Scotland is not only a land of ancient, legend-shrouded fortresses, mountains and lochs; it also has forestry traditions that can be seen and felt. The Scots tend their forests and take care to regenerate them. In the past, Scotland's forests were heavily worked over the years, until by 1919 they made up just 5% of the country's territory (in this article we shall refer to Scotland as a country, although formally it is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom), but this year they are said to have reached almost 20%. The Scottish Government's Climate Change Plan sets a target of increasing the country's woodland area to 21% by 2032.
It should be stressed that the growth in forest area is confirmed by the official statistics published at the end of June this year, which show that the area of new woodland in Scotland has been the highest in the past 34 years. These figures show that last year Scotland's new plantings accounted for 73% of the total area of new woodland across the whole of the United Kingdom. In 2023/24, 15,000 ha of new woodland (approximately 30 million trees) were planted in Scotland, which is 80% more than the year before.
The statistics show that 2023/24 saw the largest area of so-called native woodland planted in Scotland since 2001 (areas afforested with native tree species characteristic of Scotland) – 7,700 hectares. That is more than twice the figure of the previous year and makes up half of the total area of new woodland recorded in Scotland. The Scots take pride in these figures, which to us in Latvia might not seem particularly large if we compare the areas of new woodland in the two countries. Nevertheless, the Scots stress that their results are excellent and demonstrate the growing importance of forests, the momentum of forestry development, and Scotland as a country friendly to the forest sector. Scotland's public and private forestry sectors, working together, have done a great deal of work in achieving this record result.
Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, is likewise pleased with these results, stressing that the forestry figures are a considerable achievement and very positive news. An enormous amount of work has gone into achieving these excellent results:
"Credit is due to everyone who helped plant trees – Scotland's forestry workers, owners of large and small woodlands, farmers, forestry specialists, the Scottish Government's forestry and agriculture directorate, tree nurseries, forestry companies and their representatives, as well as everyone else who planted trees. These figures are a great example of what can be achieved by working together for the good of Scotland. I want to congratulate everyone involved."
The latest United Kingdom forestry statistics show that 4,550 ha were planted in England, 640 ha in Wales and 430 ha in Northern Ireland. This means that Scotland has created 73% (15,040 ha) of all new woodland in the United Kingdom and has reached 90% of the ambitious woodland creation target, which for 2023/24 stands at 16,500 ha.
Last year 300 separate woodland creation projects were carried out in Scotland. Around half of them were delivered by farmers, livestock keepers and other small landowners. In June last year, when a drop in the rate of woodland creation was recorded, Scottish forestry introduced a new package of measures to encourage tree planting. As a result, the biggest changes since the Forestry Grant Scheme began in 2015 were brought in, including increases in grant rates, new or improved options, and faster processing of applications for creating new woodland.
Scotland's woodland expansion targets are very serious – since 2020/21 they have risen year on year to 12,000 ha, and in 2024/25 to 18,000 ha.
Since the Forestry Grant Scheme was set up in 2015, around 83,000 hectares (about 166 million trees) of new woodland have been planted (created) in Scotland, of which 34,600 hectares are so-called native woodland (native tree species).
A brief note on Scottish Forestry and forest governance in Scotland
Scottish Forestry is the Scottish Government agency responsible for forestry policy, support and legislation.
Scottish Forestry aims to manage and expand Scotland's woodland sustainably. Scottish Forestry stresses that the agency provides expert advice to ministers on forestry policy and supports and works with landowners, forestry professionals, communities and the various stakeholders who support the development of forestry in Scotland.
Scottish Forestry's framework document sets out the arrangements for the governance and accountability of forestry in Scotland, establishing that Scottish Forestry exercises, on behalf of Scottish ministers, the powers and functions laid down in the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018.
Scottish Forestry was established on 1 April 2019 to take over the work of Forestry Commission Scotland. Scottish Forestry was created under legislation fully devolving forestry to Scotland. The agency comprises a national office in Edinburgh and 5 local offices located across Scotland.
Scotland's Forestry Strategy covers the period from 2019 to 2029. It sets out a 50-year vision and a 10-year programme to deliver measures to expand, protect and improve the quality of Scotland's forests, providing greater economic, social and environmental benefits for the people of Scotland.
Around 470,000 hectares of Scotland's woodland belongs to the Scottish Government through Forestry and Land Scotland. These are known as the National Forest Estate. Forestry contributes more than £1 billion to Scotland's economy, and the sector employs more than 25,000 people.
On 1 April 2013, Forestry Commission Wales was merged into Natural Resources Wales: from then until April 2019, the Forestry Commission was responsible only for the forests of England and Scotland. In April 2019 two new bodies were created – Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) (Scottish Gaelic: Coilltearachd agus Fearann Alba) and Scottish Forestry (Scottish Gaelic: Coilltearachd na h-Alba), which took over the responsibilities of the dissolved Forestry Commission Scotland.
Forestry in Scotland is currently the responsibility of two bodies, two Scottish Government agencies that operate independently of the Scottish Government.
Scottish Forestry is responsible for legislation, policy and support for landowners.
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is responsible for the national forest estate (including the unwooded land within it) and for timber production and supply. The agency's work is intended to improve biodiversity, increase public access to nature, promote tourism and support the rural economy. FLS is regulated by Scottish Forestry.
In addition to its regulatory functions in Scotland, Scottish Forestry is also responsible for managing the UK Forestry Standard and the Woodland Carbon Code, as well as for providing economic advice on forestry. It acts on behalf of Scotland, England and Wales under an agreement with the Forestry Commission (England) and Natural Resources Wales.
About the forests: 82% of Scotland's woodland consists of conifer forests, most of which are non-native conifer plantations. The most commonly planted tree species is Sitka spruce, which accounts for almost 48% of all the country's forest land. Other frequently planted non-native trees include pines (Pinus contorta), known in Scotland as lodgepole pine, a tree common in western North America close to the ocean and in dry montane forests up to subalpine regions, but rarely found in lowland rainforests. In Scotland Pinus contorta accounts for 11.1%, larches for 5.9% and Norway spruce for 3.2%. Native pines occupy 11.6% of Scotland's forest land. The total area of native species woodland is estimated at around 398,000 ha. Each year roughly 4,000 ha of new so-called native woodland planting has been created. Quite some time ago – in the Native Woodland Survey of Scotland carried out at the end of 2006 – it was found that 29% of Scotland's native woodland could be classified as "upland birchwoods", while native pinewoods made up 28%. Wet woodlands (now referred to as Scotland's rainforests) made up 14% of all native woodland, "lowland mixed broadleaf woodlands" 8%, and upland oakwoods 6%.
The University of Stirling has recorded more than 1,000 species in Scotland's forests, many of which have long been very closely associated with Scotland, such as the pine marten, the crested tit, the Scottish crossbill, the black grouse, the capercaillie, the grouse and the red squirrel.