Our Story
Unusually for a gift, our story begins with some legislation…….
A souvenir plot is defined in the Land Registration (Northern Ireland) Act 1970 as
“a piece of land which, being of inconsiderable size or no practical utility, is unlikely to be wanted in isolation except for the sake of mere ownership or for sentimental reasons or commemorative purposes”
This allows us to sell small plots of land as a gift, without the need for solicitors or conveyancing which would make the gift prohibitively expensive.
Profits from selling the gift allow us to manage and improve the land, so that plot wildlife may thrive and plot owner really enjoy their visit.
Our Origins
Our organisation was formed in 2006. We have created two nature reserves in the Scottish Highlands, one of which has become an official 4 star tourist attraction and, according to Trip Advisor, the most popular nature reserve in Scotland.
The ongoing success of our Scottish project convinced us that we could do something similar in Ireland, and so the Celtic Titles journey began in 2020. This project has ambitious aims to help conserve Ireland and provide vital habitat for a number of declining species, and our first Irish location is Slievekirk Wood, Ardmore, near Derry.
The popularity of our gift will ultimately decide the success of our project.
Successes So Far…
In 2007, we bought some 250 acres of land approximately 10 miles from Glencoe. As with much of the Highlands, the land had been used for commercial forestry and hill farming over the years. At the time of purchase, the land was an inaccessible and relatively unsuccessful commercial Sitka plantation.
Key objectives for our project included:
- To help preserve and encourage protection of flora and fauna
- To create an amenity for the local community
- To provide an education medium for local schools and organisations
In 2014, the company purchased second plot of land: a 180-acre Sitka plantation approximately 10 miles West of Invergarry, called MountainView. In addition to our tree-planting, we have fenced off a substantial area of land and planted a ‘nature hedge’, consisting of hawthorn, blackthorn and other trees and shrubs which will provide habitat for wildlife. As the Sitka matures and becomes commercially viable to remove, we will replace them with native trees.
