The Highland 'Forest'

Many areas of the Scottish highlands are rather oddly termed as 'forests'. They are frequently almost completely devoid of trees but it was not always so. It is possible to find a few lovely remnant areas of the great Caledonian forest that used to strecth from coast to coast. Now the signs of it are large root stumps in boggy spots and the occasional ancient granny pine in protected or awkward spots where the loggers never got to (1% remains overall). New growth is rapid in the few areas that are fenced off from the numerous sheep and deer that scour the greenery. There is still a great reluctance to manage the land without overstocking it, even amongst the charity-owned estates.

It is especially odd that many refer to these regions as areas of 'wild land' when they are about as pristine and untouched as the south downs.