Forestry and Land Scotland - number of felled trees for windfarm development: EIR release

Information requested

How many trees in Scotland have been felled to make way for wind farms?

Response

Please find the below response with regards to your request. 

The data you have requested relates to renewable developments on Scotland's national forests and land, which Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manage on behalf of the Scottish Ministers. We do not hold information regarding land that we (FLS) do not manage. 

The area of felled trees for windfarm development since the year 2000 is 8,611 hectares (ha). Based on the average of 2000 trees per hectare, this gives an estimated total of 17.2 million felled over 26 years. 

Many of these trees will have been due for felling through ongoing forest management, and many will have been replaced through replanting and compensatory planting, meaning the net loss for renewables developments is small. For further context, around 15,000ha of new woodland was created across Scotland in 2023/24 alone. To date, the amount of woodland removed for windfarm development across the FLS-managed national estate is a small percentage of the total woodland area.

In Scotland, there is a clear policy (https://www.forestry.gov.scot/publications/control-woodland-removal-policy) which outlines how we control woodland removal. includes a presumption in favour of protecting woodland. Removal will only be permitted where it would achieve significant and clearly defined additional benefits for the public. Where woodland is removed in association with renewable development, developers will generally be expected to replant or provide compensatory planting. Techniques such as key-holing – which involves felling a minimal number of trees only around the base of individual pylon sites – are also used to minimise any losses.  

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The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.