List of forests managed by Forestry and Land Scotland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) (Scottish Gaelic: Coilltearachd agus Fearann Alba) was formed on 1 April 2019 and is responsible for managing and promoting the National Forest Estate in Scotland.[1] The national forest estate owned by FLS covers 6,400 km2, being roughly 8% of the land area of Scotland. Around two-thirds of this land is forested, with the remaining land consisting of a mixture of agricultural land and open areas such as moorland.[2]
As of January 2020 there were 307 individual forests listed on the FLS website;[3] there are also 6 designated forest parks.
List of Forests
| Name | Location | Size (hectares) | Description | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberfoyle Forest | Stirling | Part of the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park. | [4] | |
| Achnabreac | Argyll and Bute | An area of open woodland close to the prehistoric sites of Kilmartin Glen. | [5] | |
| Achnashellach Forest | Highland | 1,535 | Achnashellach Forest does not have recreational facilities that many other FLS forests have. It is in a remote part of the Scottish Highlands and is fairly mountainous. The forest was originally part of the Caledonian Forest. | [6][7] |
| Aldie Burn | Highland | Has woodland trails along the glen of the Aldie burn. | [8] | |
| Allean Forest | Perth and Kinross | Site of an ancient Pictish fort overlooking Loch Tummel. | [9] | |
| Allt Mor | Highland | Part of Glenmore Forest Park. | [10] | |
| Allt na Crìche | Highland | North of Fort Augustus, overlooking Loch Ness. | [11] | |
| Aoineadh Mòr | Highland | In the Morvern district, the forest has waymarked trails that highlight the impact of the Highland Clearances on the area. | [12] | |
| Ard Hill | Highland | A trail leads to a viewpoint overlooking Loch Alsh. | [13] | |
| Àrd-Àirigh | Highland | Semi-natural Atlantic oakwoods in the Sunart district. | [14] | |
| Ardcastle | Argyll and Bute | Forest on the shore of Loch Fyne, with cycling, horse-riding and walking trails. | [15] | |
| Ardentinny | Argyll and Bute | Part of the Argyll Forest Park, this forest borders Cowal's longest sandy beach, on the shore of Loch Long. | [16] | |
| Ardgartan | Argyll and Bute | Part of the Argyll Forest Park, this forest covers the northern and eastern slopes of The Brack. | [17] | |
| Ardmolich | Highland | Rocky wooded hills, covered mostly in conifer plantations, in the Moidart district. | [18] | |
| Ardmore | Argyll and Bute | In the northern part of the Isle of Mull, Ardmore Forest holds the remains of the ruined settlements of Ardmore and Penalbanach. | [19] | |
| Ardyne | Argyll and Bute | Part of the Argyll Forest Park, this forest lies to the south of Dunoon. | [20] | |
| Argyll Forest Park | Argyll and Bute | 21,133 | In 1935, Argyll Forest became the first Forest Park in Britain. It lies on the border between the Scottish Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands. | [21][22] |
| Ariundle | Highland | The Atlantic oakwoods of Airundle have been a national nature reserve since 1977. | [23][24] | |
| Aros Park | Argyll and Bute | On the outskirts of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, Aros Park has walking trails, trout fishing and a barbecue area. | [25] | |
| Arrochar | Argyll and Bute | Part of the Argyll Forest Park, FLS property at Arrochar includes the summits of The Cobbler and Beinn Narnain. | [26] | |
| Auchenshuggle | Glasgow | An urban forest in Glasgow's East End, lying between the M74 and the West Coast Main Line. | [27] | |
| Back o'Bennachie | Aberdeenshire | On the northern slopes of Bennachie, trails here provide a route to hill's highest summit, Oxen Craig. | [28] | |
| Balblair Wood | Highland | Lying to the north of the Kyle of Sutherland, Balblair Wood is laid out with walking and mountain bike trails. | [29][30] | |
| Balgownie Wood | Fife | Balgownie Wood was once owned by Culross Abbey, and was first planted with trees during the middle ages. | [31] | |
| Balkello Community Woodland | Angus | Balkello was first planted with trees in the 1990s, and there are now 150,000 young trees growing at the site. | [32][33] | |
| Ballachulish | Highland | Located above the former slate quarries on the shores of Loch Leven. | [34] | |
| Craik Forest | Scottish Borders | Craik Forest is primarily a commercial forest with timber being processed at facilities nearby. There are some recreational facilities within the forest. | [35][36] | |
| Dalbeattie Forest | Dumfries and Galloway | 1100 | Dalbeattie Forest has primarily been a commercial forest, though the Forestry Commission has worked with local organisations to expand recreational facilities. The forest now hosts one of the 7stanes biking trails. | [37][38] |
| Forest of Ae | Dumfries and Galloway | 9100 | Ae was created by the Forestry Commission soon after it was established. While it is mainly a commercial forest, it is also one of the 7stanes forests. | [39][40] |
| Galloway Forest Park | Dumfries and Galloway | 97000 | Galloway Forest is the largest forest in Britain. In 2009 it became the first Dark Sky Park in the UK. | [41][42][43] |
| Garscadden Wood | Glasgow | 16.94 | Garscadden Wood lies within the Drumchapel Woodlands, slightly north west of Glasgow. | [44][45] |
| Glen Affric | Highland | 9000 | Glen Affric is home to a large area of Caledonian Forest and is designated a national nature reserve. | [46][47] |
| Glencoe Lochan | Highland | Glencoe Lochan forest was established by 1st Baron Strathcona in the 19th century. It is a coniferous forest. | [48] | |
| Glenmore Forest Park | Highland | 3500 | Glenmore contains some Caledonian woodland. It became the second Forest Park to be created by the Commission in 1948. | [49][50] |
| Knapdale Forest | Argyll and Bute | 19800 | Knapdale has a colony of beavers as part of the Scottish Beaver Trial. | [51][52][53] |
| Mabie Forest | Dumfries and Galloway | Mabie Forest has been owned by the Forestry Commission since 1943. It has become a recreational forest, with walking routes and 7stanes biking trails. | [54] | |
| Queen Elizabeth Forest Park | Stirling | 16780 | The Queen Elizabeth Forest Park consists of several forests. It became a forest park in 1953 as part of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. | [55][56] |
| Tay Forest Park | Perthshire | The Tay Forest Park is made up of several different forests. The forest has been visited by several royals, including Queen Victoria and Queen Isabella of Scotland. | [57] | |
| Tweed Valley Forest Park | Scottish Borders | 6800 | The Tweed Valley Forest Park is made up of seven forests around the Scottish Borders. Glentress and Innerleithen forests are part of the 7stanes biking trail project. | [58][59] |