Inverness College UHI cast a spotlight on the booming Scottish forestry industry recently as it celebrated the formal unveiling of its new Scottish School of Forestry facility at Balloch. Source: Press and Journal UK
The opening of the new facility, which receives over 150 students annually, will be welcome news for the growing forestry industry.
In a recent report from the Forestry Commission, it is now valued as being worth over £1 billion to the Scottish Economy – up from £670 million in 2008.
The sector, which includes forest management, timber processing, tourism and recreation, is also believed to support over 25,000 jobs across Scotland – an increase of around 50% in seven years.
Diane Rawlinson, principal and chief executive at Inverness College UHI, said: “Inverness College UHI is one of the UK’s leading providers of forestry training and education, so it is only fitting that we should have a first class building and learning environment in which to develop the next generation of specialists.
“This industry is of growing importance to the Scottish economy and will generate new business opportunities and jobs for the future. We’re very pleased to have welcomed students, staff and senior representatives of the wider forestry industry to celebrate this success with the official opening of our new facility today.”
The Scottish School of Forestry is the principal institution for forestry and arboriculture training and education in Scotland.
Qualifications on offer range from certificate to degree level, providing training and research opportunities in areas such as arboriculture and urban forestry, conservation skills, land-based engineering and sustainable forest management.
Having leased the site from the Forestry Commission in 1972 and then taking ownership in the early nineties, the School sits in its own 10 hectare woodland in Balloch, making it the only forestry training provider in Scotland with its own practical training environment.
The School’s attractive new Scottish larch-clad building provides an inspiring modern environment for students, with flexible classrooms and digital training facilities including video conferencing.
Students also have access to first class laboratory facilities in the College’s main building at Inverness Campus.
