Tree Felling Licences

Tree felling licences in Aberdeenshire & Moray

Felling Licences

Most woodlands, forests and non-domestic trees need a felling licence before any felling takes place. Felling licences are granted by Scottish Forestry (formerly the Forestry Commission). The penalty for not having a felling licence can be £5,000 per tree and a criminal record.

Epic Tree Care can help secure felling licences in Moray, Banffshire and Aberdeenshire. Surveying woodlands and collecting all the necessary information for your felling licence. We can calculate an estimated volume of timber for your felling operations. As well as completing your felling application, s we have the necessary mapping software to generate a map of your site.

Epic Tree Care and our founder have been operating in northeast Scotland forestry for over a decade. Our team of tree surgeons are experienced in securing felling licences within Scottish Forestry’s Grampian conservancy.

Felling licences normally require replanting. If the original trees were unsuitable for the site, this is an opportunity to re-plant with appropriate species. For example, large conifers blocking light could be replaced with native deciduous trees.

As part of every felling licence, Epic Tree Care recommends appropriate replacement trees for re-planting. When re-planting we always consider the reason trees are being felled in the first place. We will suggest planting appropriate tree species to avoid problems in the future.

Contact our qualified tree surgeons today for more information on pruning services or to arrange a free quote.

How to Obtain a Felling Licence in Scotland

Whether you decide to go it alone or enlist the help of a team of professionals such as ourselves, you’ll need to submit a completed Felling Permission application to Scottish Forestry. Only eligible persons and legal entities may apply and every application must be accompanied by maps of the affected area. Below, we have outlined the information Scottish Forestry requires from Felling Permission applicants, along with some details about eligibility, and actions that you can take to increase the chances of a hassle-free application and approval process.

Who Can Apply for a Felling Licence in Scotland?

In order to apply for a felling licence in Scotland, you will either need to be the owner of the land where the felling is to be carried out or the occupier of the land. In the latter case, you will need written consent from the landowner before you can submit an application. If you would Epic Tree Care or another professional representative to handle the application process for you, this is easy to arrange. All we will need is a completed mandate: a simple form that confirms we have been authorised to submit a Felling Permission application on your behalf.

What Information Is Required?

Scottish Forestry requires full details of any proposed felling operation involving non-domestic trees before it will consider an application for a felling licence in Scotland. Among other things, you will need to specify exactly what you wish to fell, the location of the trees to be felled and the timescale of the proposed operation.

How to Ensure a Trouble-Free Application

The best way to ensure a trouble-free application process is to engage our services but if you decide to go it alone, you can make your life a little easier by remembering to do all of the following:

  • Informing All Affected Parties in Advance
  • Preparing Accurate Felling Maps
  • Preparing Accurate Restocking Maps if Applicable


If you would like us to take care of everything for you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by phone or email at any time.

Forestry Services

Woodland Thinning

Felling Licences

Storm Damaged Trees

Tree Felling Services

Testimonials

Please see our great reviews from 200+ satisfied customers on Yell, Bark and Google.

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Elaine Rushant profile picture
Elaine Rushant
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We have just purchased a property in Cullen and the trees in our garden needed to be pruned back as the garden was very overgrown. We were extremely happy with the job carried out by Epic Tree Care Limited. Elaine provided us with a clear and detailed quote. When the work was carried out the whole team were lovely and were really helpful in passing on their knowledge about the various species in our garden. Jason also fully explained what they'd done and what they hadn't (nesting birds!) so we knew exactly how the job was progressing. A great job done! I wouldn't hesitate to use their services again in future.
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Lorna Adam profile picture
Lorna Adam
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We had a couple of trees removed by Epic Tree Care. They provided a quote very promptly and turned up to carry out the work at the agreed time. The team were all very helpful and friendly. The trees were cut up and left in a neat pile as we had requested. They removed all the unusable small branches and left the area tidy.
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Michael Barron profile picture
Michael Barron
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We have used Epic several times to remove large windblown and damaged trees from our garden and they always do the work very efficiently and expertly at a reasonable cost. Epic also deals with getting consent from Moray Council under the tree preservation order which covers all of the trees in our garden, so we do not need to worry about the paperwork.
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Beatrix Etienne profile picture
Beatrix Etienne
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I’ve used Epic Tree Care twice now, and on both occasions they’ve delivered excellent service and great value for money. Their pricing is very competitive compared to others I looked at, and they always carry out a survey and provide a free quote before starting any work. The team arrived on time, got straight to work, and were professional and courteous throughout. They did a great job and left my garden clean and tidy afterwards. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them and will definitely be using their services again in the future.
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Diane Wilson profile picture
Diane Wilson
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Great advice, all paperwork done for us. Work was carried out in a timely manner and all debris removed. Highly recommend.
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Dan C profile picture
Dan C
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Excellent work, done safely, quickly and tidily. Will use again.
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Fraser Fergus profile picture
Fraser Fergus
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Epic Tree Care recently dealt with a 20m-plus poplar that had been blown to a precarious angle in the last storm. It was removed carefully and the surrounding area was tidier after the work than it had been before they arrived. I will certainly be using Epic Tree Care in future and am very happy to recommend them.
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John Kingston profile picture
John Kingston
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Four trees taken down,stumps out,all garden cleaned up never known they were here,great team of men,First class company.
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caroline brewer profile picture
caroline brewer
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Amazing service, very smart efficient friendly workers. Made a professional job of my conifers and you wouldn’t have known they had been in. Thank you for a stress free service 👍

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Qualifications list

Inspection

Professional Tree Inspection: Lantra Professional Tree Inspection

Lifting Equipment: City & Guilds NPTC Level 3 Thorough Examination of Arboricultural Equipment

Woodchipper: Lantra Woodchippers

Stumpgrinder: Lantra Stumpgrinders

Chainsaw: City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Chainsaw Maintenance and Cross-cutting

Chainsaw: City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Ground Based Chainsaw Operator

Chainsaw (200-380mm): City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Felling Small Trees up to 380mm

Chainsaw (over 380): City & Guilds NPTC Level 3 Felling and Processing Trees over 380mm

Windblow: City & Guilds NPTC Level 3 Severing Uprooted or Windblown Trees using a Chainsaw

Assisted Fell: City & Guilds NPTC Level 3 Assisted Fell Operations

Rescue: City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Tree Climbing and Aerial Rescue

Chainsaw: City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Using a Chainsaw from a Rope and Harness

Chainsaw: City & Guilds NPTC Level 3 Aerial Tree Pruning

Chainsaw: City & Guilds NPTC Level 3 Aerial Cutting of Trees with a Chainsaw Using Free-fall Techniques

Rigging: City & Guilds NPTC Level 3 Aerial Tree Rigging

Utility Arboriculture: City & Guilds NPTC Level 3 Utility Arboriculture Basic Electrical Knowledge

Chokerman – Skyline: City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Forest Machine Operations – Chokerman

Base Skidder: City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Forest Machine Operations – Base Machine with Skidder

Forwarder: City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Forest Machine Operations – Base Machine with Forwarder

Mulcher: City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Forest Machine Operations – Flail/Mulcher

Felling: City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Forest Machine Operations – Felling

First Aid: Emergency First Aid at Work + Forestry