Employing thousands of skilled workers and generating millions of pounds for the nation’s economy every year, forestry is one of Scotland’s most important industries.
As well as supplying raw materials to sectors such as construction and energy, forests are part of our natural heritage, attracting thousands of visitors to the region. In order to maintain this valuable asset for generations to come, we need skilled forestry professionals to preserve and protect it.
Inverness College UHI’s Scottish School of Forestry in Balloch, Inverness, is the industry’s principal education and training institution in Scotland, and has been producing skilled forestry management professionals since the 1970s.
In a bid to showcase its excellent forest environment, as well as the wide-ranging career opportunities available, the Scottish School of Forestry is hosting its first family Christmas fair this Saturday, December 6, when visitors can celebrate the festive season in the college’s very own woodland wonderland.
Held in School of Forestry, Viewhill, on the outskirts of Inverness, the Christmas fair will be rather different to the usual fairs being staged at this time of year, as visitors will be given the chance to take part in a variety of activities including:
An illustrated talk about “the secret life of Christmas trees”
Live forestry demonstrations
Green woodworking
A fun forest scavenger hunt
Making Christmas decorations
An active workshop investigating the science of smoke
A basket-making demonstration
A delicious lunch and Christmas treats will also be on offer from the college’s hospitality department, and Scottish School of Forestry’s students will be providing chainsaw and climbing demonstrations onsite.
Visitors will also have a chance to see the new Scottish School of Forestry building being developed currently and set to open in August next year, when Inverness College UHI relocates to its new multimillion-pound facility at Inverness Campus.
Each year, the Forestry School provides higher
and further education to around 150 students, with subjects covering arboriculture, urban forestry, conservation,
sustainable forestry management, woodland operations and land-based engineering. The school has also been part of
the Erasmus/Socrates Programme since 1992, through which it has built direct links with over 17 leading forestry
institutions throughout Europe.
For more information, contact Liz Barron-Majerik on elizabeth.barron-majerik.ic@uhi.ac.uk or 01463 273600. Although the event is free, the college will be collecting donations for a local charity.
Fact box
WHAT: Scottish School of Forestry Family Christmas Fair
WHEN: Saturday, December 6, 10am-2pm
WHERE: Inverness College UHI Scottish School of Forestry, Viewhill, Inverness IV2 5EA
COST: Free. Donations welcomed for local charity