Felling large, diseased trees that pose a risk to the public is a very dangerous task ... but it is all in a day’s work for foresters across Scotland. 

Just like Lesley Reilly, an expert chainsaw operator with Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS). She recently felled a particularly large diseased ash on the site of a former ironworks – now a woodland – at Wilsontown.

The tree – some 25m tall and around 1m in diameter – was growing alongside a public path through the Lanarkshire site, posing a danger to the public. It’s one of a number of large, complex, ash trees felled by Lesley recently.

The tree felling process took an experienced FLS team, led by Lesley, three hours to complete safely.

Speaking about the work done, Doug Halliday from FLS, said: “The challenges of bringing down trees like this one, safely, are immense. 

"This was a particularly large and dangerous tree and all credit to Lesley for her technical expertise in achieving it."

Now the timber will be processed on site, using a mobile sawmill, due to the difficultly of otherwise extracting it from the forest around it. The 1.25 tonnes of timber from the diseased ash will be put to good use; the wood is destined to be used to create bespoke furniture by a local maker.

Doug added: "I’m also very pleased that the timber from this diseased tree will go to make furniture. A big selling point for bespoke furniture makers – and customers alike - is the history of the timber they work with.

Forestry has often been perceived as a profession dominated by men but Lesley – a Stewardship Supervisor and expert chainsaw operator - is one of a number of women now working in woodlands with FLS.

Previously a craftsperson working in wood, she started with the body as an apprentice, in 2013.

There are currently 40 apprentices learning their craft at FLS: 11 of these are women. There are also 10 female, mid-year students who have joined FLS in the past three years, as part of the organisation’s work-based learning programme.

READ MORE: Women in arb wanted for Forestry Journal/essentialARB's series

Speaking about the career opportunities in the sector, Will Huckerby, assistant delivery manager at FLS's Central Region said: “With forestry more important now than it has ever been, the forestry sector in general is crying out for new people. Whether you start at college, sign up for an apprenticeship or learn your skills on the job, there are some great opportunities for building a career. 

"A career in forestry is hugely varied; it could see you working with communities, managing wildlife and helping to save threatened and endangered species, making sure that visitors get the most out of their forest experience or ensuring that the timber we produce gets to market.”

‘Frontline’ jobs can range from seasonal work to full time employment and can cover a huge variety of roles and activities – from tree planting and forest management through to harvesting work. Other, behind-the-scenes roles include business analysts and HR, GIS, finance and procurement. 

Forestry qualifications to HNC, HND and B.Sc. level are available at a number of technical colleges and universities across the UK. FLS also offers several modern apprenticeship opportunities, including Trees & Timber.