The Scottish Wildlife Trust has acquired its largest ever site for nature restoration in its 60-year history, made possible by a £17.5 million gift from an unnamed donor. The private donation has allowed the Trust to purchase the 18,824-acre Inverbroom estate near Ullapool.
It plans to develop the estate’s rainforest, restore peatland and end deer stalking, restoring wildlife and habitats on site to help tackle the nature and climate crises. Working with the local community and tenant farmers, the Trust will transform the landscape through woodland regeneration, peatland restoration and nature-friendly farming.
“There is an incredible diversity of wildlife on the estate, from sea-level to 3,300ft, from seals on the shore to ptarmigan on the tops,” says Scott Renwick, whose family has farmed at Inverbroom for three generations.
Inverbroom sits in Scotland’s temperate rainforest zone, which is one of the rarest habitat types in the world. The Trust is aiming to expand and restore rainforest where possible, which will improve air and water quality and provide habitats for rare plants and animals such as wood warblers, pine martens and a wide range of mosses, lichens and fungi.
Peatland makes up 70 per cent of the site, a key factor in the Trust’s decision to acquire Inverbroom. As one of the most effective ecosystems for carbon storage, peatlands support biodiversity and play a vital role in mitigating climate change with the amount of carbon released back into the atmosphere.
Deer management will also be considered throughout, alongside the removal of invasive non-native species such as Rhododendron ponticum.
Natural woodland regeneration will be supported by native tree planting, and none of the work at Inverbroom will be funded through the sale of carbon credits.
“The site includes some of Scotland’s most iconic species and habitats, so we are delighted to have been able to secure it for the benefit of Scotland’s wildlife and people, especially as there was also interest from overseas buyers,” Scottish Wildlife Trust’s chief executive Jo Pike says. “It has all been made possible by the incredible generosity of a private donor who is passionate about the part that Inverbroom can play in restoring our precious ecosystems, while delivering benefits for local people.”
Top image: Riparian woodland at Inverbroom. Credit: Landfor
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