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What is recorded here

Craigvinean Forest records the Dukes of Atholl's pioneering larch planting, which turned poor hillside into one of Scotland's first large mountain tree plantations and influenced commercial forestry.

What this place is

Craigvinean is a broad managed forest above Dunkeld and the River Tay. Old larch stands, abandoned farm ground, paths and later public planting lie across its steep slopes.

People and events

The second Duke of Atholl began planting European larch in 1759, first buying about seven hundred trees for an experiment. His descendants greatly enlarged the work and became known as the planting dukes.

How it was used

The estate tested whether larch could make poor hill ground profitable and supply strong ship timber. Large-scale planting displaced some older farm use and later supported trained forest management.

What survives

Historic larches, later conifers, old farm traces and paths remain. Parts entered public forest ownership from 1937 onward, while the Hermitage pleasure ground survives at the southern edge.

Why it mattered

Craigvinean helped prove that larch could be grown commercially on Scottish hills. The experiment influenced later forestry while also showing how estate planting could remake an older farmed landscape.