Thousands of acres of new native woods planned for Highlands community estate
NORTH-WEST HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND, JUL 9 – The 30-year project aims to restore rare Atlantic rainforest and generate up to £2.5 million in community income through carbon credits, benefiting around 2,000 residents.
- The Assynt Foundation and Woodland Trust Scotland have initiated a long-term effort to establish between two and two and a half thousand acres of native woodland on estates located in Scotland's north-west Highlands.
- The project follows Assynt Foundation's 2005 £2.9 million community buyout of 44,000 acres lacking funds and conservation expertise, aiming to improve nature and generate social benefits.
- The initiative involves habitat surveys, restoration of 500 to 1,000 acres of ancient woodlands, improvements to peatlands and rivers, and collaborative planning to build a resilient landscape.
- Aviva funds the project with a £10 million donation to the Woodland Trust, whose carbon credit income-sharing arrangement will provide the foundation £2 to £2.5 million, pending tree growth.
- The partners expect the project to boost wildlife, store carbon, reconnect people to the land, and help the UK become more climate-ready through this novel community-driven approach.
9 Articles
9 Articles

Thousands of acres of new native woods planned for Highlands community estate
Assynt Foundation has teamed up with Woodland Trust Scotland to revitalise its Glencanisp and Drumrunie estates in the northwest Highlands.
Press release – AFFRIC HIGHLANDS – Mark Avery
Highland red deer tracked by GPS in innovative landscape-scale study of behaviour and habitat use Red deer stags. Photo: Siân Addison A pioneering scientific research project using GPS collars has been launched to track red deer movement and behaviour in the west Highlands to help land managers take informed decisions about how to manage deer health, numbers and habitats. The study is a partnership project between charity Affric Highlands and D…
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