ForestHarvest :   non-timber forest products in Scotland

Native pinewoods

Scots pine is a native species that once covered much of the Highlands. Native pinewoods are generally found on poor acidic soils, usually in cooler areas between 100 and 450m altitude. Large areas of these pine forests were felled to meet the demands of shipbuilding and other industries. The remaining tracts of ancient native pinewoods in Scotland, representing little more than 1% of their original area, are small and scattered.

• Depending on the soil and the density of the pines, several other tree species may be found in these woodlands. These include rowan, birch, oak, juniper, hazel and bird cherry.
• The regeneration of Scotland's native pinewoods is severely limited by heavy grazing pressure from deer and sheep.
• Some of the older trees in the ancient pinewoods may be as much as 500 or more years old.
• Native pinewoods are often rather open, with a ground layer of heather and other members of the heather family (e.g. blaeberry, cowberry, wintergreen). Terrestrial lichens are also common.
• These woods provide an important habitat for some of Scotland's rarer animals, including pine marten, red squirrel, wildcat, crossbill, capercaillie and many insects.

What to find in a pinewood

Scots pine

Blaeberry

Red deer

Roe deer

Heather

Juniper

Cauliflower fungus