The salmon need the forest. The forest needs the salmon. And Scotland needs them both.
Over many centuries, the loss of Scotland’s natural woodlands and much of the wildlife that shaped them, has profoundly changed our rivers. Not so long ago, huge runs of Atlantic salmon returned each year from the sea, found their way into the headwaters of Scotland’s rivers and having spawned the next generation, most of these titanic fish died, their carcasses fuelling entire ecosystems.
Today, this magnificent creature so symbolic of Scotland’s spectacular, cascading rivers, is threatened like never before.

Three years in the making, Riverwoods is a spectacular feature-length documentary, narrated by Peter Capaldi, that shines a light on the perilous state of Scotland’s salmon, and tells the compelling story of a fish that lives in the forest. And in the soil that feeds the forest. And in the predators, scavengers and even herbivores of the forest. Scotland’s Atlantic salmon - the King of Fish - is not only the ultimate angler’s prize, but a key building block in a complex forest ecosystem.
We wish to thank the following individuals and organisations for supporting the making of Riverwoods.
The European Nature Trust, Woodland Trust Scotland, The Carman Family Foundation, Anne Reece, Tom Heber-Percy and The Ecology Trust.
RIVERWOODS: INDEPENDENT FILM SCREENINGS
"I cannot stop thinking about this film. It's an inspiring story about how everything is interconnected."
"Riverwoods is a film that every single person in Scotland should see."
Following an extensive screening tour, the Riverwoods documentary can be licenced for both public and private screenings within the UK. Due to broadcast restrictions, Riverwoods is not currently available for public online viewing, but private online screenings can be requested and will be delivered via a password-protected link (running time is 55 mins.)
RIVERWOODS: THE INITIATIVE
The Riverwoods initiative is a broad partnership of organisations, focused on restoring healthy river systems and increasing the ecological connectivity between land and rivers.
The partnership brings together pioneering projects that are already recovering and reconnecting river woodlands across Scotland, to tackle the twin challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change, showcasing their successes and creating blueprints for others.