Your chance to get creative for Scotland’s rainforest
Credit Nathan Berrie
The Nevis Landscape Partnership is holding a creative community showcase this March on the theme of Scotland’s rainforest, and they’re searching for people to take part. So if moss is your muse, or you love drawing lichens, this is your chance to share your creativity. Read on for all their information.
Nevis Landscape Partnership and the rainforest
Scotland is home to the largest and best areas of intact temperate rainforest in Europe. They once covered a much larger area of Scotland, but over many decades, our rainforests have been reduced to small, fragmented pockets, most of which are in poor condition due to invasive plants and over-grazing by deer.
In fact, only around 30,000 hectares of rainforest is left in Scotland, an area slightly bigger than Edinburgh. It’s found in the west of the country, with the most biodiverse woodlands concentrated in what’s called the rainforest zone. The Nevis landscape is located at the heart of this zone.
Through the Nevis Nature Network project, the Nevis Landscape Partnership is working in collaboration with the largest landowners in the area to restore and expand native woodlands at a landscape scale, including areas of temperate rainforest.
Following a study in 2025, we discovered that this landscape has the potential to have four times more native woodland, and much of this could be rainforest. We are now working collaboratively towards a 100-year vision to create a stronghold for Scotland’s rainforest in Glen Nevis.
Celebrating Scotland’s rainforest
In celebration of our efforts to restore Scotland’s rainforest, we’re sharing an open invitation to join our creative rainforest project.
We’re searching for all creatives and makers to celebrate the magic of Scotland’s rainforest – its colours, sounds, creatures, and mysteries – through all forms of art. Whether you paint, draw, write, compose, sing, sculpt, photograph, or film, we want to hear from you.
You could make a song inspired by the rhythm of rainfall; a poem that breathes life into lichens; a drawing that captures the complexity of rainforest creatures; a collage that coveys the colours; or something entirely your own.
On the afternoon and evening of March 19 2026, we will be hosting a celebration event in Fort William where you will have the chance to share your work, meet other people involved, and hear more about the work being done to restore Scotland’s rainforests.
Stunning rainforest image drawn by artist Abi Pate. Could you create something similar?
How to take part FAQs
How to enter
Email us at info@nevislandscape.co.uk to register your interest in being involved. We will send you our free info pack which will answer your questions and inspire your creations.
Dates
The public showcase will take place on the afternoon/evening of Thursday, 19 March 2026 at the Highland Soap Larder Café in Fort William. Tickets will be available on Eventbrite and will be free. All welcome!
The deadline for telling us you want to take part is 28 February 2026.
Who can be involved?
Anyone.
Do I need to be a professional artist?
Absolutely not!
Do I need to live in the Fort William area?
We would love local people to get involved but we would welcome anyone from further afield.
Are there any constraints?
The amount of space/time that we can offer to showcase your work will depend on how many responses we receive. So please be mindful when creating your work – it may be difficult to accommodate a 30-minute theatre show or very large works of art.
Where can I find inspiration?
Visiting Scotland’s rainforest for yourself is the best ways to experience the sights, sounds and smells of these amazing woodlands. You’ll find a map of some woodlands to visit on the website of the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest https://savingscotlandsrainforest.org.uk/map
If you’re not able to visit, or want to remind yourself of what things look like, you can browse the ASR’s photo library here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/188696324@N08/
