<P> Scots pine is the only pine native to northern Europe, forming either pure forests or mixed with Norway spruce, common juniper, silver birch, European rowan, Eurasian aspen and other hardwood species . In central and southern Europe, it occurs with numerous additional species, including European black pine, mountain pine, Macedonian pine, and Swiss pine . In the eastern part of its range, it occurs with Siberian pine, among others . </P> <P> The tree spread across the British Isles after the Last Glacial Maximum . Pollen records show that pine was present locally in southern England by 9,000 years ago having entered from northeast France and that it had spread as far north as the Lake District and North Pennines 500 years later . </P> <P> It was present in Ireland over 8,800 years ago but absent from Wales at that time which suggests that Scots pine in Ireland had a separate Iberian origin . Pine expanded into Scotland between 8,000 and 8,500 years ago either from an independent refuge, from Scandinavia (via' Doggerland') or from Ireland . As the climate warmed it became extinct from most of the British Isles around 5,500 years ago except in Scotland and at Kielder, England . </P> <P> The Irish and western Scottish populations went through a massive decline around 4,000 years ago which ultimately led to the extinction of the Irish population between 2,000 and 1,000 years ago . It was replaced by large areas of blanket bog in western Scotland and Ireland though the reasons for its decline and extinction in England are not clear, but it may have been influenced by human activities . </P>

The trunk of a pine tree used in scottish sports meetings