We are currently tendering for a consultant to help us develop a new Business Plan and to help us with future fundraising plans. We had hoped to have appointed a consultant by today, but this stage has had to be delayed until January. If you would like to tender for this work, or parts of it (Funding could easily be split from the Plan work) then do get in touch. Our current funding runs out in November 2007 so we are well ahead of ourselves but would like to see NHFT in a much stronger position by that stage and able to deliver even higher quality work, more effectively and efficiently. If you have views on what we do, could do, or otherwise, please do look out for our consultation on the above Plan early next year or contact this office at any time: steve@nhft.org.uk

On Saturday 18th November, NHFT organised a morning event at the Aspen Woods, Ballachly Croft, Dunbeath Heritage Centre, Caithness. The theme was the ecology, distribution, history and management of the aspen. The event attracted a large number of people (40+) in spite of wild weather all week and a mild flu epidemic! The sun shone all day, a great time was had by all, and a lot of learning and networking took place in the lovely woods at Dunbeath and Ballachly. The excellent setting of the Dunbeath Preservation Trust headquarters also helped along with nice food: thanks to Meg, Nan and George for help with all of that. And thanks to the Scottish Agricultural College (and Siobhan Macdonald) and ESF for supporting that event. See our website for more details www.nhft.org.uk

One further output from the above Aspen day was that it helped highlight the need to develop an aspen resource in the North using local provenance clones. Hot off the press (today) we now have the go ahead from Highland Council’s BAP implementation programme for a project to develop a small resource of aspen from root cuttings from suitable Caithness and Sutherland plants. This will allow us to buy a small poly tunnel and mist unit etc and to collect and grow these on, with most of the work being during the period Feb/March 2007. For further details of how you could contribute (e.g. you know of a good aspen site where we could get permission to remove roots; you would like to dig up roots!; or maybe to look after aspen plants!) contact steve@nhft.org.uk or this office.

We had an exceptionally good agm this year, which followed on from the above Aspen day at Dunbeath. We now have two new directors to complement the existing team of five: David Glass from Dunnethead and Sasha Laing from Dingwall are already proving to be a great boost to the work of the Trust. On behalf of our existing Board, I take this opportunity to welcome them to the work of NHFT. And we also have the likelihood of at least one or possibly two further co-options at our next board meeting in January. More to follow and see our www.nhft.org.uk or our Word from the Wood newsletter for further details and developments.

Professor Mark Shucksmith has been appointed as the chair of a Committee of Inquiry on crofting. The Committee was established to examine how crofting can best contribute to improving the economy, social infrastructure and environment of rural Scotland. The committee will be looking to appoint members with knowledge of crofting conditions across all the main crofting areas of the Highlands and Islands.

Professor Shucksmith is Professor of Planning at Newcastle University, and was, until recently, Professor of Land Economy and Co-Director of the Arkleton Centre for Rural Development Research, University of Aberdeen, and Co-Director of the Scottish Centre for Research on Social Justice. He is also a member of SEERAD’s Strategic Science Advisory Panel and has been adviser to the Environment and Rural Development Committee of the Scottish Parliament.

The Isle of Mull is getting greener, as the island now has its own woodchip fuel supply.

Robin and Sam Sedgwick have started Crannich Woodfuel, extending their existing farm and tourism business at Crannich in Glen Aros, near Salen. Along with a holiday letting business at Sealladh Carrachan, Tobermory, they are also the first on the island to have installed woodchip boilers.

Argyll and the Islands Enterprise, together with European funding, assisted the two local businesses through the Highlands and Islands Woodfuel Development Programme, administered by Forestry Commission Scotland.

James Hilder, Development Manager of the Mull & Iona Community Trust commented that until now people were reluctant to invest in woodchip boilers on the island, as there was not a guaranteed supply of fuel.

Forestry Commission Scotland Beat Forester Stuart Maidment said, “Mull is now at the forefront of Scotland’s wood fuel supply chain evolution and with 12,500 hectares of forests and woodlands on the island, the community is in a strong position to further develop this renewable resource, reducing reliance on expensive fossil fuels.”