Balloch Wood
Community Woodland Project

The Latest News

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

Creehenge needs a bit of TLC.
Creehenge is being encroached by gorse. We hope to organise a working group to tidy it up.

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.