On February 8th 2020, Reforesting Scotland's Thousand Huts campaign will be hosting a Hutters’ Rally for around 200 hutters, prospective hutters, landowners and prospective hut site developers. This event hopes to bring hutters and landowners together to help get a new generation of huts on the ground to benefit communities.

Following a change in Scottish Planning Policy, we are beginning to see the new generation of woodland huts emerge. However, for most people it is still not straightforward to achieve their dream of a simple, low impact hut in the woods.

The Hutters' Rally 2020 will have one of the key barriers as its core theme: Access to land. Hutting can be a wonderful opportunity for both landowners/managers and hutters. This event is designed to bring hutters and landowners together help kickstart a new wave of hutting opportunities. Throughout the day there will be workshops, question and answer sessions, presentations and face-to-face support for those wanting to have their own hut or to develop a hut site. We will be doing our best to connect people with the services, advice, skills and contacts they need to make their hutting dreams reality.

The event will include a Hutters Trade Fair, with stalls where participants can access products, services, knowledge and contacts to help them achieve their dream of a hut in the wood. There will be keynote speakers on land issues, plus a panel taking questions and answers on how to set up a hut site. The afternoon will be filled with a choice of sessions on everything from hut construction, affordable hutting and hut site economics to planning permission and negotiating leases.

Why huts?

A culture of recreational hut use, similar to that enjoyed in many countries across Europe, can benefit our society greatly. Hut life brings people closer to nature. It cultivates practical skills in low carbon living, as well as fostering a spirit of community and co-operation. The physical and mental health benefits are without doubt, especially in these days of high levels of obesity and anxiety in children and teenagers. Ultimately, hutting helps grow a sense of empowerment and dignity through the creation of a beautiful, simple, low-impact hut. As well as that, it can provide local economic benefit and new income streams for private, community and public landowners alike.

Tools for connection

The Thousand Huts campaign is also working to produce a new online Resource Hub to be launched at the Hutters’ Rally. It will be an inspirational one-stop-shop where potential hutters, hut builders and hut site developers can find all they need to take the next steps towards new hutting opportunities.