Kelden Wood is a mix of sitka spruce, mixed deciduous and open field in a wonderful and tranquil location close to the Aberdeenshire and Angus border. It is easily accessed off the A90, rising up to a plateau with panoramic views of the countryside and sea. This part of Scotland is seldom visited by tourists and is a mainly farming community with fertile valleys, close to the coast and within an hours drive from the centre of the Cairngorms.

There is good access to the woodland with recently upgraded tracks and generous areas of hardstanding within the wood. The larger section of spruce is maturing nicely and will produce good timber , it has a number of paths through the wood for ease of access and is probably ready for some thinning to allow more light into the woodland and improve the strength of the more dominant trees. Intelligent thinning will create a more resilient woodland in the long term, will create superior timber yield and if the new owner were to follow a policy of continuous tree cover management then the biodiversity and soil structure will be enhanced.

The section of field included allows many options whether for keeping animals, planting trees or growing vegetables. The amount of meadowland in the UK has decreased dramatically and would be a useful direction to go in with this land.

For me this wood has a little bit of everything and would be a fantastic project for anyone yearning for something a little bit different, it even has a stream along the northern boundary leading to a wildlife pond. Early viewing is reccomended .

There is a growing interest in hut, bothy and temporary shelter building, especially in Scotland; for those interested in erecting a hut or shelter, here is some interesting and very helpful guidance from Reforesting Scotland’s Thousand Hut Campaign. Your Local Planning Authority should also be consulted.