One of the most beautiful stretches of sea, mountain and moorland in Scotland is coming under new management.
A vast area of the north-west Highlands, including the Summer Isles, the famed peaks of Suilven and Quinag, and swathes of gorgeous beaches will become the largest conservation and restoration project in the country.
Environmental organisations, landowners and community groups are coming together to protect wildlife, expand woodlands and help local businesses in what they say is an “aspirational” 50-year plan.
The Coigach and Assynt Living Landscape (CALL) partnership will be launched this week at a ceremony in Lochinver, Sutherland. It aims to cover more than 70,000 hectares of land north of Ullapool.
Among its first moves will be schemes for tree nurseries, planting trees in remote areas and reseeding native woodlands with ground plants. There are also plans for venison farming and walking routes.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust, one of the partners, said the area was home to critical species such as golden eagles, black-throated divers, Scottish wood ants, wild cats and basking sharks.
“However, this project is also about more than simply wildlife,” said Jonny Hughes, the trust’s director of conservation. “People are at its heart, and by caring for nature we hope to bring social and economic benefits to rural communities, which are themselves an iconic part of Scotland’s heritage.”
The wildlife trust owns Ben Mor Coigach, a wildlife reserve around Achiltibuie in the south of the project area. Another part of the site to the north, the Quinag estate, is owned by the John Muir Trust, which campaigns to protect wild land.
“Assynt and Coigach is a world-class landscape that attracts visitors for a wide range of activities, including hillwalking and fishing,” said Stuart Brooks, chief executive of the John Muir Trust.
“There is a lot we can do as individual landowners to improve the landscape, and by pooling our expertise and resources through this partnership we hope to be able to achieve even more.”
Other partners are Tanera Mor, the largest of the Summer Isles owned by the Wilder family since 1996; the Eisg Brachaid Estate, which is owned by a family in Australia; the Assynt Foundation; and the Culag Community Woodland Trust.
The Herald
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