Forest Holidays

Forest Holidays have chosen the South of Scotland for their most recent sustainable tourism location, in the heart of the Tweed Valley in the Scottish Borders.

Glentress Forest is the Derbyshire-based company’s 13^th sensitively created cabin location in the UK, and builds on its 50-year presence within Scotland.

Forest Holidays has a long history of creating cabin locations which are carefully integrated into the landscape and designed to offer a unique, immersive experience within the forest.

Nature is central to their business and with the South of Scotland being named as the Natural Capital Innovation Zone for Scotland, the Tweed Valley was the ideal location.

Forest Holidays ensure that nature guides everything from the design and build of their cabin locations to the long-term positive ecological outcomes of the forests where they are based.

Work began on the £22million development in 2023 and the collection of 56 nature sensitive cabins opened to welcome guests from 1 November 2024.

The Glentress Forest location is surrounded by world-class biking trails and 3,800 acres of forest and forecasts to attract 20,000 new visitors to the area each year.

The investment in the forest will boost sustainable, local economic growth by generating income for local businesses and has created new jobs in the area.

With an estimation of visitor spend in the region of £2 million per year to the local economy, whilst generating new employment opportunities.

During the development stage, there were 50 FTE jobs created and successfully filled from local talent in the area.

Once the location opened there was an additional 25FTE new on-site jobs.

Forest Holidays is committed to supporting nature and providing lasting benefits for the forests it serves and has recently been certified as a B-Corp, in recognition of their significant and long-term contribution to the UK’s forests and wildlife.

The creation of the new Forest Holidays location has been supported by South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), who provided £2.6million towards the project, which is part of Forestry and Land Scotland’s (FLS) award-winning Glentress Masterplan to create a world-class visitor experience in the Tweed Valley. 

Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: 

“I am heartened by Forest Holidays’ commitment to sustainable tourism and congratulate them for their dedicated hard work as they near opening.

“This is a perfect example of business and economic agency partners working hand in hand to create something which will be of huge benefit to the local community, generating jobs and boosting economic growth.

“I hope that Forest Holidays’ new site on the Glentress facility becomes a key destination in the Borders, popular with visitors from close by and further afield.”

Russel Griggs OBE, Chair of South of Scotland Enterprise, added: 

“We are delighted to welcome Forest Holidays’ new eco-tourism development to the South of Scotland, in the heart of Scotland's Natural Capital Innovation Zone.

"Forest Holidays have made a significant investment to bring a major visitor destination to our region, providing a wide range of benefits for the Scottish Borders.

"The Forest Holidays development will also play a key role in the Glentress Masterplan, which is reinvigorating the Tweed Valley.”

John Dougan, Forestry and Land Scotland’s East Region Manager said:

“This is another element to the step-change transformation of Glentress and it’s great to see another successful partnership with Forest Holidays come to fruition.

“Glentress is a great addition to their Scottish holiday cabin locations.”

Andrew Brook, Director of Sustainable Growth at Forest Holidays, added:

“The imminent opening is a culmination of months of hard work and years of planning. 

“We’re proud to be bringing a new sustainable tourism offering to the area, attracting new visitors to the forest, and enhancing Glentress’ already impressive facilities.”

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