We're always excited to see local people and communities make use of their nearby national forests and land. Whether holding wellbeing events, running outdoor learning projects, managing or even purchasing land from us through the Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS), community groups have a number of opportunities to get involved.

Our Community Strategy 

Our Community Strategy sets out our priorities under three key principles and provides examples of existing community initiatives. Our strategy is an open invitation for groups to come forward with ideas on how Scotland’s national forests and land can benefit the wider communities they’re part of. 

Community Strategy

You can see a summary and analysis of the consultation responses here: consultation response and analysis.

Community led projects and activities

We try not to have too many restrictions on how our forests and land are used and many activities don’t need our formal permission. For other activities with longer timescales or impacts on the land, we’ll need to work together to create an agreement.

You can find more information on this, what you'll need in place, how to make your initial approach and what you can expect from us in our Communities Guide. 

Communities Guide

After reading the guide, if you would like further advice on how to proceed, contact your local office providing as much information as possible so we can get a good understanding of your idea.

Further ways we work with communities

You might also be interested in:

• Permissions and permits for short-term and one off events
• The Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS) for ownership, lease or rights to use Scotland's national forests and land.
• Land management plan consultations
• Community benefits and opportunities from renewable energy developments