[2] Originally a "model woodland" developed in the 19th century with a resort owned by Archibald Edward Butter.

[3][4] In 1953, Faskally was acquired by the Forestry Commission of Scotland to set up a school for training young foresters.

Under the East Scotland Conservancy, the priority emphasis for its development was to make it a recreation centre with landscaping of high aesthetics, rather than producing timber.

[10] The soil formation in this forest land is a mixture of brown earth and ironpans that are formed above the Dalradian mica schist.

[1] The vegetation in the early part of the 20th century consisted of European beech (Fagus sylvatica), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), European larch (Larix decidua), Norway spruce (Picea abies), and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).