Land

Grants to help support a wide range of environmental improvement projects have been given to communities across Scotland.  The money will enable local people to take a hands-on approach to improving their local environment by supporting a varied range of practical ideas. 

Deer management targets to protect and restore nature in key areas of Scotland have been met, thanks to long-term collaborative efforts from estates.

This winter, landowners and managers have been working hard to make progress in two areas where control agreements are in place – North Ross in the west and Caenlochan in the east.

The Chief Statistician for Scotland has released figures for Wildlife Crime in Scotland 2022. The statistics show that recorded wildlife crime was down by 7% from 308 offences in 2020-21 to 286 offences in 2021-22.

An ancient elm tree that has stood alone in Glen Affric for hundreds of years is now the guardian over a new generation of its species. Known as the Last Ent of Affric in homage to the tree-shepherds from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, the tree has been chosen to help in the fight against Dutch elm disease.

The Scottish Invasive Species Initiative – the largest invasive non-native species control project in the British Isles - has been tackling non-native invasive species in northern Scotland since 2018. 

The deluge of wet weather throughout Scotland this winter and the start of spring is having adverse effects on the agricultural sector. With a wetter than average spring come issues with lambing, calving, flooding and general farm management.