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A former Prime Minister's Aberdeenshire shooting estate is set to become Scotland's largest carbon-offsetting scheme with around four million trees to be planted across 3,000 acres of Glen Dye.

The estate, which sits south of Banchory, was held for generations by former Liberal Prime Minister William Gladstone.

It was later sold to an individual based in Scotland, before the land was bought by Edinburgh-based investment fund Par Equity and Aviva.

The estate features popular hills Clachnaben and Mount Battock, though there won't be a "dramatic change" in the landform, according to the director north for Scottish Woodlands Neil Crookston.

Scottish Woodland is managing the scheme on behalf of Par Equity and Aviva, who are expected to apply for Scottish Government funding to assist with the scheme.

"It is a very detailed scheme and we are looking at the whole landscape here," said Mr Crookston.

"I don't see it as a forestry project, I see it as a landscape project. It's exciting looking across the glen and knowing what should go there, what should go here."

He added: "There will be change for the visitor as the woodland will signal a change from the open environment. But if you are standing at the top of Clachnaben and are looking out, you will still see right across Aberdeenshire .The view point from the top won’t change.

"From a distance, there won’t be a dramatic change in the landform. It's not a very enclosed woodland and you have these pieces of cultural history through the glen that allow us to interpret the landscape."

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