Alan Watson FeatherstoneScots Pine

Scots pine is the largest and longest-lived tree in the Caledonian Forest and is a keystone species that provides the crucial framework for most of the other plants, animals, birds, invertebrates and fungi etc. that make their home in the forest. The tree is named after Scotland, but it is the most widely distributed conifer in the world, with a natural range that stretches from beyond the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia to southern Spain and from western Scotland to the Okhotsk Sea in eastern Siberia.

I am an ecologist, natural history photographer and inspirational public speaker who cares deeply about the future of our planet, of the huge diversity of species we share our world with, and the wellbeing of people everywhere. In 1986 I founded the award-winning charity that works to restore the Caledonian Forest in the Highlands of Scotland and was its Executive Director for almost 30 years. I am the author/photographer of the Forest Forever perpetual calendar, which is good for every year and features photographs of trees and forests from 45 countries around the world, with each one being combined with an inspirational quote from well-known people who have ben inspired by trees. I am also the author/photographer of the book ‘Rewilding Glen Affric’ which is being published by Pelagic Publishing in September 2026. I am currently a Trustee of the Findhorn Hinterland Trust that manages 50 hectares of land, around the Findhorn Ecovillage and Community, on the Moray coast in Scotland.