Environmental History Resources

Scottish forest history. A Bibliography

By the beginning of the 19th century myth of Caledon did not exist in its present form. In 1812 Chalmers introduced the modern concept of the ancient forest of Caledonia in his book Caledonia. It is at this point in time that two different traditions with regard to Scottish forestry separated one of reality and one of myth.

The myth proved to be a very powerful story of destruction and decline and is used for political and ideological purposes in connection with environmental issues up to the present day. But the concept of the Caledonian forest must be approached with caution because it is putting the blame of the destruction of Scotland's native forests on outsiders while there is an abundance of evidence to suggest that locals mainly destroyed the forest.

Although the historical value of the myth of Caledon is dubious its development had certainly its merits. It makes clear that originally Scotland was considerably more wooded than at present and that its decline is almost entirely the work of human hands. This awareness calls for protection of the remnants of old woodlands and using the myth can be the decisive push to convince people to do it.

The disappeared forests of Scotland were also used to justify the creation of modern forestry plantations during the 20th century. However, strategic and economic considerations were more important incentives for the reafforestation of the Scottish uplands. During the First World War Britain was cut off from its overseas timber supplies and had to rely on its own woodlands and forests. The war reduced forest cover in Britain to less than five percent of its total land surface, the lowest ever known, and Britain's dependence on foreign supplies of timber during times of war became a major concern. In order to rebuild stocks and create a strategic timber reserve the Forestry Act of 1919 was passed and the Forestry Commission was established.

This policy of creation of a strategic timber reserve by the Zuckerman Committee in 1957 and it was recognised that in case of a Third World War timber reserves would not be crucial. As a result State forestry became to be justified on economic and social grounds. During the 1970s and 1980s forestry in Scotland experienced strong opposition to the creation of large conifer plantations in and in favour of stimulating the regeneration of native species such as Scots pine and oak.

Below a short bibliography is presented to provide a guide into the literature with regard to the history of the Caledonian forest and the development of Scottish forestry.

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Anderson, M. L., 'Forestry Education in Scotland 1854 - 1953', Scottish Forestry, 8 (1954) 114-126

Anderson, M.L., A History of Scottish Forestry, (2 vols, London, 1967)

Avery, Mark & Leslie, Roderick, Birds and Forestry (London, 1990)

Bennett, K. D., 'The post-glacial history of Pinus sylvestris in the British Isles', Quaternary Science Reviews, 3 (1984) 133-155.

Bennett, K.D., Fossitt, J.A., Sharp, M.J., Switsur V.R., 'Holocene vegetational and environmental history at Loch Lang, South Uist, Western Isles, Scotland', New Phytologist, 114 (1990) 281-298

Carlisle, A., 'The native Scots pine of Scotland', Scottish Forestry, 10 (1956) 165.

Chalmers, G., Caledonia, or a Historical and Topographical Account of North Britain from the most Ancient to the Present Times (new edition, Paisley, 1887).

Darling, F. Fraser, 'History of the Scottish Forests', Scottish Geographical Magazine, 65 (1949)

Darling, F. Fraser, Natural history in the Highlands and Islands, (London, 1947)

Davies, A.L. & Watson, F., "Understanding the changing value of natural resources: an integrated palaeoecological-historical investigation into grazing-woodland interactions by Loch Awe, Western Highlands of Scotland", Journal of Biogeography, Vol 34, 2007, 1777-1791

Dickson, G.A., 'Forestry in Speyside in the 1760s', Scottish Forestry, 30 (1976)

Dickson, J. H., 'Post-glacial pine stumps in Central Scotland', Scottish Forestry, 42 (1988) 192-199.

Dickson, J. H., 'Scottish Woodlands: their Ancient Past and Precarious Future', Scottish Forestry, vol. 47 (1993) 73-8

Dunn, Malcolm, 'Forestry in Scotland in the Reign of Her MostGracious Majesty Queen Victoria', Transactions of the Royal Scottish Aboricultural Society, 15 (1898) 109-129.

Fowler, John, Landscapes and Lives. The Scottish Forest through the Ages (Edinburgh: Cannongate, 2002)

Gear, A. J. and Huntley, B., 'Rapid changes in the range limits of Scots pine 4000 years ago', Science, 25 (1991) 544-547

Graham, Patrick, General View of the Agriculture in the County of Stirlingshire With Observations on the Means of its Improvement (Edinburgh, 1812), p. 207

Lamb, H. H., 'Trees and climatic history in Scotland', Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 90 (1964) 382-394

Miles, H. & Jackman, B., The Great Wood of Caledon (Lanark, 1991)

Nairn, David, 'Notes on Highland Woods, Ancient and Modern', Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, 17(1892) 170-221

Penistan, M. J., 'The Caledonian pine forest', Quarterly Journal of Forestry, 36 (1942) 59-69.

Pringle, Douglas, The First 75 Years. A brief Account of the History of the Forestry Commission (Edinburgh, 1994)

Ryle, G.B., Forest Service. The First Forty-five Years of the Forestry Commission of Great Britain (New Abbot, 1969)

Smout , T.C.(ed), Scottish Woodland History (Edinburgh, 1997)

Smout, T.C. & Watson, F.J., 'Upland Wood Pasture: Scottish Woodland History Discussion Group Autumn 2000 Conference Report', Scottish Forestry, 55 (2001), pp.33-35

Smout, T.C. (ed.), People and woods in Scotland: a history (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2003)

Smout, T.C., Alan R. MacDonald, Fiona, Watson, A History of the Native Woodlands of Scotland, 1500-1920 (Edinburgh: EUP, 2004).

Steven, H. M. & Carlisle, A., The Native Pinewoods of Scotland (Edinburgh & London, 1959).

Tipping, R., 'The History of the Scottish Forests revisited - Part 1 & 2', Reforesting Scotland, 8 & 9 (1993) 16-21, 18-21.