Royal Scottish Forestry Society
For those who love Scotland’s forests, woodlands and trees
Sharing knowledge, building skills, and inspiring sustainable forestry across Scotland.
We are an educational charity and membership organisation working across Scotland. We organise forestry field days and online events, open to all. For our members, we also provide skills workshops and publish the Scottish Forestry journal and a fortnightly news digest. We offer funding and grants to promote forestry learning and activities, and we nurture an engaged network of people who care for our forests.
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Ye may aye be sticking in a tree.
It will be growing when ye’re sleeping.
Scottish Forestry
Current Issue
Welcome to our 80th volume of the journal under its current title. Behind the beautiful cover art by Julia Gittins you’ll find region reports, book reviews, a look at past and present Swedish forestry, a defence of rewilding and a dip into the archives to look at SF Volume 1 No 1. We have a fascinating interview with the late James Hepburne Scott on how the Woodland Carbon Code came into being; the Native Pinewood Managers return to Mar Lodge to review progress; proposals are put for a robust framework for seed sourcing for mountain woodland restoration, and we publish detailed scenario planning for our national forests one hundred years into the future.
Explore Forestry
Sharing space
Perthshire-based rewilder Munro Kerr sows beaver mix, a new wildflower seed mix designed to ease coexistence between people and beavers.
Bog Oak
RSFS member sent in this picture of the ‘table for the nation’ in Lichfield Cathedral. The 13-metre piece is made from 5,000-year-old bog oak from a giant tree, discovered in 2012, that grew in the Fenland Basin of ancient East Anglia. © John Browne
St Paul’s prize-winners
St Paul’s RC High School in Pollok won the Crown Estate Scotland Schools’ Trophy in the Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards. It earned the recognition for its efforts to safeguard Damshot Woods and strengthen community connections.
Seafield sights
RSFS North East Region members enjoyed an interesting field visit to Seafield Estate near Cullen in May. © Simon Stuart
Cad-zowee!
Members of the Ancient Tree Forum fell in love with the Cadzow oaks near Hamilton in June. The ATF and the Arboricultural Association were holding their two-day Summer Forum. A report will follow in Scottish Forestry journal. © Jenny Ramsay
Field lab
Microbiologist Christine Peters takes part in an interdisciplinary art/science investigation in Croftfoot Forest involving an artist, a forester, a musician and music gleaned from fungi using a Glasgow-designed synthesiser. Find out more in Scottish Forestry’s summer edition. © Ted Leeming
Community spirit
RSFS members visited Evanton Community Wood on 17 June, organised by Northern Region. The woodland has a diverse range of mixed species, including large specimen ‘cathedral’ trees. © Ian Ross
Drafting Doune
RSFS member Eleanor Harris sketches in the field during an RSFS Central Region field visit to Doune Lodge in May.
Phoenix river
RSFS members admire a riparian planting project by the Tweed Forum in the Tweed catchment during the society’s Annual Study Tour 2026.
Worthy winner
During the RSFS Annual Study Tour, Ben Wilson of the University of Stirling was awarded with the Ballogie Cup for student engagement with the society. Photo: Cat Wilson
Nursery times
Members were engrossed by what they learned at Cheviot Trees nursery at a visit during the RSFS Annual Study Tour. Photo: Cat Wilson
Deep time
Angus Miller was the fascinating after-dinner speaker at the RSFS Annual Dinner, delving into the life of James Hutton while exploring what geology can teach us. © Chris Quine
Dobie double
RSFS Lothian & Borders deputy chair Ellinor Dobie and her father William gave RSFS members a tour of their sawmill at Abbey St Bathans during the Annual Study Tour. © Stefan Rijnbeek
Gimme shelter
A brief but biblical downpour sent RSFS members scurrying to a nearby shaw for shelter during the first morning of the Annual Study Tour.
Arb aromas
A canine attendee of the RSFS Annual Study Tour samples the smells in the air at Whitlaw Farm plantation in the Lammermuir Hills.
Sketch sale
Cat Wilson, Virginia Harden Scott and Ellinor Dobie admire the freshly created sketches RSFS Annual Study Tour sold by member Eleanor Harris with proceeds going to the society.
Featured event
Planning for climate change – 27 July
This training day, in partnership with Forest Research, offers an opportunity to deepen your understanding of how to plan for climate change. Led by research experts, the morning will consist of an overview of the six climate risks (flooding, pest and diseases, wildfire, frost, with a deep dive into drought and windthrow). and the afternoon we will explore resources for resilience, based around the new Climate Change Hub.
Inside RSFS
Meet some of our diverse members and keep up to date with our news.
Join the Royal Scottish Forestry Society to become part of our network and enjoy a range of benefits. We offer categories of student, individual and corporate membership.
Member Profiles
Meet more of our members.
Meet Angela Douglas, an RSFS member for over 40 years
Meet Sam Boley, an RSFS member for five years
Meet Shireen Chambers, an RSFS member for over 20 years
Meet Nander Robertson, one of our life members
Meet Ruth Forrester, who has been an RSFS member since 2023
News and views
For our latest news, members’ views and our bank of previous news items.
Trophies awarded for year’s outstanding articles in Scottish Forestry journal
Director’s update, summer 2026
Devotion to creating a new native riparian woodland
Workers reach breaking point as new report reveals quiet mental health crisis in forestry
Member blog: The Sunart rainforest deer cull incentivisation scheme 2025-26
Forestry Memories
The Forestry Memories Image Library was a manifestation of the partnership between the University of the Highlands and Islands Centre for History, Scottish Forestry, and the Scottish Forestry Trust, based on a wider research project into the social history of forestry in Scotland in the twentieth century.
