Dunmaglass Learning Day: Bringing Forestry to Life for Primary School Pupils
Scottish Woodlands was proud to take part in the Dunmaglass Food, Farming, and Estate Learning Day 2026, for the third-year running - a hands-on countryside education event that gave primary school children from Inverness and surrounding villages a fascinating insight into rural enterprise and management.
The annual event, held at Dunmaglass Estate, sees pupils rotate around a series of activity stations covering the full breadth of estate life — from sheep and beef farming to gamekeeping, biodiversity management, renewables, and of course, forestry.
From Sapling to Shelf
Scottish Woodlands’ Amauta Halvorsen, Assistant Environmental Forest Manager, Graham Donaldson, Harvesting Manager, and Ben Taylor, Regional Manager, North-West, ran a tree identification activity designed to spark curiosity about where everyday products actually come from. With a selection of tree species on a central display table, children were challenged to match each sapling to the product or benefit it helps create — and the results were sometimes surprising.
Sitka spruce destined for construction timber, Scots pine for fencing and pallets, aspen behind the humble matchstick, and juniper all featured. Nordmann fir made an appearance as the classic Christmas tree, while hazel was paired with the traditional shepherd’s stick. Birch, a true all-rounder, appeared as both firewood and a component in panel boards, and rowan prompted a memorable conversation about folklore — traditionally planted to ward off witches!
We’d like to extend a special thanks to Alba Trees for kindly supplying the trees for our forestry stand.
Learning for the Future
Ben Taylor, Regional Manager — North-West, Scottish Woodlands, said:
“Events like Dunmaglass play a vital role in connecting the next generation with the land. By helping young people understand the value of forests — not just for timber, but for biodiversity, carbon capture, and rural livelihoods — we’re sowing seeds that we hope will grow for years to come.”
