Tuesday, 29 May 2018
Did you take some incredible photos this Spring? With Summer just around the corner, we want to see your very best pictures. To give you a little inspiration, we’ve come up with 4 categories - we’ll crown a champion of each category, and two overall winners! We’ve got two incredible grand prizes up for grabs… two £100 vouchers for Go Ape, the UK’s number one treetop adventure, to use...
Tuesday, 29 May 2018
30 kilos of hazel nuts were painstakingly hand-gathered to plant 4,000 hazel and 400 oak trees to create a new hazel wood in the Faery Isles, Knapdale, West Argyll.
Wednesday, 16 May 2018
The Scottish wildcat is one of our best loved native mammals. Breeding with pets and feral cats threatens numbers; as does our presence in wild places. There's concern that forestry adds to that threat. Clashindarroch in Aberdeenshire shows how a working forest can remain a stronghold for wildcats.
Wednesday, 16 May 2018
Wildcats are one of Scotland’s most endangered animals and their conservation and protection is of the highest priority. As with other endangered species, we work hard to protect them as part of our sustainable forest management. Our aim is to ensure that wildcats can thrive on the National Forest Estate.
Wednesday, 16 May 2018
Congratulations to The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) - this month, they have announced a new International Dark Sky Place: Tumacácori National Historical Park in the U.S., bringing the total number of parks up to 100. This is a fantastic achievement, and as we were just the 5th on that list of parks, we’re extra proud to see them reach 100 locations. The IDA now protects more than ...
Wednesday, 09 May 2018
The photo above, taken last week by one of our rangers in the North Highlands, shows a black grouse, with its unmistakable postbox-red crest and blue-black feathers. The ‘lekking’ season is when black grouse breed, and a few of our destinations have been affected - Carrick Forest Drive in Galloway Forest Park has seen a delay to planned roadworks in order to give the grouse population room t...
Tuesday, 01 May 2018
Scotland’s forests hold many secrets. Tales of the past echo in the stillness of the trees and ruins remain as a testament to days gone by.
Thursday, 26 April 2018
Ospreys have returned to their nests at The Lodge in Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, Kirroughtree in Galloway Forest Park, and at Glentress in Tweed Valley Forest Park. As regular readers of our blog will know, these beautiful birds of prey migrate from Africa back to Scotland each year to breed and raise their young, returning to warmer climes in Autumn. Our feathered friends Now is the time of ye...
Monday, 23 April 2018
One of the darkest places in Scotland, Galloway Forest Park became the UK’s first Dark Sky Park in 2009. With light pollution in cities impacting wildlife habitats, human health and biodiversity, finding places to enjoy the majesty of the night sky can be a challenge. For visitors to Scotland however, Dark Sky events at our Visitor Centre in Kirroughtree offer the perfect chance to stargaze. ...
Friday, 20 April 2018
They say you should plan your meals, but never a picnic - and this is doubly true in Scotland, where even during peak summer time our weather can be changeable! Below, we've got suggestions for easy-to-access picnic spots near you, suggestions for snacks, main meals and drinks, and even some ideas for alternative activities and destinations, in case it starts to rain cats and dogs. Find th...
Monday, 05 February 2018
The popular documentary series, The Forest, is on tonight - BBC One Scotland at 19.30hours. Filmed over six months, the six part series gets views up close and personal with those who live and work in Galloway Forest Park. Our Community Projects Manager, Lyndy Renwick, based in Galloway, was involved with the filming. Here she gives us an insight into the filming and explains a bit about her...
Tuesday, 23 January 2018
Image: Ashley Coombes / Rob Mulholland A new video of the visually striking Skytower sculpture at Rawyards near Airdrie has surfaced online this week, courtesy of YouTube channel Above Scotland. Created by artist Rob Mulholland in 2013, the 6-metre high sculpture was designed with the help of the local community, with assistance from children at local primary schools Clarkston and St ...
Monday, 22 January 2018
The Forest, BBC One Scotland’s new six part documentary series, returns to the screens tonight following the different people and timber related organisations that benefit from Galloway Forest Park.
Monday, 15 January 2018
Water voles are recolonising restored wetlands in the Trossachs thanks to an ambitious re-introduction project. Over 1,000 animals were released into 1,700ha of restored wetland habitat on the National Forest Estate and are now thriving throughout the Trossachs. In November last year, this project was shortlisted for The Nature of Scotland Awards which gives recognition to conservation projects fo...