CARBON AWARE PRODUCTIONS
CARBON AWARE PRODUCTIONS
Restoring the Caledonian Forest in Scotland
Glen Affric Landscape © Chris Aldridge
Thanks to your funds, a total of 6,500 trees will start life at Dundreggan Tree Nursery, Scotland during 2025/26.
The trees will be planted as part of a project to restore the Caledonian Forest.
HISTORY OF THE FOREST
Scotland's Caledonian Forest once covered an area of 15,000km2 and was characterised by Scots pine trees, herds of grazing animals and predators like lynx and wolf.
Wetter conditions & tree felling on a massive scale for fire wood, building and to make way for farming meant that by the 1950s only 1% of the original forest remained.
Photo @ Trees for Life
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BRINGING THE FOREST BACK
The realisation that the great forest that once covered the Highlands was almost gone, encouraged many to take action, including our planting partners at Trees for Life. For over 30 years they have been working to bring the struggling Scots pine, aspen, mountain top willows and birches back to the Highlands.
Photo @ Trees for Life
RETURNING RED SQUIRRELS
Trees for Life realised that the forest was more than just trees, and have also focused on bringing back wildlife.
They have successfully returned red squirrels to the North West Highlands where they had not been seen for over 50 years, and have sought to bring beavers back to the lochs and rivers they once lived in.
Photo @ The Big Picture
In Autumn 2025, your seeds were collected from the Scottish Highlands & Western Isles by a team of TfL volunteers.
Gathering seeds locally means the species’ area-specific genetics will persist. This makes the plants resilient to disease and will give them the best chance of withstanding the effects of climate change.
All Photos © Laura Corbe
Dundreggan Nursery
© Ashley Coombes
The seeds will be taken to Dundreggan Nursery near Inverness, where they will be grown carefully over the course of about a year.
© Paul Campbell Photography
Once healthy established young plants, they will be ready for planting at locations across the Highlands.