As 2019 draws to a close, our journal Scottish Forestry rounds off the year with a bumper edition.  Marking 100 years of state forestry, it explains the role of the Society in the formation of the Forestry Commission from the years leading up to 1919 and then tracing milestones at 25 year intervals through past issues of Scottish Forestry. 

All editions of the Journal from volume 44 (1987) to date are now available.  From 1st July 2019 the final batch in this series, Volumes 51 to 54 are now online (1997 to 2000) in the members area of the website.  If you are a RSFS member and do not have access to the members area please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. All paid up members of the Society are entitled to access the members area.

From 20th March 2019 Volumes 42 to 46 are now online (1988 to 1992) in the members area of the website.  If you are a RSFS member and do not have access to the members area please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. All paid up members of the Society are entitled to access the members area.

In a remarkable coincidence, this year’s centenary celebrations of public forestry in Britain have been capped by the 100th birthday celebration of retired former Forestry Commissioner, George Stewart.

With effect from 1^st April 2019, the RSFS Forest Trust Company, a subsidiary of RSFS which owns Cashel Farm on Loch Lomond-side, changed its name to Cashel Forest Trust.  There were a number of drivers for this change, but the main reasons were that this is a name commonly used for the Trust, it more properly represents their purpose and improves perceptions of it as a charity.

Simon Stuart MICFor has been awarded the contract as Manager of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society’s Monitor Woods Scheme.  Simon will use his extensive forestry and environmental knowledge and facilitation skills gained during his career to date in both temperate and tropical forestry to plan, lead and execute a development strategy to promote the adoption of the Monitor Wood

Lord Lovat and Rural Economy Secretary, Fergus Ewing, today (9 December) joined serving and retired foresters at Monaughty, Moray, to plant a tree commemorating the centenary of public forestry in Scotland.

The event mirrored the planting in that forest of the first Forestry Commission tree in Scotland, by Simon Joseph Fraser the 14th Lord Lovat who was the first Chairman of the Forestry Commission.

The Cashel website has been revamped and relaunched.  We are still working on some areas of content.  If you would like to contribute your knowledge of the local wildlife and the tree species at Cashel, please contact us.

RSFS President, James Hepburne Scott reflects on 2018 and looks forward to an exciting programme for 2019

Full article Here

This autumn people are being asked to report sightings of both red and grey squirrels and contribute to the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey which runs from 23-29 September 2019.  Details for how you can contribute are found here Great Scottish Squirrel Survey 2019

The Royal Scottish Forestry Society is a partner in the UK Squirrel Accord.  In the autumn edition of the RSFS's journal Scottish Forestry, you can find articles from the key organisations involved in red squirrel conservation by clicking here.