Newton Tree NurserySowing the seeds
of Scotland's future...
On the windswept outskirts of Elgin, a quiet revolution is taking root. Read more about our Newton Nursery project - a game changer for Forestry in Scotland...
Where once stood fields and aging sheds, now rises the UK’s largest intelligent tree growing glasshouse - a shimmering beacon of innovation, sustainability, and hope for Scotland’s forests and people. This is Newton Tree Nursery, a £27 million investment by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction, and it’s changing the landscape, literally and figuratively, for generations to come.
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Newton Tree Nursery has been nurturing young trees for Scotland’s national forests since 1931, but for decades, its methods and facilities remained largely unchanged.
“The nursery over certainly my career for the last 49 years has pretty much remained the same until this redevelopment came about,” recalls Alan Duncan, who has spent nearly half a century at Newton. “Practices basically date back to the 30s… until now.”
The transformation is staggering. The new 12,500m² glasshouse - equivalent to two football pitches - now stands at the heart of a modern complex that includes a centre for planting, processing and the dispatch of trees
as well as large cold stores, a seed store, an office with staff and welfare facilities. With cutting-edge automation, AI-driven machinery, and climate-controlled environments, Newton can now produce up to 19 million trees a year, almost tripling its previous output.
Forestry and Land ScotlandCrown Commercial Service Morgan SindallOberlandersCurrie & BrownAtkinsRealisWardell ArmstrongTurner & TownsendKJ TaitFairhurst
Delivered on time and budget10/10 customer satisfaction9587tCO2e saved in construction£40m+ social value44/45 CCS score£3000 charitable donations150 pupils engaged
The facility really is a game changer, especially with the technology it's been designed around - it is a global first and has vastly improved our productivity. Previously we were producing up to 7 million trees, but this new facility allows us to produce up to 19 million a year. Because the glass house is so much more controllable, I really believe that it is a game changer for the entire timber sector. The plants we touch will go out into forests and may not be harvested until long after we've gone - we are putting things in place that mean we will be able to house generations of the future [by using the timber in construction] and supply woodland recreation for generation of the future too, so it definitely feels like we're at the start of something that could go on for decades and a really, really exciting place to be.
But this is more than just a numbers game. The new facility is a leap forward for environmental stewardship.
By moving seed germination indoors, Newton has boosted success rates from as low as 40% to an astonishing 80–90%.
“Seeds are an incredibly valuable resource,” explains Bryony Hewetson Ward, Head of Plant & Seed Supply at FLS. “The glasshouse environment is so much more controllable… it means we now get more like 80 to 90% germination rates. That’s a game changer.”
Crucially, the nursery no longer relies on soil sterilisation - a practice that once poured chemicals into the earth, harming beneficial organisms and releasing greenhouse gases.
Now, with precision growing and sustainable construction (including timber in its structure from FLS’s own forests), Newton is a model for low-carbon, circular forestry.
For those who have dedicated their lives to Scotland’s forests, the project is deeply personal.
“I actually wish I was perhaps 10 years younger now,” Alan Duncan, former Head of Plant Seed & Supply for FLS admits, his voice tinged with awe.
“To have this new facility with all this new technology… it’s really kind of mind blowing, if I’m honest. It’s exciting for the staff here, but it will also make people’s daily jobs much easier.”
Doug Knox, Head of Technical Services at FLS, echoes the sentiment: “We’ve been wowed ourselves in terms of what we delivered with Morgan Sindall. It’s really been a fantastic collaboration… The teamwork on display, well, you can see the evidence here.”
The sense of pride and purpose is palpable. “It is so fulfilling… to know that we are putting the things in place that mean we will be able to house generations of the future and supply woodland creation for generations of the future,” says Bryony. “I don’t know that there’s any other industry that can deliver that.”
Working with Morgan Sindall has been a really fantastic experience. The word collaboration is used a lot, but this project has been truly collaborative - we've worked hand in glove with Morgan Sindall to develop the design and to build this fantastic new facility and you can see the evidence here. They were interested in what we do, they enjoyed learning about us, and it was delivered on time and budget, so when we got the keys, we were raring to go. It's been a fantastic experience for us as a client and we're already able to realise the benefits of this investment.
As Scotland races towards its net zero targets, Newton Tree Nursery stands as a vital engine for climate action.
The millions of saplings grown here will lock away carbon, restore habitats, and underpin the nation’s timber industry for decades to come. The technology and methods pioneered at Newton are already setting new standards - not just for Scotland, but for forestry worldwide.
At the official opening in August 2025, the Rt. Hon. John Swinney MSP, First Minister of Scotland, said “Newton is more than a nursery. It’s also a hub of innovation. And a great example of the benefits that come from government and industry working together…. a place built around people – a workplace designed to be safe, modern and accessible, and one that will support the next generation of foresters to learn and grow.”
As you walk through the doors of Newton Tree Nursery, the first thing you see is a vista of young trees stretching into the distance - a living reminder of why this place matters.
“You walk through the door and you know why we’re here. You know what this is about. We’re here to grow trees,” says Bryony. “And I think the first time I saw that, I just thought, yeah, we’ve done it. We’ve done a really good job.”
The Nursery is more than a building. It’s a promise. To Scotland, to the planet, and to the generations yet to come.
The view when you walk in
