Newton Nursery

Protecting the future of Scotland’s forests – and timber products

Sixty miles north of our HQ lies a parcel of farmland that has played an essential role in Scotland’s forests since 1931. Newton Nursery was once one of many Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) tree nurseries dotted around the country. Today, it’s the only one. A glasshouse upgrade now shelters the millions of saplings grown each year from harvested seeds. But the staff who care for them also needed new facilities. We were brought in to supply cladding for an office and welfare building that serves as a visual reminder of the important work happening at Newton Nursery.

Cladding that tells a timber story

Newton Nursery is essential for supporting timber production and woodland creation across Scotland. The architecture practice tasked with designing the new building, Oberlanders, took inspiration from the lifecycle of a piece of timber: the blooming of a seed into a sapling, a tree’s growth alongside others to form a forest, then – for commercial trees – the chopping and sawing, and the way that cut wood changes as it ages, gaining character as the years pass.

“Forestry and Land Scotland’s brief for a new office and welfare building linked to all of the production areas provided the opportunity to create a really special timber-clad element at the heart of the site,” explains Rebecca Trainer, Architect at Oberlanders.

To achieve their vision, Oberlanders specified two types of contrasting cladding. In the greatest quantity was Scotlarch® in vertical 150 x 22 mm boards, factory-coated in SiOO:X Light Grey. These wrap around the entire office, ageing beautifully in the Scottish elements. Warm-toned Accoya® cladding boards – in our RW119 profile and factory-coated in Light Oak/Cypress – lie horizontally around the entrance and windows. The building is framed by agricultural sheds clad in vertical green metal cladding.

The SiOO:X coating on the Scotlarch helps it blend in with the green of the sheds, while also alleviating concerns about differential weathering. The large expanse of timber and overhanging soffit make the building vulnerable to uneven weathering, but SiOO:X ensures an even, long-lasting finish.

Contrast adds rhythm to the nursery’s façade

A question posed during discussions about the building’s unusual length was how easily first-time visitors to the site would be able to orient themselves. To address this challenge, the architect designed a distinctive splayed entrance, picked out in Accoya. Other windows and doors along the building’s façade have been given the same treatment, with the change in cladding orientation and the contrasting finish adding to the framing of these elements.

Rebecca says, “The main entrance opens up towards visitors and staff approaching from the east, welcoming them with the warm-toned horizontal Accoya cladding and a cantilevered timber bench as they enter the building. The same design language was used along the length of the elevation, creating moments of interest and warmth with splayed ingos at the windows and doors.”

Russwood were extremely helpful throughout the entire design and construction process. They were always available on the phone to answer our many queries and give expert advice. Russwood’s support was hugely important to the success of this project.
Rebecca Trainer, Architect, Oberlanders

Newton Nursery | Scotlarch® factory coated SiOO:X Light Grey and Accoya® in Light Oak Cypress | Oberlanders Architects | Brudon Joinery | Ewen Wetherspoon Photography

A complete, fire-safe cladding solution

Sometimes you need to dig beneath the surface to see the full picture. This is certainly the case at Newton Nursery, where, in addition to supplying the timber cladding, we provided the battening system, Firebreather® Cavity Barrier and high-quality SIHGA screws.

Our ability to supply the complete cladding package, along with design and technical expertise, gave Oberlanders and Forestry and Land Scotland the confidence to pursue their aesthetic ambitions. A key part of the brief was to join the metal-framed glasshouse to the timber-frame office building – an unusual request, given that glasshouses are typically standalone structures.

“The technical team’s guidance on fixings and detailing, particularly around fire testing and providing reassurance that the specification met all aesthetic and technical requirements, was critically important to the project,” says Trainer.

In support of Scottish timber

The architect goes on to explain that the inclusion of our cladding was integral to the project’s success. “The use of timber, particularly Scottish timber, was very important to our client as it is representative of the work they do,” says Trainer.

At Newton Nursery, Forestry and Land Scotland has a building that directly aligns with its sustainability goals and net-zero targets. The nursery’s upgrades mean staff can focus on the task of growing trees, aided by the fertile soil and sunny weather for which this region is known. As a business that relies on a steady timber supply, it’s a project that we’re delighted to have been a part of.

Specifier Tip: In 2025 we introduced a new 145 x 15 mm Performance Profile for Accoya, which offers the same outstanding performance at a more affordable price.