Geotechnical Investigation Scotland – Northpoint conduct intrusive works to facilitate essential access to over £1.5M of harvestable timber at Barracks.


The site is located at Barracks which is positioned 10km south of the Bridge of Gaur near Pitlochry, Scotland.

Barracks is managed as a commercial forest with the primary objective being to grow and harvest timber for use in the UK timber industry.

The forest as a whole covers over 4400 ha, with around 3,700 ha on the east side of the Glasgow to Fort William railway line and an area of around 700ha on the west side of the line.

The main forest on the east side of the line is well-serviced by forest roads and access to the public road network. The 700ha of forest on the west side of the line is referred to as ‘White Cow’ and is accessed by a ford underneath the rail line which is unsuitable for timber lorries.

Therefore, a new rail facility is proposed to the north of Rannoch Station including a new vehicle crossing spanning the existing rail track. We completed works at the Glasgow to Fort William Railway line on behalf of Beaver Bridges for Fountains Forestry.

Geotechnical Investigation Scotland – due to the isolated nature of the works, specialist plant was used to gain access and complete the two rotary boreholes on either side of the Glasgow to Fort William railway line. The geology encountered is a geologists dream, comprising superficial deposits over Granodiorite of the Rannock Moor Pluton Formation.


Geotechnical Investigation Scotland – Northpoint are experts at delivering comprehensive ground investigation in difficult access situations. Whether your project is rail related or not, feel free to contact the team and discover how we can make a difference to your build.