IT was born out of a wartime need for wood and has grown to become the been the protector and promoter of all Scotland's forests.

And as it celebrates its 100th anniversary, the Forestry Commission finds itself more relevant than ever as tree-planting is pushed to the front lines in the fight against climate change.

The Scottish Government has set ambitious targets to re-forest areas of the country, with a plan which calls for 10,000-hectare a year to be replanted.

The Forestry Commission was split into two arms-length organisations this year to help achieve this goal, Forestry and Land Scotland and Scottish Forestry, and though the names have changed, the mission remains the same.

Scotland’s forests cover 18.7 per cent of the total land mass area and the plan contained in Scottish Government’s forestry strategy is to increase this to 21% by 2032. The figure was just 5% at the beginning of the 20th century.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) looks after, manages and promotes Scotland's national forests, while Forestry Scotland is responsible for policy, support and regulation.

So far, the plan is working, with Scotland leading the way for the UK. According to the latest figures, 11,200 hectares of planting has been undertaken in Scotland in the past year, comfortably beating the current annual target. Last year, 7,100 hectares of new trees were planted.

Tree-planting is an established way of combating global warming, as trees absorb greenhouse gases and lock them away from the environment.

The Scottish forestry industry is far outstripping the rest of the UK, with 84 per cent of all new planting taking place north of the border.The Scottish Government itself planted 1,000 ha of the trees, with a mixture of an improved and streamlined applications process, more promotion and better grant packages said to be behind the boost in planting.

Ministers, as part of their climate change commitments, have now upped the targets for the future, rising to 15,000 ha a year from 2024/25.

The 100th anniversary of the Forestry Commission, and its evolution into the new Scottish Government agencies has been marked throughout the year as people across the country commemorateg the occasion and reflect on all that has been achieved over the last century.

The latest event saw staff from FLS return to their roots, for a special tree planting event at Monaughty, near Elgin, this month to mark the occasion when the Forestry Commission planted its first tree in Scotland on 8 December 1919.

The event was presided over by 100-year-old-veteran forester George Stewart, and Simon Fraser, 16th Lord Lovat, along with Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing.

The story goes that Simon Joseph Fraser, the 14th Lord Lovat and the first Chairman of the Forestry Commission, raced fellow commissioner Lord Clinton to plant the first FC trees in Britain. Lord Clinton got to his destination first as his journey was much shorter, so the first FC trees were planted at Eggesford in Devon.

Speaking after the event Lord Lovat, Simon Christopher Fraser, said; “It was a pleasure to help recreate the events of 1919 when the first Forestry Commission trees in Scotland were planted.

“It is ironic that the Forestry Commission, established immediately after the world emerged from one global catastrophe will, in its latest incarnations, play such an important role in addressing our 21st Century global catastrophe – that of the climate emergency.

“The tree that we planted will help in the ongoing effort to raise awareness of forestry’s currency, relevance or standing and to enrol the support of people from all walks of life in planting more trees.”

Rural Economy Secretary, Fergus Ewing, said: “Forestry in Scotland has never played such an important role in sustaining livelihoods, communities, habitats and species and in delivering so many other environmental, social and economic benefits.

“Marking this centenary was a gesture of thanks both to the farsighted people who established the Commission and to the generations of foresters – men and women - who have planted, nurtured and developed Scotland’s forests and woodlands over the past century.”