Highland estate as big as Glasgow to be revitalised in partnership between community, conservation charity and Aviva

Assynt Foundation, ORN member Woodland Trust Scotland and Aviva, the UK’s leading diversified insurer, have struck a 30-year deal to revitalise a vast area in the northwest Highlands of Scotland.

With funding from Aviva, Woodland Trust Scotland will deliver ecological regeneration across Assynt Foundation’s Glencanisp and Drumrunie estates. This project will protect, restore and expand a range of habitats, particularly woodland, including the most northerly rainforest in Scotland.

The Trust will register carbon from woodland creation and share the income with the Foundation. The Foundation is expected to receive £2–£2.5 million subject to tree growth.

The South Assynt Collaboration Project aims to create 2,000–2,500 acres of new native woodland in the first five to ten years, amongst a wider mosaic of trees, open moorland and mountains. Open ground habitat, peatlands and riparian areas will be improved through a 30-year rolling work programme. In addition, 500–1,000 acres of existing ancient woodlands, including remnants of Scotland’s rainforest, will be restored and expanded.

The result will be a resilient upland landscape that helps reconnect people to the land and increases biodiversity.

Containing iconic mountains Suilven, Canisp, Cul Mor and Cul Beag, set amongst a vast patchwork of rivers and lochans, Assynt Foundation’s estates cover 44,000 acres (almost 70 square miles) and are around the size of the City of Glasgow.

Aviva’s chief sustainability officer, Claudine Blamey, said:

“Aviva and the Woodland Trust are working together to mitigate climate change and protect and restore nature. The state of our climate and of nature are crucial to the long-term sustainability of our economies and societies. We are delighted to be able to support the South Assynt Collaboration Project to restore the landscape in the northwest Highlands of Scotland, thereby helping the UK become more climate-ready.”

Assynt Foundation trustee Dorothy Griffin said:

“The collaboration with the Woodland Trust will help us make the land more resilient, store more carbon, support biodiversity and strengthen the connection between people and land for generations to come. We are really excited to get started.”

Woodland Trust Scotland director Alastair Seaman said:

“We’re excited to be pioneering a new approach that combines community landownership, a company that’s taking its de-carbonising responsibilities seriously and the expertise of the Woodland Trust. Our vision is a landscape restored and a community empowered. This is a new approach, so we’ll be learning as we go and sharing what we learn with others who may want to explore similar approaches.”