Den Of Ogil Reservoir & Woods and approved site for off-grid cabin

A rare opportunity to purchase a stunning, magical and secluded reservoir of historical importance, with adjacent amenity woodland. Sporting rights included.

• Approved planning permission for an off-grid waterside cabin.
• A haven for wildlife and an ideal weekend or holiday retreat.
• Picturesque woodland included.
• Excellent wild trout fishing.
• Potential to generate income as a fishery or from holiday lodges.

This beautiful and tranquil reservoir was formed in 1880 by the construction of two embankment dams and was previously used to supply the public in Forfar and the surrounding area with water. Today, no water is taken from the reservoir, and it has become a haven for wildlife and leisure. The length of the reservoir makes it ideal for recreational activities such as water skiing, sailing, kayaking, wild swimming and paddleboarding. In addition, there is a healthy population of trout and pike to fish for.
Situated on the northern bank runs a strip of highly attractive mixed amenity woodland which thrives with biodiversity including rabbits, roe deer, badgers, foxes as well as many plants and insects. This woodland could be used for the construction of further cabins/huts subject to approval from the authorities.

Development Potential

Outline planning permission has been granted for the creation of a recreational cabin with wooden decked area, boat mooring and composting toilet. Additional information on the application is available upon request or via the Angus Council planning Department website.

The property is well located and suited for the development of further chalets or similar buildings and there is high demand for holiday accommodation in the area; however, this is subject to planning consent.

Interested parties should satisfy themselves with regards to services and planning consent for development of the cabin.

Sporting Rights
Sporting rights are included, and as previously mentioned, the reservoir is well suited to fishing. The right of angling for trout by two rods from the reservoir bank or from a rod-fishing boat has been granted to Dundee City Council, subject to the following conditions:
– They are bound to restock the trout every 5 years (at a minimum) in order to replace the number of fish caught and removed over that period.
– They are bound to supervise and maintain fishings in and up on the reservoir and to control those making use of the facilities, as well as the size of fish caught and taken.
– A boathouse should be provided and maintained by them if this is deemed necessary to provide reasonable fishing facilities in and upon the reservoir.
– We understand that none of these rights have been exercised for many years.

Historical Note
To supply water to the nearby town (and Royal Burgh) of Forfar, the construction of this reservoir was approved in 1880 by “the Water Committee of Forfar’s Commissioners of Police.” The Commissioners wanted the best; and so appointed John Frederick Bateman, the greatest of the Victorian dam-builders, as engineer in charge of the project. See John Frederick Bateman – Wikipedia. Bateman had already demonstrated his ability by reconstructing the water supplies for Greenock (1873) and Perth (1880); and by building a completely new scheme for Inverness (1875-77.) The other reservoirs he built all over the world include the seven that still supply greater Manchester with its water to this day.

The reservoir was complete by September 1880. In May 1881, Mr Bateman wrote to the Commissioners confirming that “the main pipe from the Den of Ogil reservoir stood well through the winter, not a single leak or burst having occurred during the last six months.” Bateman’s work on this reservoir was considered so remarkable that it merited a whole article in the prestigious Journal for 1901 of France’s Ecole nationale des ponts et chausees.

The archives of Forfar Council contain a wealth of historical information on this reservoir; and photographs.

Den of Ogil reservoir became surplus to requirements; and it was steadily decommissioned by Scottish Water from the 1980s. In keeping with its policy on redundant assets, Scottish Water then sold the reservoir in 2019, allowing it to become the haven for nature and wildlife that it is today.