The Scots pine – or Pinus sylvestris – is Scotland's national tree. It is a native of the once extensive Caledonian pine forests and is the only timber-producing conifer native to Scotland. It’s known as a pioneer species, due to its ability to regenerate and thrive in poor soils.

Scotch pine is the most widely distributed pine in the world. It grows naturally from Scotland almost to the Pacific Ocean and from above the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia to the Mediterranean. Its altitudinal range is from sea level to about 2440 m (8,000 ft).

The Caledonian Forest is the ancient temperate forest of Scotland.The forest today is a reduced-extent version of the pre-human-settlement forest, existing in several dozen remnant areas.. The Scots pines of the Caledonian Forest are directly descended from the first pines to arrive in Scotland following the Late Glacial; arriving about 7000 BC.The forest reached its maximum extent about 5000 ...

Scots pine is a light demanding pioneer species that grows well on acid to neutral, light soils of low fertility. Annual rainfall across its natural range is between 200 and 2000 mm. It is...

As the largest and longest-lived tree in the Caledonian Forest, the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is a keystone species in the ecosystem, forming the ‘backbone’ on which many other species depend.

Scots pine is the only truly native pine in the UK. It thrives in heathland and is widely planted for timber, but is also found in abundance in the Caledonian pine forest in the Scottish Highlands. Scots pine is beneficial to much rare wildlife.

The Scots pine is found from Western Europe to the far-east of Russia, and from northern Scandinavia to the mountains of southern Europe (Pyrenees, Alps and Balkan Mountains). It grows at seal level in the northern part of its range and at …

Scots pine forests have a very high biodiversity value, supporting species that have adapted to live in them. From mammals such as pine marten and red squirrel: birds such as crested tit and capercaillie; to invertebrates like the winter moth and plants such as blueberry, these forests are excellent habitats to watch wildlife.

A native of the once extensive Caledonian pine forests of Scotland, Scots pine is our only native conifer that grows tall enough for producing timber. Scots pine provides valuable habitat for wildlife, including red squirrels, crossbills and pine martens.

Scots pine is a tall, straight pine tree with distinctive orange-brown scaly bark. Its blue-green needles appear in pairs and can be up to 7cm long. Male cones are yellow and female cones are green, maturing to grey-brown.