page_title: Caledonian Forest
section_title: Wildlife
hierarchical_section_title: Caledonian Forest / Wildlife
context_page_description: The Caledonian Forest is the name given to the former temperate rainforest of Scotland.
  The Scots pines of the Caledonian Forest are directly descended from the first pines to arrive in Scotland following the Late Glacial; arriving about 7000 BC. The forest reached its maximum extent about 5000 BC, after which the Scottish climate became wetter and windier. This changed climate reduced the extent of the forest significantly by 2000 BC. From that date, human actions reduced it to its current extent.
  Today, that forest exists as 35 remnants, as authenticated by Steven & Carlisle covering about 180 square kilometres or 44,000 acres. The Scots pines of these remnants are, by definition, directly descended from the first pines to arrive in Scotland following the ice age. These remnants have adapted genetically to different Scottish environments, and as such, are globally unique; their ecological characteristics form an unbroken, 9000-year chain of natural evolution with a distinct variety of soils, vegetation, and animals.
  To a great extent the remnants survived on land that was either too steep, too rocky, or too remote to be agriculturally useful.
context_section_description: Being a unique ecosystem in the British Isles, the Caledonian Pinewoods are home to some of the islands' rarest wildlife. It is considered to be one of the last remaining wildernesses in the British Isles.
  Breeding bird species in Caledonian pine forests found breeding nowhere else in the British Isles:
  Western capercaillie
  Common goldeneye
  European crested tit
  Parrot crossbill
  Scottish crossbill
  Breeding bird species in Caledonian pine forests rare elsewhere in the British Isles:
  Black grouse
  Red crossbill
  Goosander
  Siskin
  Redpoll
  Long-eared owl
  Osprey
  Red-breasted merganser
  Redwing
  Temminck's stint
  Wood sandpiper
  Horned grebe
  Golden eagle
  Mammal species present in Caledonian pine forests:
  Eurasian beaver
  Feral goat
  Mountain hare
  European pine marten
  Red deer
  Red fox
  Red squirrel
  Roe deer
  European wildcat
  Mammal species extinct in Caledonian pine forests:
  Aurochs
  Brown bear
  Eurasian lynx
  Gray wolf
  Eurasian elk (Called moose in North American English)
  Tarpan (wild horse)
  Wild boar
caption: Western capercaillie – a species that depends on the Caledonian Forest
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA", "Image Make": "OLYMPUS CORPORATION", "Image Model": "C725UZ", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "144", "Image YResolution": "144", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "11-1000", "Image DateTime": "2004:05:13 14:30:38", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "Image ExifOffset": "287", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1632", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "5755", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/25", "EXIF FNumber": "17/5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "200", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0210", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2004:05:13 14:30:38", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2004:05:13 14:30:38", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "3", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire", "EXIF FocalLength": "256/5", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "1984", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "1488", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "Interoperability InteroperabilityIndex": "R98", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "1508"}