“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.” - Greek Proverb
Stevie Johnstone
Founder
Highly accomplished mountaineer and arborist, there are few people as qualified as Stevie in guiding adventurous guests on an enchanting tree climb through Scotland's pristine forests.
The Tree Experience Founder has been climbing professionally for over 20 years.
Former GB Ice Climbing Team Manager and four-time Scottish indoor climbing champion, he has taken on some of Europe’s most difficult climbing routes. An international competitor, Stevie has faced some of the climbing world’s most notorious challenges including the Eiger’s treacherous North Face.
An experienced and proficient outdoor leader, Stevie has guided discerning adventurers across Italy’s Via Ferrata routes and coached climbers of all abilities, from beginners through to international competitors.
Following a career in health and safety focussed industrial rope climbing, Stevie retrained as a tree surgeon and a new passion was born.
Now with almost a decade of experience in caring for Scotland’s private tree collections and native forests, Stevie is a genuine expert in Scotland’s natural landscapes and a passionate supporter of Scotland’s rewilding projects.
GETTING TO KNOW STEVIE
How did The Tree Experience begin?
I had been commissioned to collect treetop pinecones on the beautiful Glenfeshie Estate in the Scottish Highlands. As an experienced climber and tree surgeon, I’m lucky enough to have spent a lot of my life up high surrounded by extraordinary vistas. But something about this was different.
The slower pace of the work really allowed me to appreciate what a privilege it is to experience the world from the top of a 500-year-old Scots pine. It occurred to me that this extraordinary view of the forest canopy shouldn’t be exclusive to just arborists and climbers, and so The Tree Experience was born.
How do you prepare for a typical day?
It all starts with selecting the appropriate kit for the day. The equipment required will depend not only on the tree we’ll be climbing but also on the needs and requirements of our guests.
I’ll then make my way to the tree we’ve chosen for the day’s climb and conduct our standard safety checks. This is what we call a Visual Tree Inspection, or VTI. Once the tree has the all-clear, we’ll install the necessary anchors and ropes, making sure that we adhere to the highest safety standards at all times.
Our equipment causes no permanent damage or alternations to the trees we climb, and once we’ve packed up for the day, it looks like we were never there.
What’s your favourite thing about running ‘The Tree Experience’?
Seeing our guests’ faces when they begin their first tree ascent is what keeps me jumping out of bed in the morning. I never tire of seeing people’s glee as they climb high up into the tree canopy.
The inner child that loved climbing trees finally gets to come out to play, and soon enough even the most stoic are beaming with joy. That’s what makes my job worthwhile.
What are you most likely to be doing when you’re not up a tree?
Most likely I’ll be spending time with my children. We’ll usually go climbing, camping, swimming, mountain biking or anything else that growing up in the beautiful Scottish Highlands allows for!
When I get time to myself, I’ll get back to some rock or ice climbing, depending on the season. Aside from climbing, the other love of my life is motorbiking, so that takes up a lot of my downtime. And after an action-packed day, I like to unwind with a beer and a good film.
What are you hoping to achieve with ‘The Tree Experience’?
I hope that The Tree Experience gives our guests the opportunity to depart from everyday stresses and rediscover that inner child.
Although the climbing part of the experience is undoubtedly a thrill, I also encourage our guests to really slow down and appreciate the surrounding forest.
Whilst in the tree, we’ll take the time to stop and listen to the chorus of birdsong and the breeze in the leaves, or we’ll discuss the nature around us and the different species that might call our tree home. Guests will also learn about the tree they’re climbing and the history of its surroundings. Every tree has a story to tell.
Above all, I hope that our guests go home with a renewed understanding of the vital role that trees play in our planet’s natural cycles. Not only do we need to protect our forests, but we need to encourage further growth of these sensitive yet crucial ecosystems.
We simply cannot continue to benefit from the life-giving properties provided by our forests whilst destroying them faster than they grow. And there’s no better way to really appreciate these miraculous giants than climbing into their furthest reaches.