SCOTTISH WOODLAND HISTORY. Edited by TC Smout. Scottish Cultural Press Pounds 9.99
Did the great Caledonian forest stretch across the whole of Scotland in Roman times? No, apparently not. That is one of the questions tackled in a book about observable life forms dating back to the Middle Ages and earlier. Trees offer historical evidence, even in an urban setting like Garscadden. Scientific tests, estate records and old maps are among the tools for unlocking their secrets. So are coppice stools and pollarding.