Guest Blog: Managing trees and vegetation whilst being mindful of sustainability

By James Morrison, Senior Asset Engineer at Network Rail Scotland

It is a significant and ongoing challenge to manage the many risks that trees and vegetation can pose on our long, but generally narrow, infrastructure corridors. We cover the varied geography of Scotland which requires our teams, supported by specialist contractors, to be based strategically. Local knowledge of the infrastructure and asset condition, plus the ability to respond quickly to any issues is fundamental.

We make management decisions using data and imagery collected during multiple inspections undertaken by trains, people on foot, drones and manned aircraft. This is combined with additional information from our passenger and freight customers, neighbours and multiple key stakeholders. We then generate risk based workstreams so we can best deploy people and equipment to deliver this work efficiently and cost effectively on behalf of the taxpayers who fund the railway.

We also have to balance our operational responsibilities with those of being a large landowner, as the railway contains significant flora and fauna and in turn natural capital. We employ professional (in house) ecologists to advise our teams on how to protect this biodiversity based on site observations, historic records or legal designations. Not all trees and vegetation are a risk to trains so we can, where safe to do so, retain, pollard or prune trees. Every site has specific requirements, and it takes the work of many professionals from across Scotland to manage the lineside areas that flank the tracks.

First and foremost, Scotland’s Railway fulfils a variety of travel needs from business and leisure to daily commuter services, including cross border services. 

However, we equally have a responsibility to appropriately offset our tree and vegetation works that support this primary function. Our approach is governed by railway standards that reflect targets from our regulators and funders. But more importantly, it is the right thing to do.

Replanting is only one aspect of improving biodiversity on the railway. Mitigating the impact of our work takes many forms such as the habitat piles of cut woody material or standing and lying sections of dead wood. Raptor perching poles, crevice creation and veteran feature mimicry (via cutting incisions in trees) and provision of bird and bat boxes are some other methods deployed. Where appropriate and access to maintain is available, we plant native grass and wildflower areas, high wildlife value hedgerows and even small ponds can be considered. 

Mitigation can take place on railway land (where space allows) or alternatively in locations adjacent to, or even remote from the railway (offsetting). We are currently working to establish suitable partnerships with other landowners where offsetting would be appropriate. Locations on such land and where public access is possible have an added advantage to the people of Scotland as they can potentially visit these locations and enjoy them.

As a large landowner, we feel we can have a tangible and positive impact on biodiversity and sustainability and the changes we are making are also being acknowledged and welcomed at a local level by communities.

Article posted on 29/09/2022

Article posted on 01/09/2022

The Property Expert: Spotlight on Magnificent Mull

It was voted one of the UK’s best places to live by the Sunday Times … and lovers of island living now have SEVEN reasons to put down roots on Mull.

Bell Ingram is marketing a number of exceptional properties on this postcard pretty island made famous by children’s TV favourite Balamory.

Island resident Andrew Fuller, who heads up our Estate Agency service across Argyll and Bute, takes his pick of charming properties on the ever-popular Isle of Mull …

Calgary Tearoom and Studios, Calgary

Guide Price £525,000

A unique opportunity to acquire a well-established and highly regarded tearoom business, with three letting properties and staff accommodation apartments, all located in one of the most sought-after locations on the Mull.

Calgary Tearoom is a fully functional tearoom comprising indoor and outdoor seating areas, working kitchen, public toilets, laundry area and importantly, two attached staff accommodation units. The property is beautifully presented and has evolved over time to incorporate a wide range of bespoke design concepts.

Adjacent to the main tearoom, Cart Studio is a one-bedroom, self-contained holiday let, perfect for couples looking for cosy accommodation close to the beach. The original stone exterior has been lovingly restored and retains many of the original design features if its era.

East and West Studios are above the tearoom and accessed by a stone staircase which leads up from the courtyard. Each offers private holiday let accommodation and both are well appointed with a generously proportioned living space, double bedroom, and family bathroom.

Cramond, Dervaig

Offers over £395,000

Located in the popular coastal village of Dervaig, Cramond is a lovely family home with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. There are expansive coastal views and the stunning floor-to-ceiling windows in the lounge open on to the garden. The property has a quirky artist’s studio in its grounds.

Mambeg, Dervaig

Offers over £350,000

Mambeg, also located in Dervaig, is a well presented, detached three bed bungalow which has potential as either a family home or a bed and breakfast. Two of the bedrooms are en-suite and the garage space has conversion potential, subject to the usual planning conditions.

Argyll Terrace & Bothy Cottage, Tobermory

Offers over £345,000

Rich in charm and character, 5 Argyll Terrace is a traditional two bed mid-terrace property with the added attraction of a detached one bed bothy cottage at the top of the garden. The property has views across the bay of Tobermory.

Sawmill Bungalow, Pennyghael

Offers over £395,000.

An opportunity to acquire a detached three-bedroom bungalow, set in a wonderful, elevated position on the ever-popular Isle of Mull and benefitting from far reaching coastal views across Loch Scridain.

2 Struan Crescent, Tobermory

Offers over £200,000

An ideal first home or holiday home, 2 Struan Crescent is a well-presented two-bedroom semi-detached property on the outskirts of Tobermory. The family lounge is located to the front of the house, offering views out over the front garden, with partial coastal views over as far as the Morvern Peninsula.

Flat 6, The Old Bond House, Tobermory

Offers over £150,000

The property is a delightful first floor two level maisonette within the prominent Old Bond House on Tobermory’s Main Street. Such is the property’s appeal that it would make an ideal permanent home, as well as a second home or weekend bolthole.

• If you are buying or selling property on Scotland’s glorious West Coast, please get in touch with our Oban-based estate agency team.

• Led by Senior Associate Andrew Fuller supported by Laura MacCallum and Mairi Kennedy, they cover Argyll and The Isles and the Morvern Peninsula, focusing on the sale of premium, rural properties.

• Contact them on 01631 566122 or oban@bellingram.co.uk for more information or to arrange a viewing.

Article posted on 11/08/2022

Biodiversity boost for Lintrathen land 

Bell Ingram is helping Scottish Water to create a brand new area of woodland in Angus aimed at improving biodiversity and wildlife habitats.  

The water provider is transforming 100 hectares of hillside close to Lintrathen Reservoir which was previously a mixture of mature conifers and rough grassland. The process of rewilding the site with a combination of native pine and broadleaf trees is underway as part of Scottish Water’s route to net zero. When it matures, the new woodland is expected to be much more beneficial for local wildlife, as well as capturing a significant amount of carbon.  

Scottish Water’s Sustainability and Climate Change Manager Mark Williams said: “As part of our overall strategy, we’ve pledged to find opportunities to use the land that we own to increase biodiversity and enhance the natural environment – and that’s exactly what we’re doing here.  

“We’ve removed the plantations of conifers currently at this site because they’ve reached the end of their productive lives. They’re being replaced by a mixture of native conifers and broadleaf trees such as ash, oak and birch. This kind of mixed woodland is a much more attractive place for birds, insects and mammals to live and will massively improve biodiversity in this area.

“Not only that, but this new woodland will lock up a huge amount of carbon – we estimate that within about 10 years it will begin to capture around 1000 tonnes of carbon per year, which will be a major contribution towards our net zero goals.”

The logs cut at the Lintrathen site have been sent for processing to James Jones Sawmill in Lockerbie, which also puts sustainability at the heart of its operations. The trees will be used to produce furniture and construction materials.  

Stuart McArtney, Forest Manager with Bell Ingram said: “Replanting this land will make a real difference to the wildlife in the area. Dense, monoculture planting provides only a very limited habitat, but this new mixed woodland means we’ll see more birds nesting, insects will come in to pollinate the tree flowers and it could also help to boost the numbers of native species like red squirrels and black grouse.    

“These young trees will soon become a fantastic green space for the local community, for wildlife and will make a really important contribution to reducing the effects of climate change.”

Scottish Water is looking for further opportunities to create woodland on its land throughout Scotland, as part of its commitment to reach net zero and improve biodiversity. The utility company has pledged to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Protect your land and estate with voluntary registration

By Marcus Humphrey, GIS Manager

The 2024 deadline for voluntary land registration is fast approaching and those with property remaining on the older General Sasine Register may risk losing out.

The General Register of Sasines is the oldest national public land register in the world, dating back to 1617 and is a record of land deeds based on written description of properties. It is currently being replaced by the Land Register of Scotland, a digital map-based service which provides superior accuracy on land ownership.

There are three avenues that land and property can take to move from the Sasine Register to its modern-day successor. The most common is when land is transacted upon, including a change of Lender for example, which would immediately trigger a digital land registration. Property can also be voluntarily registered by the owner, but the final, less favoured avenue, is when the Keeper registers the land.

It is common for large swaths of land and estates, which don’t often, if ever, change hands, to be lingering on the Sasine Register. In a push to make sure all land and property is digitised in Scotland, the Keeper has set a target of 90% of Scotland’s land mass to be transferred to the Land Register by December 2024.

Titles in the Sasine Register are notoriously difficult to decipher in a modern-day context and boundary descriptions are often the best interpretation, meaning the margin for error is high as plans are often not 100% accurate.

For landowners with complex boundaries, this can prove problematic when the Keeper comes to register the land on the digital system. To avoid errors in title, it is preferable to voluntarily register land to retain full control over what appears in the Land Register.

The GIS Mapping team at Bell Ingram has expertise in preparing Title Plans for landowners and dealing with complex title deeds to facilitate the transfer to the Land Register. With access to a large collection of historical maps, coupled with the most up-to-date mapping software, our team can accurately interpret titles to confirm the extent of ownership. For more complex titles where boundaries are unclear our team will conduct a site survey to help produce maps and digital data to evidence your land ownership.

If you have still to register your land for the digital system, please contact our GIS Manager Marcus Humphrey on marcus.humphrey@bellingram.co.uk or 01738 621121 to discuss your mapping needs. For more information on our GIS Mapping service visit bellingram.co.uk

Five of the best ways to add value to your home

Now is the time many of us start planning a house move and getting our homes in order ready to put on the market. Senior Associate Andrew Fuller, based in our Oban office, outlines some quick wins to add value to your home before selling up.

Preparation

Check your documentation with your solicitor and notify them of your intention to sell. Don’t let boundary disputes and lack of information hold things up as this can prove very costly, and also causes some sales to fall through. If you are conducting viewings yourself, run through the process in your mind first and anticipate questions about the property and local area, and have the answers prepared.

Professional Photography

Follow the advice of your estate agent when it comes to professional photography; they know what will work best for your sale. Online marketing is very competitive, and you need to make your property stand out among the other local listings. Anticipate what the pictures should look like and dress the room prior to the photography day, trying to declutter where possible. You can also prepare for the photography by cutting lawns, cleaning and organising your house.

Have documentation in order

Create a file for your property and make sure that any items still under warranty are detailed, for example replacement windows, stove, boiler, etc. It gives comfort to a buyer to know that the property is in good order. If you have a fireplace, get the chimney swept and certified. Make sure that septic tanks are registered with the necessary authority, we have had many sales delayed because of this. It also helps to have a printed copy of the sales particulars to hand.

Up-sell the potential

Guide viewers to areas which have potential, for example garden areas that have a significant view, attic space for conversion, or outdoor space for an external studio or chalet, even if you haven’t made the alterations yourself at the time of sale. Most agents will have covered this in their sales part

If you are considering selling your home, farm or estate, our dedicated team is on hand to provide the expert advice you need. Find your nearest Bell Ingram office here.

Article posted on 13/06/2022