A year in review at Mar Lodge Estate

In 2023, Mar Lodge Estate experienced a year of significant activity as Britain’s largest National Nature Reserve. The estate, under the management of the Trust since 1995, is widely acknowledged as one of the most vital nature conservation landscapes in the British Isles.

The dedicated team at Mar Lodge Estate, which includes staff from the hospitality, functions, estate, stalking, ranger and ecology departments, successfully collaborated to achieve commendable progress on several key initiatives in the previous year.

Throughout 2023, the focus was on maintaining the estate’s buildings and grounds, restoring ecological processes, ensuring open access and sustaining Highland sporting activities. This ongoing commitment in preserving the estate’s natural beauty requires dedication and collaboration across all teams to ensure the successful upkeep of Mar Lodge and its surrounding environment.

Achievements in 2023 include the advancement of the Glen Geldie Restoration project and the ongoing restoration of the estate’s Caledonian pinewood. Work on these projects has resulted in the restoration of 385 acres of peatland and 2,000 hectares of woodland, marking substantial progress in the Trust’s largest ongoing restoration projects. Additionally, the team is making strides in helping the Trust achieve its goal of becoming a carbon-neutral organisation by 2031, with accomplishments such as the planting of 1km of hedgerows, reduction of their diesel fleet, and the ongoing task of reverting 1.6 hectares of lawns to a wildflower meadow.

To learn more about these achievements and the ongoing work on the estate, you can read the estate’s recently published Annual Review.