Saving Scotland’s Rainforest

Scotland’s rainforest is a kind of temperate rainforest – a globally rare habitat found on less than 1% of the world’s surface, where a high level of rainfall, year-round mild temperatures and clean air provide perfect conditions for rainforest to develop. It’s found in other parts of the UK and Europe too, but the best rainforest in all of Europe is found right here in Scotland.

Only around 30,000 hectares are left – an area slightly bigger than Edinburgh. These woodlands face some large-scale threats. The top two are invasion of the non-native species rhododendron ponticum, which chokes these woodlands, and high deer numbers which prevent them regenerating. These woodlands are also quite small and fragmented – so they’re not very resilient to threats and we need to increase that resilience by expanding them and connecting them.

The Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest is a voluntary partnership of more than 20 different organisations that want Scotland’s rainforest to thrive once again. Not just for the benefit of the special plants and animals of the rainforest, but also for the people who live and work among them. Find out more from Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest.