Forestry and Land Scotland is seeking views on the future development of Kilsture Forest and how it is to be managed over the next 20 years.

Lying within the Machars, the 203ha Kilsture Forest is a relatively unexplored gem of a broadleaf woodland lying in the rural Machars. It is 18 km to the south of Newton Stewart and adjacent to the local communities of Sorbie, Garlieston and Kirkinner.

The consultation will help finalise the third generation Land Management Plan for the site that will detail how FLS intends to manage the site until 2030, and give a direction of travel for the following 10 years to 2040.

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Proposals include the conversion of virtually the entire site to broadleaved woodland to help meet a range of objectives including Community involvement, the restoration of priority habitat a small amount of productive forestry.

Stephen Stables, planning forester with the local FLS team, said: "Kilsture is a readily accessible island woodland in a generally agricultural landscape and has great views out over Wigtown Bay.

"It provides us with opportunities for increasing biodiversity and promoting the woodland as a recreational resource to help boost levels of health and wellbeing, while at the same time enhancing existing levels of Community involvement.

"As usual, all of the consultation material will be online for people to view and comment on but we're also working with the local Kilsture Forest Community Group to arrange a community drop-in event in Sorbie Village Hall in late August 2022, where people can come along, find out more and chat to us about the plan.

"We're really keen to get as much local feedback and input as possible so it would be great to see everyone with an interest come along to the drop-in session."