Compact Loaders Highlands
LH Groundcare sells and hires MultiOne and Sherpa compact loaders to contractors working across the Scottish Highlands.
Landscapers, foresters and hill farmers call on us for machines that cope with narrow gateways, boggy ground and the steep, remote sites so much Highland work happens on.
We supply the full MultiOne range as an official dealer, alongside the complete Sherpa mini loader lineup, for sale and for hire from our Cumbernauld workshop.
Every machine that leaves us, bought or hired, is checked over by our own technicians first, and that has been true since the business started in 2007.
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MultiOne and Sherpa compact loaders for sale
We sell new MultiOne and Sherpa compact loaders, with used machines available when stock allows.
Buying outright suits operators who regularly need a loader for loading, lifting and moving materials.
The two ranges include loader models for estate work and sites with restricted access.
MultiOne articulated loaders
MultiOne’s articulated, power-steered chassis pivots at the centre rather than skidding the wheels to turn, helping reduce scuffing on lawns, verges and estate driveways.
The telescopic boom provides extra reach for lifting and placing loads.
The range includes diesel models and an electric option for indoor or noise-sensitive work.
Larger machines offer an enclosed cab for winter site work.
MultiOne’s quick-hitch system makes it a multifunction tool carrier, taking attachments from buckets and forks to augers and sweepers.
That versatility lets you use the same loader for several jobs around an estate or worksite.
New machines carry a 3-year warranty. As an official MultiOne dealer, we can help with parts and warranty enquiries.
Sherpa mini loaders
Sherpa’s compact, stand-on loaders are designed for restricted access, including narrow gateways and gaps between croft buildings.
The range covers petrol, diesel and electric options, including machines for indoor demolition work.
The right model depends on the access width, the loads you need to move and the attachments you plan to use.
We can talk you through the options before you buy.
We arrange trailer delivery for new and used loaders, with the journey factored into your quote.
Compact loader hire across the Highlands
Booking into the Highlands
Our hire fleet runs Scotland-wide from Cumbernauld.
Single-track roads with passing places are normal between Highland sites, which means width is carefully considered during selection.
For Highland deliveries, we typically allow for extra lead time for transport.
We don’t promise a next-morning delivery we can’t keep.
What you get, wherever the job is
Every hire loader is serviced before it leaves the workshop and supplied with attachments matched to the job. You can call us for support during the hire.
Hire a loader to move bulk materials such as track aggregate or feed for stock, reducing the labour needed to shift them by hand.
For forestry or estate fencing work lasting several weeks, discuss the hire period and servicing requirements with us when you book.
Attachments for forestry, estate and croft work
Swapping between different attachments is what lets one loader cover forestry, estate and croft work without needing three separate machines on site.
The MultiOne compact loader can support over 170 different attachments, while the Sherpa 100 series can support over 50 attachments.
The quick-hitch system lets you fit attachments in minutes without tools, powered by the loader’s auxiliary hydraulics.
A grapple or timber grab handles brash on a forestry site without a second machine standing by.
Pallet forks move fence posts, feed and strainers around an estate quicker than two people carrying them by hand, and a bucket on muck, silage or equestrian yard work covers most of what an agricultural smallholding or croft needs day to day.
A sweeper’s brush takes care of sweeping yards, car parks and the paths that Highland Council and estate teams maintain, a mower attachment knocks down verges and paddock grass, and an auger drills post holes fast for deer fencing or a new gate line.
Our range of attachments covers both brands if a job needs something beyond what is listed here.
Servicing and parts support from Cumbernauld
We service MultiOne and Sherpa loaders alongside machines from other manufacturers, including Avant, Cast and Workquad, at our Cumbernauld workshop.
We stock hydraulic fittings, filters and other common wear parts, with genuine spares dispatched across the UK.
A replacement hose or filter can go out by courier, while larger repairs may need the loader brought to our workshop.
We can talk you through routine maintenance over the phone and discuss the likely turnaround if your machine needs workshop repairs.
If a breakdown is holding up croft or forestry work, let us know when you call so we can discuss the available options.
We factor the distance from our Cumbernauld workshop into the quote and supply arrangements, including transport costs and delivery timing.
The team also discusses the attachments and servicing requirements before the machine goes out, particularly for longer jobs at remote Highland sites.
What Highland ground demands from a compact loader
Rough, rocky ground
On rough estate tracks, traction and ground clearance matter as much as machine width.
Four-wheel-drive MultiOne models use hydraulic wheel motors and differential locking to help maintain grip on uneven ground.
For rocky sites, we also consider tyre choice, clearance over exposed stones and the loads you need to carry.
Steep slopes and banks
For cutting banks and ditch edges, a compatible side-mounted flail can let a MultiOne work from accessible ground alongside the slope. This can reach vegetation where driving the loader itself would be unsuitable.
Where the machine needs to travel on a slope, we look at the gradient, ground conditions and intended attachment before recommending a model.
The loader must stay within its manufacturer’s operating limits, which also account for the load and machine configuration.
Keeping up with spring and summer growth
When spring and summer growth takes off, keeping estate tracks, verges and paddock edges clear becomes a regular job.
A compatible MultiOne flail mower tackles long grass and light scrub, while a finishing mower suits areas where a closer, tidier cut is needed.
Once the cutting is finished, the same loader can take pallet forks for fencing materials, a bucket for track aggregate or a grab for cleared branches.
Choosing the attachments around the seasonal workload keeps the machine useful beyond mowing.
Forestry, estates and crofts
Narrow extraction routes and soft ground affect the choice of forestry machinery on sites around Lochaber.
Compact loaders can handle trackside brash and thinnings, as well as logs and timber from arboriculture work.
Sporting estates around Speyside and further north move fencing materials for deer management, shift feed to livestock through winter and maintain access tracks.
Where a croft on Skye or in Caithness has limited yard space, a compact loader may be more practical than a full-size telehandler for muck handling, silage and equestrian yard work.
Narrow roads and remote access
Wind farm construction and hydro scheme upkeep around glens like Affric and Moriston can involve steep, soft ground with limited turning space.
Machine selection needs to account for access, ground conditions and the operator’s visibility when manoeuvring.
Picking the right loader for narrow access
Size comes first, but ground condition and reach count just as much.
A MultiOne handles an estate drive, a builder’s plot or anywhere needing pallet lifts, a reach over a wall or digging at an angle a fixed-arm machine cannot manage, and the diesel models run a flail or trencher all day without losing power.
That reach and power count for nothing if the loader can’t fit through a single-width gate first, and a Sherpa takes over at that point.
A telehandler can out-lift either of them on raw lift capacity, but it also needs the width and turning space Highland sites often do not give.
Operators comparing the three usually end up matching the machine to the real workload over the biggest spec sheet.
Picking the right loader for narrow access
Size comes first, but ground condition and reach count just as much.
A MultiOne handles an estate drive, a builder’s plot or anywhere needing pallet lifts, a reach over a wall or digging at an angle a fixed-arm machine cannot manage, and the diesel models run a flail or trencher all day without losing power.
That reach and power count for nothing if the loader can’t fit through a single-width gate first, and a Sherpa takes over at that point. A telehandler can out-lift either of them on raw lift capacity, but it also needs the width and turning space Highland sites often do not give.
Operators comparing the three usually end up matching the machine to the actual workload over the biggest spec sheet. Our guide to working through narrow gateways sets out the access measurements worth checking before you book.
FAQs on compact loaders in the Scottish Highlands
Does ILH have a depot in the Highlands?
No. We don’t have a branch in Inverness or anywhere else north of the Central Belt. We’re based in Cumbernauld. Sales and parts go out UK-wide, and our hire fleet covers the whole of Scotland including the Highlands. You get the same specialist advice and the same machines, with a delivery distance factored honestly into the plan.
How quickly can you get a hire loader to the Highlands?
It depends on where you are and what is already booked. If the job is urgent, call us directly so we can work out a realistic timeline together. We won’t quote a date we can’t meet.
Can a compact loader handle estate, forestry or croft ground?
Yes, within reason. MultiOne and Sherpa loaders are built for rough, uneven and soft ground, not tarmac or a warehouse floor, and the low ground pressure on most models means less damage to turf or a track than a heavier machine leaves behind.
Can a mini loader replace a telehandler?
For some jobs, yes. A compact loader will not match a telehandler’s maximum lift height or capacity, but it turns in a fraction of the space, fits through gates a telehandler never will, and swaps attachments faster.
What size loader do I need for a narrow gateway or a tight croft?
Measure the gateway or the gap first, because width usually limits a loader before weight does. Sherpa models are built around tight access and fit through most standard gateways and doorways, while the smaller MultiOne machines manage many garden and field gates too. Tell us the measurements when you call and we will confirm which models actually fit before you book one that does not.
Get the right compact loader to your Highland site
Tell us what the job is, where it is, and what the access looks like, and we will match you to the loader and attachments suited to it.
The business has been family-run since 2007, we’re MultiOne’s official dealer, and the same Cumbernauld workshop backs every loader we sell or hire, wherever in the Highlands it ends up working.
Call 0141 775 9288 or get in touch through the website, and we will talk you through sale or hire, whichever makes more sense for how often you will use the machine.