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Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards

These awards celebrate the contribution that woodlands can make to the people, environment and economic prosperity of Scotland

Annual Awards Programme

Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards’ Programme

The 2025 Awards Programme
is open for entries!

At Scotland’s Finest Woods, we strive to do our bit to highlight all that is best in Scotland’s management of its woods and forests, and showcase how they contribute to the wealth and well-being of Scotland’s people.  Magnificent trophies and cash prizes are available to be won.  We welcome your entries for the 2025 Awards Programme which is now open.

In a milestone year, the 40th anniversary since the initial partnership was established, the 2025 line-up consists seven Award categories, with a new category of Urban Forestry.  There are eleven competitions providing lots of opportunities to enter, with a category for everyone of any age involved in managing woods and forests anywhere in Scotland.  You may enter up to 3 categories if you meet the entry criteria for each.  We are excited to have categories for urban forestry, new native, quality timber including new commercial, farm woodland, communities, climate change and not least two competitions for young people.  Check the individual Award webpage for details on how to enter and if your project is suitable.

We are very grateful to our team of volunteer judges who will visit all short-listed entrants in each prize category in the spring or summer (depending on which competitions you enter) to seek out the very best entries:

New Native Woodland Award has one competition:

  • new native woodland natural regeneration or planting:  the Woodland Trust Scotland Trophy and £1,000 are available to be awarded to the winner.

Community Woodlands Award category entries are sought for two competitions especially for:

  • small community woodland groups:  £1,000 available to be awarded to the winner.
  • large community woodland groups:  £1,000 available to be awarded to the winner.

In addition, the Tim Stead Trophy can also be awarded to the overall Community Woodland Award category winner judged to be the best community project overall regardless of the size of woodland group.

Quality Timber Awards category has three competitions:

  • new commercial woods:  where the James Jones Trophy and £1,000 are available to be awarded to the winner.
  • single stand of trees or a compartment or a small wood:  the Hunter Blair Trophy and £1,000 are available to be awarded to the winner.
  • whole estates or forests:  the John Kennedy Trophy and £1,000 are available to be awarded to the winner.

Farm Woodland Award category has one competition:

  • Farm Forestry Award for Whole Farm / Croft anywhere in Scotland with the magnificent Lilburn Trophy and £1,000 ready to be won.

Climate Change Champion Award category seeks entries from across Scotland with the competition open to any forest, woodland or a school / pre-school climate change related learning project.  This exciting and highly topical award highlights where Scotland’s forests and woodlands can have an important role in the:

  • mitigation of climate change; and/or
  • adaptation to the changing climate; and/or
  • sharing of knowledge/information or raising awareness (includes education) about climate change.

The superb trophy together with £1,000 are available to our Climate Change Champion.

Schools and Early Years Awards – we want to seek out Scotland’s most fun-packed schools and pre-schools’ woodland projects:  £500 and superb trophies are among the goodies available to be awarded to each Schools and Early Years’ winner.  Please note the closing date for these two competitions is 31 March 2025.

Several case studies have been prepared about previous winners and runners-up to inspire you – please click here and download the Schools and Early Years Case Studies!

You can also follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for any updates.

ENTRIES:
Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards 2025
– download documents:

  • summary information for the 2025 Programme – PDF document.
  • entry forms and guidance notes with entry criteria for each competition can be downloaded from the specific Award category webpage.

Do you have a winning project in 2025?

You can check the Roll of Honour for a full list of previous winners.