Very rare is a day’s stalking or shooting not influenced by trees and woods.

To stand amongst the fallen leaves in a Perthshire wood in December and stare up through the bare branches of a mighty oak tree into a clear frosty blue sky waiting for that first pheasant of the day to swing across the tree tops, or maybe waiting patiently at dusk for a June roe buck to appear in an open ride in a Borders sitka spruce plantation with only the sound of the wind in the trees to keep you company, or maybe the flash of brown as a January woodcock rises from a bed of bracken in a silver birch wood in Argyll, or a stand of tall well thinned mature Scots pine in Aberdeenshire and the roar of a rutting red deer stag echoing amongst the trees are all sights and sounds many lucky sportsmen and woman encounter every year in Scotland.

But these trees and woods have not appeared by magic, they are the result of generations of enlightened estate owners and foresters who have created and manage these trees, woods and forests not only for sporting, but also for timber, landscape and conservation.

Organizations such as the charity The Royal Scottish Forestry Society which has been in existence since 1854 and is probably the oldest English speaking forestry society in the world, has members drawn from across the spectrum of people who love and are involved in trees, woods and forestry and through regular field trips, visits and discussions as well as their renown journal Scottish Forestry, play an important part in managing and creating the woodlands of the future.

For more information on becoming a member or seeking further information on the society visit the website www.rsfs.org or call the Director on 0131 634 0043.