Woodland in Ayrshire
Woodland is an important land use in Ayrshire. About 21% of Ayrshire is covered in trees compared with only 11% for the UK as a whole. Ayrshire is not only home to a large woodland area but also a diverse range of woodland types.
These include:
• Large scale commercial plantations of the upland areas e.g. Carrick Forest • Biologically important native woodlands of the river valleys e.g. River Ayr Gorge Woodlands • Policy woodlands and designed landscapes of the lowland estates e.g. Kelburn Castle
Ayrshire is unique amongst the well-wooded areas of Scotland because of its large resident timber processing industry - ranging from large paper mills to the small family run sawmills. These businesses not only add important value to the raw material grown in Ayrshire but also provide more than 2000 jobs.
Ayrshire, therefore, not only offers a wide range of woodlands with all of their environmental and social benefits, but also key components in the timber supply chain (productive woodlands through to timber processing facilities) - directly supporting the sustainable development of Ayrshire.