Our mission and vision

Our vision is “Forests and land that Scotland can be proud of”. Our mission is “to look after Scotland’s forests and land, for the benefit of all, now and for the future”.

Our work contributes to the Scottish public sector’s overall purpose of creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, in line with the National Performance Framework.

In delivering our mission we create long-term benefits for people, for nature, for climate and for the economy. By integrating these goals and making best use of the synergies between our different activities at a landscape scale and across the national forests and lands, we can achieve outcomes more fully and effectively.

We are the largest provider of outdoor recreation opportunities in Scotland, helping to boost the health and wellbeing of its people. Our visitor services underpin £246 million of annual value to the tourism economy with a focus in rural areas.

We work in partnership with communities, visitors, and stakeholders to shape how Scotland’s national forests and land are used and enjoyed.

We encourage local people to make use of the national forests and land and empower communities to take ownership of land and buildings that will help them realise their ambitions and bring educational, recreational, and environmental benefits.

We are committed to work in partnership to remove barriers that prevent people from enjoying Scotland’s forests and land. This includes identifying and addressing physical, transport, and socio- economic barriers, developing an accessible and welcoming environment for under represented groups, and focusing investment in places where it delivers the greatest social, health and community benefit.

We increase the store and value of Scotland’s natural capital by protecting threatened and endangered species and habitats across all the land in our care, with more than one third of that land managed primarily for nature.

We manage Scotland’s forests and land to address the threats from a changing climate and reduce Scotland’s carbon footprint by capturing carbon in trees and soils and producing sustainable timber products.

Recognised as a leader in sustainable forest and land management we underpin Scotland’s £1.1 billion forestry sector by delivering a reliable, sustainable timber harvest.

We create more opportunities for Scotland to produce renewable energy, as part of Scotland’s green economy.