Monday, 07 October 2019
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, Galloway's Dark Sky Park, easily accessible from our Visitor Centre in Kirroughtree, offers ...
Thursday, 03 October 2019
Photo: buzzymelibee via Flickr With the October half-term approaching it's the perfect time to explore Scotland's forests at their finest. It’s when the landscape really comes to life in russet reds, brilliant oranges and dusty yellows of the season. Whether you're foraging, stargazing, or visiting your favourite place you need to make sure you've got the energy to make the most of it. Read ...
Wednesday, 25 September 2019
On Saturday 12 October, The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre will transform its trails into a wonderland of colour and light. Come and join us for an unforgettable night in the woods, which will let you see the forest in an entirely new and enchanting way. Celebrating 100 years of forestry This year's event is a little different. The theme is '100 years of Forestry'- celebrating a century sin...
Friday, 20 September 2019
Hope has made it across the Sahara The last report about Hope was that she had safely made it across the Alboran Sea and arrived in North Africa. Since then, she travelled down through Morocco and entered into dangerous Saharan territory. She headed into the desert and we have waited with baited breath to see if she would make it across such a harsh landscape after having journeyed so far. We don...
Thursday, 19 September 2019
On the banks of Loch Lomond, a new partnership programme between Forestry and Land Scotland and the local community has been forging a new path in the realms of planning and consultation. As an area with some of the highest visitor footfall in the country, the communities in Loch Lomond and the surrounding areas are vital to developing sensible approaches to everything from biodiversity and cl...
Thursday, 12 September 2019
Hope has left the United Kingdom! At last, some good news! Hope, the third young osprey from the main nest in Tweed Valley, has started her migration and safely made it out of the UK. In our first update from Hope, we learned she had crossed France and reached Spain on 9 September. At 9:43am Hope was flying at an altitude of 810m, at a leisurely speed of 8.72knots. Her journey took her over the ...
Friday, 06 September 2019
There’s nothing better than escaping the hustle and bustle of the city and getting out into the wild. Crossing some water to get there makes the adventure all the more exciting. There are hidden forest gems and well-travelled trails all across Scotland’s coastline and islands, just a boat-ride away—many more accessible than you might think. The west of Scotland is internationally renowned...
Wednesday, 04 September 2019
On National Wildlife Day, our friend Heart of Argyll Wildlife’s Pete Creech brings us a guest blog on the beavers of Knapdale. Over the summer, they have been busy as... well, beavers! Find out what our Norwegian guests have been up to in the lochs and wetlands of Barnluasgan, and learn more about the different species who inhabit this picturesque woodland. Take it away, Pete! Moving...
Tuesday, 03 September 2019
There are all sorts of creatures living in the forest, and not all of them are easy to spot. You have to keep a sharp eye out when having a look through the undergrowth, or you might miss something! What's more, even the less beautiful forest creatures can tell us unique and fascinating things about our climate, our forests, and their biodiversity. Last week, our colleague Colin Edwards, Biodiv...
Monday, 02 September 2019
Very sad news Luna never made it off English shores. She got as far as the Blandford Forum area of Dorset, where she roosted overnight. Tragicallyt, on her flight the next morning, she struck overhead power lines. She broke her wing and was taken to the vet, but was put to sleep as they couldn’t save her. Luna was recovered close to the power line shown in the Google image. The red dot was h...
Wednesday, 28 August 2019
Migration progress Luna stopped overnight in the wooded valley beside the coast near to Lythe on 20 August. The next day, she moved on again, continuing her way south to Lincolnshire. She flew 151km, stopping overnight in a woodland belt near Ulceby Cross, close to the A1104 road. Overnight roost for Luna in Yorkshire near to Lythe 19 August Heading south Crossing the Humber into Grimsby...
Monday, 26 August 2019
Foraging for mushrooms and other wild-growing ingredients is one of the most fun and rewarding activities you can get up to in Scotland's forests. Not only do you get to see and hear all the wonders of the wild woods... you get to taste them as well! As our feature on foraging explains, there are some very important safety considerations to pay attention to when foraging for any wild food...
Wednesday, 21 August 2019
Luna flies south The migration of the main nest’s young ospreys has begun. Luna left Tweed Valley, and her first stop was Minto On 19 August at approximately 3:15pm, Luna, one of the main nest young ospreys left Tweed Valley and set off in a south easterly direction. Overnight in a tree north of Minto, in the Scottish Borders The first part of her journey was a flight of 32.84km to nort...
Tuesday, 20 August 2019
The hunt is on at the wildlife-rich coastal forest of Tentsmuir this August, as staff from Forestry and Land Scotland and Butterfly Conservation Scotland team up to track down the elusive and endangered Lunar Yellow Underwing moth. Over the past decade, the Lunar Yellow Underwing has become exceptionally scarce in Scotland. As far as our experts are aware, Tentsmuir is the moth's sole surviving...