Thursday, 09 February 2023
Forestry and Land Scotland is appealing for help in piecing together a puzzle that its South Region team uncovered in a woodland near Jedburgh. A survey being carried out as part of a land management review at Swinnie plantation, revealed an earthwork structure of about 5 acres (2ha) shaped like a jigsaw puzzle piece. Three puzzle pieces have been found within the local area all within 5km of ea...
Thursday, 02 February 2023
Work is to begin later this month to develop 56 environmentally sensitive Forest Holidays cabins at Glentress. This work, which is taking place in and around the current Buzzard’s Nest car park, skills park and freeride area, is the latest phase of the Glentress Masterplan delivery. This plan aims to boost tourism and the long-term future for economic growth in the Tweed Valley and South...
Tuesday, 31 January 2023
Counting voles and ringing bats is all a day’s work for the five ecology interns on placement with Forestry & Land Scotland (FLS) for the next 12 months. They’re working out in the field during a year’s break from their degree courses, learning new, practical skills and working alongside experienced ecologists and land managers. The interns are the first-ever intake of ecology interns ...
Monday, 23 January 2023
Volunteers keen on getting in on a bothy-build are being invited to get in touch with the Mountain Bothy Association (MBA). The build – or renovation – will be of a disused building that has been licensed to the MBA by land manager Forestry and Land Scotland’s West Region team. Located south east of Oban and north of Lochgilphead, the building – Druimnashallag – was built in 1891 but w...
Thursday, 19 January 2023
Forestry and Land Scotland is looking to recruit seasonal rangers to help manage visitors to some of it’s hot-spot destinations during the summer. As the largest provider of outdoor recreation in Scotland with over 300 visitor destinations to look after, the increase in ‘staycations’ over the last few years has seen a significant increase in visitor numbers. The ongoing staycation trend, c...
Friday, 13 January 2023
Forestry and Land Scotland is advising that access restrictions and diversions will be in place at several locations across the Trossachs as work begins to tackle forests affected by tree disease, Phytophthora ramorum, which attacks larch trees. The work – which has already started at Loch Ard and is scheduled for Braeval and Balmaha from mid-January until March – will involve some diversions...
Tuesday, 27 December 2022
New research and a five-year study of red squirrel behaviour indicate that conservation efforts targeting one of Scotland’s most-loved species need to be rethought. One report - from Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) Inverness and Heriot-Watt University - indicates that red squirrel populations are viable in landscapes managed for timber u...
Monday, 05 December 2022
Forestry and Land Scotland will this month begin major forestry works along the north coastal section of Tentsmuir Forest to clear damage caused by Storm Arwen last winter. The work planned for December should not impact access but from January 2023 the felling operations, which will include the removal of the remaining standing trees in this section of forest, will see diversions in place with m...
Tuesday, 29 November 2022
Forestry and Land Scotland’s (FLS) South Region team has helped keep the wheels on Arran High School Mountain Bike Club’s plans to develop an all-weather skills trail facility at Dyemill Forest, Lamlash. Following a successful asset transfer request to FLS the Club purchased 5.71 hectares of land at Dyemill Forest. The project was given a written offer of funding from SportScotland - as...
Saturday, 26 November 2022
Following last year’s exceptional storm events, Forestry and Land Scotland is helping to boost resilience and winter preparedness levels by hosting (26 Nov) a Community Off-road Transport Action Group (COTAG 4x4 Response) in Aultmore Forest. A registered Scottish Charity, the group consists of around 44 community-minded men and women from across northeast Scotland, who as unpaid volunteers work...
Monday, 21 November 2022
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) has announced that Twinflower will take on management of the Glenmore campsite on the shores of Aviemore’s Loch Morlich. A new dedicated Scottish outdoor business, Twinflower has been established by the management team behind the multi-award-winning Holdfast Entertainment Company and will commence operating the site from 1 December 2022. The Scottis...
Wednesday, 16 November 2022
Forestry and Land Scotland’s team in Fife will not be opening the Christmas Tree sales centre at Blairadam this year. With more and more outlets selling trees over the past few years, fewer people have been visiting FLS’ sales centre and it has become uneconomical to continue. Andrew Clark, Regional Visitor Services Manager for FLS said; “We know that our not being there this year w...