BrewDog’s forest failure

THE Scottish Government’s ambitious tree-planting programme has been called into question a er more than half of young trees planted at a Highland site died in less than a year.

Around 56% of the Scots pine planted at the much-publicised

Lost Forest site near Aviemore have succumbed, with native broadleaf trees su ering ‘very high mortality’ rates of around 95%, with warm weather believed to be a key factor.

The forest is being created at the former sporting estate of Kinrara, purchased by north-east brewing firm BrewDog in 2020 in a deal reported to be worth £8.8 million, and has been a key marketing theme for the controversial brand.

At the time, BrewDog chief executive James Watt said the Lost Forest would be the single largest native woodland establishment and peatland restoration project ever in the UK, capable of pulling one million tonnes of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

The firm also claimed to be carbon negative, with the Lost Forest playing a key role in its boast.

The planting scheme, which BrewDog said had reached 500,000 trees last year, attracted Scottish Government funding, with an initial payment of £690,000.

In a statement published this week, Mr Watt said 15.3bn trees are cut down each year for agriculture, timber and construction.

Turning to the Lost Forest, he said the mortality was ‘disappointing’ and pointed to ‘last summer’s extreme conditions’ for the failure, adding that 50,000 of the dead saplings have been replaced.

The grant contract, obtained under freedom of information legislation and seen by The Scottish Farmer, demands an undertaking of 20 years for the woodland creation which contains a range of species.