Why a Scottish forest planned for idyllic beauty spot is set for court battle

A forest plantation planned for a national scenic area is set for a court battle over claims it could cause “landscape-scale destruction”.

A 700-hectare conifer forest is being planted around a countryside walkway named after one of Scotland’s most celebrated writers: John Buchan, author of The Thirty Nine Steps.

The plantation, which will predominantly be non-native Sitka spruce, is already being put in the ground at Stobo Hope, near Peebles.