I’m excited to announce the cover and details for my next book have been released by Bloomsbury Wildlife. The Forest Guide: Scotland will be published in April 2023.
I have taken all 200 images for the book, including the one selected for the cover. This image was taken at sunset in Glenmuick in the Cairngorms National Park. The view captures the setting sun seen through Scots pine trees, its light reflected in the sparkling waters of the River Dee.
I look forward to sharing more images from the book as publication approaches.
In case you’re wondering, I have started work on the guidebooks for both Wales and England. Anyone can get involved by proposing sites for inclusion. You can even become a book Patron and have your name (or a loved one’s) listed in the front in all future editions. Find out more here.
The Forest Guide: Scotland is now available to pre-order direct from Bloomsbury and from all good bookshops.
Description from the Bloomsbury website
A guide to exploring 365 of Scotland’s most scenic, wildlife-rich and historically significant woodlands.
From the precious fragments of Caledonian pine forest to lesser-known wildwoods and urban copses, Scottish woodlands offer places of sanctuary, both for wildlife and for people.
In this practical guide, Gabriel Hemery brings together the beauty, purpose, history, wildlife and ownership of some of the most extraordinary woodland sites in the country, from the largest (the Forest of Ae, which covers more than 10,000 hectares) to the smallest (Halligarth in the Shetland Islands, measuring less than a third of a hectare), and everything in-between. Some woods are notable for having the tallest or rarest trees, others are the best places in the country for spotting ospreys or red squirrels, or even marine mammals; some are known as the best places to explore preserved archaeological features, discovering hidden histories or simply enjoying spectacular scenery.
Divided into 14 regions, each beginning with a summary of the region’s woodland heritage, this guide features 365 sites, including details of ownership, designation, area, forest type, how to access it (including grid reference, post code and ‘what3words’ reference), alongside a description of the site’s key features. Featuring more than 200 stunning photographs of Scotland’s plants, animals and spectacular landscapes and expert region maps to help guide you to your nearest forest site, this is an essential book for adventurers, ramblers and wildlife enthusiasts. Wherever you may be in Scotland, with this guide you will never be far from a fascinating forest site!
Table of Contents
Map of sites
Scotland’s forests
Forest facts and figures
Geography
Trees and natural history
History of Scotland’s forests
Forestry and silviculture
Gaelic language and place names
Forest ownership
How to Use this Guide
Angus & Dundee (Sites 1-12)
Argyll & Bute (Sites 13-52)
Ayrshire (Sites 53-67)
Borders (Sites 68-90)
Clyde (Sites 91-102)
Dumfries & Galloway (Sites 103-119)
Fife (Sites 120-132)
Highlands (Sites 133-248)
Lothian (Sites 249-273)
Moray & Nairn (Sites 274-289)
North-East (Sites 290-313)
Outer Hebrides, Orkney & Shetland (Sites 314-325)
Perth & Kinross (Sites 326-347)
Upper Forth (Sites 348-365)
Site Designations
Glossary
Useful Information
Further Reading
Maps
Acknowledgements
Index
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial- NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.
