Community Opportunities with FLS

How we work with communities

Communities are an important part of sustainable forest management, which underpins our approach to land management.

We're always excited to support local groups and communities looking to make use of national forests and land. Whether holding wellbeing events, running outdoor learning projects, managing or purchasing land from us, community groups have many opportunities to get involved.

Transfer land and buildings to your community

The Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS) empowers communities to apply for ownership, lease or rights to use Scotland’s national forests and lands, and includes buildings.

Land Management Plans

Land Management Plan consultations are an important part of how we look after the forests and land. We welcome your views, feedback and questions.

Our Community Strategy

This guide is an open invitation for groups to come forward with ideas on how Scotland’s national forests and land can benefit the wider communities they are part of.

It sets out our priorities under three key principles:

supporting the transition to a fairer, greener Scotland
supporting sustainable and thriving rural communities
engaging and involving communities in decision making

Read our Community strategy

A person in a coat and hat looks over a body of water. On the other side is a steep bank with patchy tree cover.

How to work with us

We welcome enquiries from communities, and try to limit restrictions on how our forests and land are used. In fact, many activities don’t need our formal permission.

For other activities with longer timescales or impacts on the land, we’ll need to work together to create an agreement. Our Communities Guide provides essential information on this, including what you’ll need to have in place, how to make your initial approach, and what you can expect from us.

After reading the guide, if you'd like further advice on how to proceed, contact your local office providing as much information as possible so we can get a good understanding of your idea.

Read our Communities Guide

Further ways we work with communities

Our community advisor team

For many projects and activities, your local office is the best place to start. Staff can give you more information about the area you're interested in and whether it’s suitable for your proposal.

Our community advisor team are also available to provide advice and guidance. They can answer questions about proposed projects, help you through the Community Asset Transfer Scheme request process, and develop agreements for activities and events.

If you've got a question for our community advisor team, please contact:

fls.communities@forestryandland.gov.scot