The newly completed tree-growing facility at Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) in Elgin achieved practical completion recently, and KJ Tait were thrilled to have been involved in this fantastic project. 

The principal objective of the new facility is to increase FLS’s surety of plant supply in a marketplace that is experiencing high demand and where it is proving difficult to secure adequate plants for FLS planned programmes. 

The facility comprises a new state-of-the-art 12,000m² glasshouse, cold, seed and machinery storage, and a new office space. The office space achieved an EPC A rating of 1 thanks to the use of air source heat pumps, heat recovery ventilation and a PV installation. The glasshouse irrigation and CAT 5 water supply around the site is sourced from a borehole system. 

The collaboration and hard work of the design team and construction team ensured the successful completion of the project. 

Morgan Sindall 

Oberlander Architects 

Fairhurst 

KG Systems 

Over the coming months, the FLS Staff look to complete the fit-out of the specialist equipment within the glasshouse. Once complete, the facility shall have the capacity to grow up to 19 million trees per year from seed which is an incredible amount!