£5 million for precious habitat
More than 1,200 hectares of degraded rainforest habitat are now on the road to recovery thanks to Scottish Government funding.
Almost £5 million has already been invested in rainforest restoration since 2023 and a further £5 million for ongoing restoration efforts was allocated as part of the draft 2025/26 Budget.
Scotland’s rainforest is a type of coastal temperate rainforest which is incredibly rare and as internationally significant as tropical rainforest.
Scottish Government funding is already supporting the work to protect and enhance the important habitat by:
- Recruiting apprentices and new entrants to the industry to support removal of non-native species like Rhododendron and regenerating conifers.
- Regenerating and reconnecting ancient designated Caledonian pine forests and other surviving rainforest remnants in Loch Arkaig
- Collaborative working with Forestry Land Scotland, Argyll Countryside Trust and the Woodland Trust to restore 2,000 hectares in the Knapdale priority rainforest area
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon welcomed the rainforest restoration work being done by a range of partners across the country during a visit to Sallochy Forest, a site managed by Forestry Land Scotland.
Ms Gougeon said: “Scotland is home to its own temperate rainforest boasting a variety of rare species and habitats. We are already delivering work to protect and expand this precious environment and this additional funding of £5 million will help us to go further faster.
“Protecting our rainforests is essential to tackling our biodiversity crisis but is also an important step in helping Scotland on its journey to net zero by 2045.
“Rainforest restoration needs to be done at a landscape scale, in partnership with organisations, landowners and land managers, and this funding will help to develop and deliver a range of collaborative projects.”