Who Owns Scotland’s Forests – and Does It Matter? Wednesday 17 September 2025 | Online Webinar | Hosted by the Forest Policy Group
Forest ownership in Scotland shapes everything from biodiversity and carbon storage to rural livelihoods and community resilience – yet the picture of who owns our forests, and how that ownership affects management, is often poorly understood.
In this webinar, FPG Co-chair Morag Paterson will be joined by three expert speakers to explore the changing patterns of forest ownership and what they mean for Scotland’s future:
- Andy Wightman will open with findings from Forest Policy Group research conducted in 2012 and 2024, analysing ownership in four sample areas over a decade and presenting preliminary results from a Scotland-wide study.
- Douglas MacMillan will examine why ownership structure is central to rural development, looking critically at how ownership patterns influence forest management, integration with other land uses, and the generation of local economic benefits.
- Catriona Mallows, Research Associate at the University of the Highlands and Islands, will share insights from both practice and academia on the role and significance of different forest ownership models, drawing on her work in rural development, political ecology, and land reform.
Each speaker will present for up to 20 minutes, followed by a collective Q&A session – giving participants the chance to reflect and ask informed questions once all perspectives have been heard.
Join us to unpack the complex reality of who owns Scotland’s forests, why it matters, and what it means for policy, communities, and the environment.
