New rules from Monday: what changes for Scottish forestry

On Monday 26 October, a big chunk of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026 comes into force. Most of the headlines have been about deer, but there are changes in there that matter to anyone felling trees, managing woodland or working on the hill.

Here's the short version.

Felling without permission (or a valid exemption) was already an offence in Scotland, with fines of up to £5,000 per tree. From Monday, the offence also covers anyone who "knowingly causes or permits" someone else to fell illegally. In plain English, it's no longer just the person on the saw or in the harvester cab who's in the frame. Landowners and agents who knowingly let it happen can be too.

There's also a new defence, and it's an important one for contractors. If you can show you reasonably believed the felling had the right permission, direction or notice in place, that's a defence. The point is to protect people who act in good faith on what they're told or shown.

The practical takeaway? Ask to see the felling permission before you start, and keep a copy. You can also check approved fellings yourself on Scottish Forestry's map viewer. Five minutes of paperwork could save a lot of grief.

The deer changes are the biggest part of the package. They include new statutory aims for deer management, a national deer management and venison plan, a register of authorised persons with a requirement to be "fit and competent", and new powers to require action where deer are causing damage. More detail, including a code of practice, is expected to be consulted on over the winter.

For forest managers fighting a losing battle with browsing on young restock, this could be welcome. For stalkers and rangers, it's worth keeping a close eye on what "fit and competent" ends up meaning in practice.

Councils will also be able to issue fixed penalty notices for wildfire offences. After the Glenmore fire this summer, that's unlikely to surprise anyone.

None of this changes the day job overnight. But the direction is clear: more accountability, and more responsibility on everyone in the chain to know the rules.

Jack

P.S. There's an amber wind warning across most of Scotland from 9pm tonight (Saturday) until 9pm Sunday. If you're heading into the woods on Monday, take extra care around windblow and hung-up trees.

P.P.S. Last call: the Forestry Workforce Census closes on 30 October. If your business hasn't submitted yet, there's still a week. Submit your entry here.

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🌲 Did you know, 10.4 million green tonnes of UK roundwood went to processors in 2025, from the new Forestry Statistics 2026

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