To think of woodland in Scotland, many would visualise our iconic Scots pine trees in rugged, spectacular landscapes. Scots pine, voted as Scotland’s national tree over a decade ago, has been important to people in the Highlands for centuries. Although now widely planted, some ancient sites still support wild Scots pine populations, descended naturally over generations from the trees that first colonised Scotland after the last ice age.
The first people to put these special places on the record were Steven and Carlisle, publishing their book The Native Pinewoods of Scotland in 1959. The original 35 sites were then revised in the 1990s by the then Forestry Commission, and now include 84 woodlands, recognised on the ‘Caledonian Pinewood Inventory.’
71 of the Caledonian Pinewood Inventory sites have been surveyed by Trees for Life through the Caledonian Pinewood Recovery Project and, although there are some success stories, many known pinewoods are in a critical condition. It is hoped that the evidence from the report can now help steer future land management decisions and influence government, something we are taking forward through our advocacy work.
Trees for Life, in collaboration with Woodland Trust Scotland, have realised from observations in the landscape and a variety of historical sources that there are many more ‘lost’ pinewoods. They are undocumented and could potentially be lost forever without a helping hand.
This is where the Wild Pine Project comes in. Without knowing where these fragments of pinewood are, and in what condition they are in, we cannot hope to change the outcomes for these unique places. The first step of the process is to identify potential wild pine refuges. It’s really unusual to find a wild pine fragment – they are generally small and very remote. Many are hidden in ravines and on crags, where they are safe from deer. The reason these places have gone undocumented up until now is likely because of their isolation. If you have come across one, you are very lucky!
Once identified, a lot of detective work gets underway for each pinewood refuge. The survey investigates three strands of evidence: historical, ecological and landscape context. Their history is traced back through the centuries, the ecological indicators of ancient pinewood habitat are recorded and what’s around in the surrounding landscape is taken into account. All the evidence together will help establish whether these pinewoods are wild or planted and provide details of their health and resilience.
Our Wild Pine project will then work to have these now ‘found’ wild pinewoods recognised and promote their recovery, including by presenting the findings, along with practical advice, to landowners and managers.
The Wild Pine Project is a partnership project between Trees for Life and Woodland Trust Scotland. It is funded by the TreadRight Foundation; and Woodland Trust Scotland, thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery and other supporters.