Back to the wild: a tale of two sporting estates
Rewilding is growing in popularity, but sporting estates are not necessarily the enemy, says Philippa Cliff. i hAve recently been the grateful recipient of a beautiful hardback book called Scotland – A Rewilding Journey. It is among a number of publications and presentations promoting the rewilding philosophy, which is gaining momentum as a credible and popular land-use strategy. Rewilding can take different forms, but the principal aim is to allow nature to take its course, allowing native wildlife habitats to restore themselves and a richer biodiversity tapestry to unfold with all of the benefits that brings. These sorts of ecological processes tend to be slow. Restoration is generally faster, but it still takes time. To truly achieve rewilding you have to have a long-term vision and most people accept that scale and resource are key. Having said this, small pockets of rewilding or conservation “oases” can provide lifeboats for vulnerable species. I in no way hold myself up as a rewilding expert, but I have enjoyed learning more about the subject from Scotland – A Rewilding Journey. If I had one point of contention it would be the suggestion that in some way sporting estates are the villain in the rewilding story. Granted, when reading the book’s “vermin” list, I was aghast that precious and now protected species were culled in significant numbers in the days of Victorian hunting estates. But my
experience of the modern sporting estate is vastly different. To illustrate the point, here are two estates that I am proud to work with. The first is Dorback Estate, nestled in the heart of Speyside. It is a mixed sporting estate offering driven grouse shooting, a terrific low-ground shoot and red and roe deer stalking. On the face of it, a traditional sporting estate, but scratch beneath the surface and you will find owners who are both passionate sportsmen and passionate conservationists. Since taking ownership 18 years ago, more than 145 acres of woodland have been planted and 6.7km of hedgerows have been created. In addition, sheep were removed from the hillside allowing significant natural regeneration to occur. We are also currently planning an ambitious new native woodland planting project of about 500 acres with work commencing later this year. The evidence of positive change is undeniable, and the ever-increasing abundance of wildlife, including black grouse, capercaillie and many, many more species is easy to see. The second example is Coulin Estate in Wester Ross. Traditionally a stalking estate, the current owners (since 1995) have taken their environmental stewardship of the estate seriously. The Loch Clair pinewood, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which was in unfavourable condition, is undergoing restoration through a mixture of fencing to prevent deer browsing and replanting to provide a seed source. The non-native plantations from the 1970s have been felled and restructured
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with native species to encourage a richer biodiversity and a more natural aesthetic. The estate is taking part in a red squirrel reintroduction programme and has breeding pairs on the estate. What is particularly appealing to me about Coulin is that it is now largely in the hands of a younger generation who want to see the estate flourish as an environmentally sensitive yet economically sustainable enterprise. To this end millions of pounds have been invested in creating three hydro-electric schemes on site to enable the estate to continue to be enviornmentally friendly while securing the estate’s financial future for the next generation. Ultimately, land-use strategy is an individual choice and there is no right answer. Personally, I feel it is the responsibility of all landowners to leave the land in a better state than it was received in, so taking an interest in the environment and our fragile natural world is essential. That said, I don’t think this aim is mutually exclusive to more traditional estate pursuits and it saddens me when all sporting landowners are effectively tarred with the same brush. To genuinely engage with the audience that has the most potential to add to Scotland’s rewilding and conservation journey – private landowners – a shift away from a blame culture may prove invaluable. Maybe then, progress on an even larger scale will be achievable.
philippa.cliff@galbraithgroup.com 01463 245361
