Quality Timber

Entry Guidance & Criteria

Who can enter the Quality Timber Awards?

‍

Entry is open to woodland anywhere in Scotland where production of high-quality timber is a major objective of management. There are three prize categories and entrants can apply for as many as are valid to their woodland:

1) The Glennon Brothers New Commercial Woods Award - entry is open to newly-planted productive and predominantly conifer woodland of 10 hectares or more in extent; that have between three- and six- years’ growth i.e. planted between the 2019/20 and 2022/23 seasons; and established on previously bare land where the planning, practice and management regime is designed to result in high-quality timber production.

2) Small woods, single stands or compartments (Hunter Blair Trophy) – entry is open to a small woodland, stand or compartment of trees where the exemplary use of silvicultural techniques including continuous cover forestry, practice and management results in high-quality timber production. Crops should include a proportion of trees that are at least 10 years old and have reached pole stage or beyond so providing a reasonable indication of future timber quality.

3) Whole estates/forests (John Kennedy Trophy) – entry is open to multi-purpose forests or woodlands where a number of different activities are taking place and in which high-quality timber production is a major objective. Other objectives might include, for example, providing recreation and visitor facilities and/or conservation. The size of the forest or woodland area is not restricted but must be appropriate to and capable of sustaining the stated objectives.

‍

Why enter – the prize

‍

There is £3,000 in cash prizes available. This shall be awarded by way of £1,000 for the winning project in each category at the discretion of the judges. In addition, the following prestigious trophies will be awarded at the discretion of the judges with custody for one year:

New Commercial Woods - Glennon Brothers Trophy
Small woods, single stands or compartments - Hunter Blair Trophy
Whole estates - John Kennedy Trophy

‍

The winner and any commended entries will receive a certificate and a wooden display plaque recording their achievement.

‍

Judging

‍

The judges expect to directly notify shortlisted entries after the closing date and will aim to visit selected sites during the summer. If you do not hear from the judges by September unfortunately your entry has not been short-listed. However, you are encouraged to re-apply in future years!

‍

Our judges' task will be to find and reward the pursuit of excellence, and the judges will assess entries against the following criteria:

Quality of entry form and supporting information
Clarity of management objectives
Quality of management planning and implementation
The degree of progress and necessary adaptation since inception
The outcome to date including the quality, or potential for quality, of the timber crop.

‍

Aspects that the judges will be looking for include:

An innovative approach
An understanding of timber market requirements
Species selection appropriate to the site
Choice of appropriate silvicultural techniques
Application of good health and safety practise
Safeguarding and enhancing natural heritage and historic environment features
Provision of recreation and visitor facilities (especially in larger woodland estates)
Economic benefits to the landowner.

‍

Supporting information and images

‍

You may include relevant supporting information especially images with your entry to help our judges in their decision making. Examples can include:

Materials can be previously published documents such as a summary management plan; maps - species’ distribution / vegetation pre-woodland establishment / soils; publicity leaflet(s).
Photographs – up to 10 photographs. Please include people and / or scenic views in your images.
Videos – up to 3 videos and each one can be up to 60 seconds in length. Any videos should be a maximum file size of 5MB and should be submitted as a hyper- or downloadable link (e.g. YouTube or WeTransfer).
Please confirm that any photos or videos can be used for publicity purposes or clearly state otherwise.

‍

Publicity

‍

An objective of Scotland’s Finest Woods and its partners is to showcase entrants as exemplars of good practice so as to encourage other projects in future years. By entering the competition, entrants are accepting that their woodland may be used as an example of good practice in post-competition publicity, and as may be agreed with the entrant, in other ways.

‍

In order to maximise the potential for obtaining publicity, entrants are invited to provide publication quality photography as well as videos, if available. Guidance is given in the section above about submitting images and videos for those who wish to do so. Please confirm that photos or videos can be used for publicity purposes or clearly state otherwise.

‍

How to enter

Head to the Entry Form on the Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards’ website: www.sfwa.co.uk/enter-awards
After reading the Guidance, complete the entry form if your project satisfies all the entry criteria.
The form doesn’t save anything until you hit Submit. It's a good idea to prepareyour answers in Docs or Notes first so you don’t lose anything, then copy and paste when you’re ready to submit.
Completed entry form and any supporting information including videos and images to be up to 10MB per entry. Please submit any videos as a hyper or downloadable link (e.g. YouTube or WeTransfer).
If eligible, you may enter more than one category (up to 3 categories).
Statement about AI - please state if AI has been used in the drafting of your entry.
Please submit your application as early as possible by 23:59 on Sunday 31 May 2026 at the latest.
Our judging panel will consider entries and make awards at their discretion. If your project is shortlisted, expect the judges to arrange a site visit with your nominated contact person over the summer. Please include second contact details if your main contact will be away for any extended periods over the summer.

‍

Award Ceremony

‍

The 2026 prize-giving awards ceremony will be confirmed after the closing date. It is anticipated that the Awards’ Ceremony will be held during National Tree Week in November 2026, for those invited to attend in person and able to do so.

‍