▁the ▁Pale ar ctic ▁e co zone ▁and ▁prominent ▁features ▁of ▁the ▁Scottish ▁fl ora ▁include ▁bore al ▁C aled onian ▁forest ▁( m uch ▁reduced ▁from ▁its ▁natural ▁extent ), ▁he ather ▁mo or land ▁and ▁coast al ▁mach air . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁native ▁vari eties ▁of ▁v asc ular ▁plants ▁there ▁are ▁numerous ▁non - native ▁introdu ctions , ▁now ▁believed ▁to ▁make ▁up ▁some ▁ 4 3 % ▁of ▁the ▁species ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁important ▁trees ▁species ▁and ▁spec im ens ; ▁a ▁Douglas ▁fir ▁near ▁In ver ness ▁is ▁the ▁tall est ▁tree ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁and ▁the ▁Fort ing all ▁Y ew ▁may ▁be ▁the ▁oldest ▁tree ▁in ▁Europe . ▁The ▁Sh et land ▁mouse - ear ▁and ▁Scottish ▁prim rose ▁are ▁en demic ▁flow ering ▁plants ▁and ▁there ▁are ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁en demic ▁m oss es ▁and ▁l ich ens . ▁N umer ous ▁references ▁to ▁the ▁country ' s ▁fl ora ▁appear ▁in ▁fol kl ore , ▁song ▁and ▁poetry . ▁ ▁Fa una ▁ ▁The ▁fa una ▁of ▁Scotland ▁is ▁generally ▁typical ▁of ▁the ▁north - west ▁European ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Pale ar ctic ▁e co zone , ▁although ▁several ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁larger ▁m amm als ▁were ▁h unted ▁to ▁ext inction ▁in ▁historic ▁times . ▁Scotland ' s ▁diverse ▁temper ate ▁environments ▁support ▁ 6 2   species ▁of ▁wild ▁m amm als , ▁including ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁wild ▁c