South Ardnaclach – Argyll & Bute

A phased restoration programme to reinstate farming on the land

Brief

A small unit in Appin – which is part of an estate managed by Bell Ingram in Argyll – required substantial upgrading work to bring it back to a condition to enable it to be let out to new tenants. The land had previously been subject to a long-term secure tenancy and was taken back in hand. After a thorough inspection of the farm, it became apparent that the unit was in an extremely poor state of repair - the fixed equipment was well past its sell-by-date, fences were dilapidated, ditches and drains blocked.

Process

Bell Ingram’s land managers implemented a phased programme of works to bring the land back into a useable condition. Phase one involved the clearance of all ditches to ensure they were running – very important in this environment. Phase two was the replacement of the march fences, to make the unit stock-proof. Finally, phase three has been the removal of all redundant and superfluous internal fences and the replacement of new internal fences.

Outcome

This was a challenging but rewarding project for Bell Ingram’s land management team as the unit had almost reverted “back to nature” under the previous tenant who had a long-term rental agreement. However, after the implementation of the phased programme of works, the unit has been returned to agriculture and it is now possible to properly stock it and local farmers have been sourced to take it on under a grazing agreement.

Article posted on 09/04/2018

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