It’s good to declutter. There comes a time when you realise that you’re not likely to read all those Wilbur Smith novels again and that the gold lamé smoking jacket isn’t quite as flattering as you’d first thought.

The same thought seems to have struck the luvviest of luvvies Richard Attenborough. He has decided that 1,700-acre Rhubodach Forest on the Isle of Bute is no longer an essential lifestyle accessory. That’s the problem with buying a forest. Once you’ve been for a walk in it three or four times there’s not much else you can do with it.

Rather than donate it to the church jumble sale Attenborough has put it on the market and is set to make £1.4m. The island has a population of just over 7000 and they are being balloted on whether or not they want to stump up the cash to buy it. Peter McDonald of the Bute Community Land Company reckons that they can get grant funding for part of the price which means that as well as fleecing the islanders Attenborough also manages to get a big chunk of public money. You don’t get rich by being stupid.

Advocates of the purchase make the case that the opportunity to stroll through the forest will draw in lots more tourists. Based on my recent experience there are more enticing holiday options than trudging through a Scottish forest in the rain but I’m no expert.

Deals like this throw up all sorts of questions. These include:

• Why does anyone need their own forest? What have they got to hide?
• Why is an individual allowed to own a forest?
• Why aren’t these tracts of land taken into public ownership and controlled by their communities.

Darling darling Dickie suddenly seems a bit of a merchant banker.