Friday, 14 September 2018
The broch of Caisteal Grugaig overlooks Loch Alsh at Totaig. It was built around 2,000 years ago, part of an Iron Age settlement tradition of small defended homesteads found all along the Atlantic coast of Scotland. The word broch comes from the Norse ‘borg’, meaning fort. But although they protected their occupants, they also demonstrated land ownership and tenure. Brochs were built in places...
Sunday, 09 September 2018
There’s been some media interest in the use of chemicals in forestry and in particular on the National Forest Estate. We spoke to Jo Ellis, Forest Enterprise Scotland’s Acting Head of Land Management to find out a bit more about why, how and when chemicals are used to protect our young trees. Why do you need to use chemicals for tree planting? “It’s important that everyone understands t...
Monday, 03 September 2018
A key forest management operation for Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) is thinning trees which creates better quality timber and makes the trees more resilient to pests and diseases. Thinning also opens up the tree canopy to encourage greater biodiversity and a more accessible forest. Not all forests can be thinned, as some are on soils, or at elevations where thinning would actually be detrimenta...
Thursday, 30 August 2018
Fresh water pearl mussels aren’t something you’d normally think about when you enter a forest. But most of the world’s remaining populations of fresh water pearl mussels live in rivers and streams in partially or wholly forested catchments. This means sustainable forest management has a pivotal role to play in conserving this globally threatened population. The FES North Highland Forest Dis...
Monday, 13 August 2018
Newton Nursery in Morayshire is now managed by Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES). This will allow FES to take on full responsibility for its future plant and seed supply, including seed stands and orchards, seed collections, storage and sales.
Wednesday, 25 July 2018
Forest Parks are the jewel in the crown of Scotland's forests. Lush, verdant woodlands containing stunning areas of natural beauty rich in wildlife and plant species, our six Forest Parks play a vital role in the nation's economy, attracting visitors from all over the world. They are also at the heart of our communities, offering space for natural play, exercise, or leisure pursuits, from daily ...
Wednesday, 25 July 2018
Four more applications for communities to buy or lease parts of the National Forest Estate have been approved under the Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS).
Friday, 20 July 2018
An unusually large log was sourced from the National Forest Estate (NFE) to be converted into an Iron Age canoe, demonstrating the diversity and quality of timber grown on the NFE. A number of specialist timber customers seek quality, large dimension timber for a manner of conventional and sometimes unusual applications. Logs of the size requested by the School of Ancient Crafts in Edinburgh – ...
Friday, 13 July 2018
Forest Enterprise Scotland recently surveyed and investigated the farmstead of the Wee Bruach, a series of ruined late 18th century buildings, enclosures and corn drying kilns in Loch Ard ahead of harvesting operations. The buildings were identified as unusual by the Scottish Vernacular Buildings Group. However, trees were growing very close to the buildings, so we recorded the site in advance of ...
Tuesday, 03 July 2018
Scotland's hottest summer on record brought hundreds of people out onto the golden sands of Loch Morlich last weekend. Many enjoyed cooling off in the crystal-clear water or took part in some watersport adventures, whilst others took in the amazing scenery and relaxed, soaking up the rays. Unfortunately along with the sunshine and people come two very big problems - litter&n...
Wednesday, 27 June 2018
The public votes have been counted, and we can finally declare the winners of our massive Spring Photo Jam competition! Winner #1 - with more than twice as many votes as the nearest finalist! - is 14-year old Jodi Clarke, for her moody, rain-swept shot of two sheep on a country road. Jodi's dramatic photo "captures the atmosphere of that place, Scottish climate and all," according to our j...
Thursday, 21 June 2018
Over the past week, our three judges have been hard at work narrowing down 100+ entries to our Spring Photo Jam competition to pick just 12 finalists for the public vote. It's been a tough job - there were so many brilliant images submitted, coming from photographers who ranged in age from 10 to 70. You gave us everything from intimate portraits of birds, bugs and beasties to detailed stu...
Tuesday, 19 June 2018
Jackie Cumberbirch is a Ranger for Forest Enterprise Scotland, based in Moray & Aberdeenshire Forest District. What does being a Ranger involve? “It’s my job to assess what wildlife is present in Clashindarroch forest and woods in north and central Aberdeenshire before forestry work such as cutting trees (providing wood and timber for use in our daily lives), road construction and t...
Wednesday, 13 June 2018
The official Forestry Commission Scotland Spring Photo Jam has come to an end! It's been an incredible week, looking through more than 100 entries to find the best of the best, with contributions from aspiring photographers of all ages, as well as experienced snappers and a few professionals. As you can see from the small selection above, our Facebook and Twitter feeds have provided a riot of co...