The Right Tree in the Right Place: Planning for Forestry and Woodlands

This guidance provides Scottish Government advice to planning authorities on planning for forestry and woodlands.

The Scottish Government's Policy on Control of Woodland Removal

This document provides policy direction for decisions on woodland removal in Scotland.

The Scottish Government's Policy on Non-Timber Forest Products

In recent years, there has been renewed interest in woodland product gathering in Scotland with around 20% of the Scottish population collecting some form of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP - products of biological origin other than wood derived from forests, other wooded land, and trees outside forests) in the last 12 months. 

While modern sustainable forest management practices place emphasis on managing forests to recognise and promote a broad range of values and uses, and Scottish Government are keen to support and encourage NTFP activities for personal use or business, any gathering must be carried out in a responsible, sustainable, and respectful way.

This document provides an updated policy direction (2024) for decisions on encouraging and supporting the sustainable development of the Non-Timber Forest Products sector in Scotland.

The Scottish Government's Rationale for Woodland Expansion

This document lays out the Scottish Government’s thinking on how woodland expansion can best increase the delivery of public benefits from Scotland’s land.

The Scottish Government’s strategic approach to restoring and expanding Scotland’s rainforest

The Scottish Government is committed to restoring and expanding Scotland’s temperate or Atlantic rainforest. This is a policy priority set out in Scotland’s Forestry Strategy and the 2023 Programme for Government.

This strategic approach aims to accelerate delivery in tackling the challenges facing these iconic native woodlands and identify the practical steps the Scottish Government and its partners can take to help the rejuvenation of Scotland’s rainforest. Recognising funding constraints, it sets out how this will be implemented over the next three years and sustained over the longer term.

The Social and Environmental Benefits of Forests in Great Britain: Air Pollution Report

This is one of several factsheets published by the Forestry Commission on various aspects of sustainable forest management.

The Social and Environmental Benefits of Forests in Great Britain: Archaeology Report

The aim of this study is to value the management of the nation’s archaeological heritage through the application of guidelines on forests and archaeology.

The Social and Environmental Benefits of Forests in Great Britain: Biodiversity Report

This Report looks at existing studies on the biodiversity value of woodlands, and the problems of applying values from these studies across all woodland.

The Social and Environmental Benefits of Forests in Great Britain: Carbon Sequestration Report

In this study carbon sequestration is modelled for units of woodland (at a subcompartment level) and is then aggregated for regions of Britain.

The Social and Environmental Benefits of Forests in Great Britain: Landscape Report

This study concentrates on the amenity value of forests, that is the benefits that individuals gain from forest views.

The Social and Environmental Benefits of Forests in Great Britain: Main Report

Forests in Britain produce social and environmental benefits, in addition to marketable timber outputs. These non-market benefits include open access non priced recreation, landscape amenity, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, pollution absorption, water supply and quality, and protection of archaeological artefacts. The aim of this study was to provide empirical estimates of each of these social and environmental benefits.

The Social and Environmental Benefits of Forests in Great Britain: Recreation Report

The objective of this report is to find the total and marginal recreational value of British forests.