Sir Cameron wins woodland battle

Musical producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh has welcomed a ruling that a 12-year struggle to protect a woodland on his Nevis Estate is in the public interest.

The Scottish Land Court has ruled his woodland management proposals and plans to develop a bunkhouse on the land will benefit the wider community in the long term.

The woodland has been at the centre of a long-running legal dispute between Sir Cameron and his co-trustees and one of his tenants, crofter Donald Cameron.

The land is part of Mr Cameron's croft on the Nevis Estate near Mallaig, which he is seeking to buy from Sir Cameron.

However, the estate, along with associated bodies, wanted to retain the woodland to protect and preserve it under a management programme.

The development of the bunkhouse on the land has already been given outline planning consent.

Lord McGhie acknowledged the court had a duty to consider the interests not just of the crofter but also the public interest and, having heard the evidence, he concluded while the loss of the woodland area would have little impact on the viability of Mr Cameron's croft, he had no doubt that Sir Cameron's proposals were in the public interest.

Sir Cameron, whose credits include Cats and Miss Saigon, said: "Obviously I am delighted that this long-running issue has finally reached a conclusion."