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Loch Arkaig Pine Forest appeal, Scottish Highlands

Old and gnarled Scots pines. Secretive pine martens. Breath-taking loch-side views. Thanks to your generous support, some of Scotland’s finest and most fragile treasures now have the chance to thrive.

Loch Arkaig is a remote, wet and wild west-coast landscape where freshwater lochs meet mountain and moorland, providing a mix of habitats for iconic plants and wildlife.

Credit: David Whitaker / WTML

We're restoring these magnificent pinewood deep in the Highlands of Scotland.

Credit: John MacPherson / WTML

An ancient forest in need of restoration

In 2016, in partnership with local residents and with the support of people and organisations from across the UK, we acquired 2,500 acres of magnificent but degraded ancient Caledonian pinewood deep in the Highlands of Scotland.

Thanks to your support, we're now using our expertise to restore the pinewood to its former glory as a native woodland, bringing this vital habitat back to life as a haven for Scotland's iconic wildlife. Your continued contributions are essential to ensure the pinewood's full restoration.

What we've achieved so far

We've already achieved much, but there is more to do to safeguard the future of Loch Arkaig and its wildlife. So far we've:

  • sensitively upgraded and strengthened tracks and bridges to allow access to this remote site for restoration
  • repaired deer-proof fencing to allow native plants to return and thrive
  • removed invasive non-native rhododendron, which were stifling other plants, from 880 acres of forest.

But we're in it for the long haul, and this is just the start. Over the next five years we will:

  • remove 70,000 tonnes of non-native trees using specialist equipment
  • fight tree disease by taking out infected lodgepole pine
  • restore up to 440 hectares of degraded peatland habitats 
  • control invasive non-native species such as Japanese knotweed.

Ancient pines protected

There are just 84 native pinewood fragments left in Scotland. The forest here is one of them. Its ancient, wide-crowned 'granny' pines are precious features of this iconic Scottish landscape and part of an endangered habitat. 

Credit: SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / naturepl.com

Incredible wildlife returning 

Wildlife cameras are helping us discover and monitor the animals using the forest, including red squirrels, eagles, pine martens and wild boar. We'll manage the forest for their benefit, including putting up new nesting platforms for ospreys and boxes for pine martens.

Credit: John MacPherson / WTML

Special habitats safeguarded

Fire-damaged trees still stand throughout the forest, killed by a blaze started by training commandos in the 1940s. This sort of deadwood is an incredibly rare habitat. The aptly named 'fire lichen', which only grows on charred conifers, was found here by scientists in 2019. It has been recorded in just three other locations in the UK.

We still need your support

We're busy reviving this vital habitat for Scotland's iconic wildlife, but this is just the beginning! We still need your help. Over the next five years, we plan to remove 70,000 tonnes of non-native trees, fight tree disease, restore degraded peatlands and control invasive species. With your continued support, we can make a lasting difference for this wild treasure.

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Explore it for yourself

Woodland Trust Wood

Loch Arkaig Pine Forest

Spean Bridge

1027.31 ha (2538.48 acres)

Explore this wood

A future shaped by the community

We've partnered with Arkaig Community Forest - a small group of local residents who share our ambitious goals for the forest. Together we will carefully restore native woodland while delivering other environmental, social and economic benefits.

Players of People's Postcode Lottery are the lead funders of Loch Arkaig Pine Forest. It is thanks to their support that we have been able to operate our popular osprey cam every season since 2017.