Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Forestry’s central importance to Scotland’s journey to Net Zero was the focus of a visit to a brownfield restoration site today (24 August) by Màiri McAllan, Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform. Ms McAllan joined Forestry and Land Scotland staff and local community representatives at Mainshill, near Douglas, a former open cast coal mine in her Clydesdale constituency that ...
Tuesday, 24 August 2021
Scotland must seize the opportunity to rapidly increase planting of productive forestry to offset the full impact of future timber supply shocks. Forestry and Land Scotland says that the UK as a whole – which currently imports 80% [note 5] of its annual timber requirement – is far too vulnerable to fluctuations in the global market. But it also says that Scotland is well placed to mit...
Wednesday, 18 August 2021
A timber processor in Troon is creating 25 new jobs thanks to a new contract awarded to them by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS). The contract supports the introduction of a third shift at Alexanders Timber Design generating 25 new jobs at the Troon site they share with sister business, Glennon Brothers. It also secures the future of two local forestry contracting firms. The new contract grants ...
Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is advising climbers and hillwalkers coming to the Ballachulish area to check their plans against some access restrictions arising from delays to planned felling works at Gleann a Caolais and additional forestry operations taking place soon at Coire Giùbhasachan. Originally scheduled for 27th July and 6th August 2021, the Gleann a Caolais operations will now take...
Wednesday, 28 July 2021
Forestry and Land Scotland is advising members of the public that there will be no public access to Durris, Fetteresso and Drumtochty Forests on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 August. The restrictions (under Section 11 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003) are to help ensure public safety during the Grampian Forest Rally. The organisers have already announced that the event will be ...
Friday, 23 July 2021
Surveys in Cowal to detect whether a tree disease deadly to larch has spread over the winter have uncovered 60 suspected sites of new infection. Further testing will be carried out to confirm the presence of Phytophthora ramorum at the new sites - mainly in the Kilmun, Ardentinny, south Loch Eck and Lochgoilhead areas. Positive test results will result in FLS being served more Statutory Plant He...
Friday, 23 July 2021
Forestry and Land Scotland has underlined its commitment to deer management in Perthshire with a £250k investment in a new deer larder. The new facility, which will handle around 900 carcasses every year (but which can deal with 1500), provides modern and efficient premises where venison progresses into the human food chain from the point at which the deer was culled. Deer num...
Wednesday, 21 July 2021
Forestry and Land Scotland is planning to expand its car park at Ben A’an later this year to help ease congestion at the hugely popular site. Supported by the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund, the works are not expected to start until Sept (after the busy summer season) and will see an increase of 26 spaces at the car park. In the interim, FLS is asking visitors to be considerate, plan ahead ...
Friday, 16 July 2021
Forestry and Land Scotland is beginning to make preparations to fell 125,000 tonnes of timber from a hillside forest at east Loch Lomond-side that could take as long as ten-years to complete. A Land Management Plan outlining the long-term proposals for Ptarmigan Forest (opposite Tarbet) – the removal of productive conifer and the retention (and regeneration) of native woodland - will be put out...
Friday, 16 July 2021
With a ‘very high’ fire risk warning in place over the weekend for Easter Ross and Moray, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is urging anyone thinking of visiting a forest to observe wildfire prevention guidance and avoid putting the emergency services under unnecessary pressure. The call comes in support of warnings issued by the Scottish Fires and Rescue Service and the Scottish Wil...
Monday, 05 July 2021
Forestry and Land Scotland is inviting people living in and around Auchterarder and the Ochil Hills to offer their views on the land management plan for Glen Devon and Glen Sherup. The two forest blocks, which cover roughly the same area as 1200 football pitches (1200 ha), are mostly made up of coniferous forest originally planted in the 1960s and 70s. The plan, which covers the next...
Friday, 02 July 2021
A weekend incident (26 June) which saw Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) staff verbally abused and environmental damage inflicted at a SSSI site has led FLS to call for greater public support in dealing with anti-social behaviour. A small group of young males camping at Glenmore were behaving aggressively towards FLS staff and in a way that made other members of the public feel unsafe. Their actio...