very damaging on habitats and animal welfare.

“An electrified fence around Schiehallion is also going to block people from going where they want to go on the mountain which, in Scotland, you’re supposed to be able to do. It will also concentrate deer in other areas. You would expect that to be flagged up.”

Sensitive site

Mr Clements also questioned how the project has not required an environment impact assessment (EIA), a screening process by Scottish Forestry for projects that have a significant impact on the environment.

He said: “In Scotland, however a woodland scheme is funded, Scottish Forestry must legally be asked to make a determination on whether an EIA is required if more than two hectares of woodland is to be established on a sensitive site.

“East Scheihallion qualified as a sensitive site on two accounts: the presence of the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and the fact that the area was a key part of the Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon National Scenic Area (NSA).”

A Scottish Forestry spokesperson, however, confirmed there was no consent needed for an EIA, adding: “The East Schiehallion natural regeneration woodland creation scheme was fully considered under the relevant environmental regulations and was subject to wide consultation with neighbours and statutory bodies.”

Through FOIs, seen by The Scotsman, NatureScot said it had granted the JMT SSSI consent “by mistake”, despite initially saying “fencing the entire area of the SSSI within JMT ownership would risk a very significant decline on the SSSI feature condition.”

The nature agency previously said in a report on the mountain’s SSSI that “continuity of grazing at appropriate levels is essential to maintain the condition of the limestone habitats, calcareous grassland, flushes and associated species and to prevent excessive invasion from birch."

A NatureScot spokesperson said while there were issues identified in the issuing of the consent to the JMT, these were worked through with the charity.

The spokesperson said there were currently no plans to plant on the SSSI and while natural spreading of existing trees might occur, “this will be monitored, and if there is any problematic regeneration of trees onto the qualifying features, measures would be put into place to control it.”

What about access and wild land status?

The semi-enclosure includes areas classified as wild land, which is meant to be land free from modern developments - something the JMT spent years lobbying for.

Christine Wilson, a long-time mountaineer who lives near Schiehallion, and who has been a longstanding JMT supporter, cancelled her membership with the charity over the new fence saying the organisation has not remained loyal to the wild land ethos.

She said: “I think the JMT have lost their way. Looking at these plans, I don’t understand how it fits in with the rest of the landscape of Schiehallion and relates to other mountain usage.

“It’s like they have their patch and they are going to do what they want to do with their patch and that concerns me.

“My understanding is that they are there to protect the wild lands and work in harmony with communities. I can’t see much evidence of harmonious working or sensitive thoughts of land use.”

Finlay MacIntyre, a local farm manager who lives in Rannoch, and whose family has worked in the area for seven generations, said the JMT has been “Gung ho” about the woodland project.

“What concerns me is the fence is going to be a great expense and an eyesore on the hillside,” he said.

“It’s not going to provide ecological benefit. Schiehallion is so iconic that it has three varieties of grouse: the red grouse, the Black Cock and the ptarmigan. This fence will decimate that population because they will fly into it.

“They (the JMT) are so blinkered towards fauna and flora, mammalian life and human interaction with the hillside.”

The JMT response

The JMT said the fence, which will be a stock fence, measuring somewhere between 60cm to 1.2m high, will have grouse markers for visibility, which it claims will protect the grouse population.

The charity confirmed works on the first phase of the fencing will start this year.

A JMT spokesperson said: “Mountain woodland provides a home for endangered species including invertebrates, mammals, and birds. It ensures the survival of rare plants that are unique to this habitat. High-altitude woodland also acts as a brake on the effects of climate change by protecting against flooding, avalanches, rockfalls and landslides.​

“To ensure the most effective impact on protecting rare mountain woodland, we plan to erect a fence along our boundary to protect saplings from destructive grazing. This will allow nature-based regeneration and restoration of a unique mountain woodland.”

The spokesperson pointed to the current footpath on the munro, saying it provides clear access for all walkers and “is designed to protect the fragile, unique mountain habitats on Schiehallion.”

They added: “Our aim is that the fence allows nature-based regeneration and restoration of a unique and crucial mountain woodland, to make a significant contribution to its comeback from near extinction.”

The JMT, which saw 19 jobs made redundant last year following a financial loss of £1.9 million the year before, did not respond to questions on how the fence and woodland project was being funded.