Early in its life, Reforesting Scotland drew inspiration from a study tour to southern Norway, a land with a similar landscape and climate to Scotland but a different land use history. The people on the tour were given a glimpse of an alternative vision for Scotland, and also found their views challenged and shaped by sharing the tour with a deliberately broad range of people, from farmers, foresters and ecologists to politicians and journalists.
A generation later, we took the same approach in a new study tour of Scotland, visiting a range of inspiring places that are regenerating the land, economy, communities and people of Scotland in the company of a diverse group of up-and-coming land managers. You can read about where we went below, watch the video of the tour, register an interest in future stages of the tour and buy the special edition of the Reforesting Scotland Journal that was all about it.
In June 2018, on the hottest two days of the year, we visited the northern Cairngorms, taking in a large ecological restoration site at Glen Feshie, innovative forest-based businesses, watercourse restoration, timber growing and a community woodland at Anagach by Grantown-on-Spey.
August found us being rained on in Southern Scotland, around the Moffat area, visiting the impressive Carrifran Wildwood project, Woodlots, riparian woodland restoration, more woodland businesses including mountain biking trails and hire, and a mixed-management estate.
The October leg was in the Central Belt, based in Cumbernauld, looking at new commercial forests, broadleaf timber use, land reclamation through reforestation, hutting and building resilient communities through green networks.
In 2019 we visited the Trossachs area, looking at ecotourism, community energy, wetland restoration and building with wood.
What’s next?
A plan to rerun the tour in 2020 was derailed by covid-19, and the project is parked for now, but we may revive it in the future. Contact if you or your organisation would be interested in attending or sending a delegate when this happens.