Balloch Community
Woodland Group

The Latest News

Felling & Replanting Update from FLS

FLS have told us that they have received approval from Scottish Forestry for their plan to reschedule the felling of the lower part of Balloch Wood.
We will have more information once the details and timescales have been established.

See below for some information about FLS's provisional plans for the next felling operations in Balloch Wood.

Details of our correspondance with FLS
and of the Proposed Management & Restocking Plan.

Our Response to Felling Plan

We have submitted our response to the Felling & Replanting Update.

SCIO Application

We have just heard that our application for
Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation
has been accepted. More information to follow.

If you were unable to come to the
recent Update Meeting

You can still tell us what you would like to see in the wood;
e.g. reinstatement of paths in addition to the core path, seats, some observation hides for wildlife etc.
and also let us know if there will be any future activities in the wood that you would like to help with.

FLS have cleared the gorse from around
the Creehenge Standing Stones

FLS have clearing the windthrow
from the Core Path

Community Areas of the wood.
The Group is discussing with FLS which areas of Balloch Wood the community will directly manage.

What is happening in our wood?
See what FLS's plan is for the next felling operations in Balloch Wood.

Community-led Woodland Management Agreement

Balloch Wood, adjacent to the village of Creetown, comprises a long strip of hillside to the NE of the village, following along the Balloch Burn. The woodland consists of natural mixed woodland and commercially managed wood, mainly larch.
The wood is managed by Forest and Land Scotland (FLS), who are in the process of felling the commercial areas, after which it will be classed as amenity woodland.

The original Balloch Wood Community Project had an agreement with Forestry Enterprise to maintain paths through the wood and look after two community areas; the Ponds and Creehenge.
Recently the group decided that, after many years of service, it was time to retire from running the project.

Several open meetings were held in Creetown last year, regarding the recent forestry developments in the Balloch Wood.
A number of residents volunteered to form a small group to negotiate with FLS and reach a new community management agreement to continue the care of the paths and other community areas in the Balloch Wood.
The main Core Path would be maintained by FLS, without such an agreement the other areas and paths would rapidly become overgrown.

Balloch Wood, Creetown,
Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland

Creetown was originally called 'Ferrytown of Cree' because ferries used to cross the River Cree here, right back to the days when pilgrims made their way to the shrine of St Ninian at Whithorn. This saved a 10 mile trip via Newton Stewart.
Small trading ships continued to come up to the village until early in the 20th century.