Scotland's rainforest

Scotland is home to its own temperate rainforest boasting a variety of rare species and habitats. 

The Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest has defined Scotland’s rainforest as any native woodland within the hyper-oceanic zone of the west coast of Scotland.

Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest (external website)

The rainforest is recognised as an extremely valuable habitat. 

The high levels of rainfall and relatively mild, year-round temperatures provide just the right conditions for an abundance of ferns and rare bryophytes and lichens. 

All woodlands within the zone play an important role. The largest and some of the highest quality areas of rainforest are located around the sea lochs and Atlantic coast of Lochaber, Lorne and Mid Argyll.

The Scottish Government is committed to restoring and expanding Scotland’s temperate rainforest. 

This is a policy priority set out in Scotland’s Forestry Strategy.

This strategic approach to restoring and expanding Scotland’s rainforest aims to:

• accelerate delivery in tackling the challenges facing these iconic native woodlands
• identify the practical steps the Scottish Government and its partners can take for restoration and expansion

The Scottish Government’s strategic approach to restoring and expanding Scotland’s rainforest

The approach sets out how this will be implemented over the next three years and sustained over the longer term, while recognising funding constraints.

There is a need to work cooperatively at a scale which addresses local populations of the key threats of:

• fragmentation
• deer impacts
• invasive rhododendron

This is often referred to as working at a landscape scale.

The approach builds on the work of the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest and is based on partnership working and co-operation, with nine initial priority areas identified.

Delivery of restoration and expansion of Scotland’s rainforest will make a significant contribution to the priorities in Scotland’s Forestry and Biodiversity strategies.

Scottish Forestry will work with partners to implement this strategic approach, monitor and report on progress.