Six habitats the Trust is committed to saving

We care for 76,000 hectares of countryside in Scotland, from coastlines and islands to mountains, and with our Plan for Nature, we are making it clear where we will focus our efforts to help nature flourish – an important objective for our conservation charity.

The six priority habitats have been identified because we have a special responsibility for them and have a particular ability to positively impact them. They are:

Mountain willow scrub – found at Ben Lawers and Mar Lodge Estate. It is important because it is one of our rarest habitats, with only a few hundred hectares remaining throughout Scotland. Mountain willow scrub supports a range of rare and scarce species, including several unique species of mountain willow that are restricted to this habitat.

Seabird cliffs and islands – such as the Treshnish Isles, St Kilda and St Abb’s Head. Scotland has many of the largest seabird colonies in Europe. Our charity manages a high proportion of these, including our most remote islands, such as the St Kilda archipelago, which holds most of the UK’s population of Leach’s petrel. We also look after a large proportion of the UK’s puffins, fulmars, razorbills and European storm petrels.

Wood pasture and parkland – such as at Drum Castle. This atmospheric habitat stretches back to the medieval period and beyond and is home to our most ancient trees – the real version of the ‘Ents’ from Lord of the Rings!

Native pinewoods – At Mar Lodge Estate, we are deploying nature-based solutions to climate change. We are naturally regenerating Scotland’s native pine trees, restoring nature and locking up carbon to help manage climate change.

Upland heathland – found in our extensive mountainous landscapes at Glencoe, Mar Lodge Estate, Torridon, and West Affric, among other locations. The Trust is managing red deer populations to ecologically sustainable levels, to allow Scotland’s iconic heather mountains to thrive and flower.

Machair – On Iona, Canna and Sanday, we are working with crofting communities to bring back the wildflowers to our Hebridean islands, so that rare species associated with these landscapes, such as the corncrake, can increase in numbers.

Jeff Waddell, the Trust’s Head of Nature Conservation, said: ‘From the incredible seabird colonies of St Kilda to several of the highest mountains in Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland cares for much more nature than many people realise.

‘For decades, our charity has been leading the way in key areas of Scottish nature conservation, carrying out pioneering work to regenerate and restore habitats long before the climate or nature crises were on the agenda. Our work on mountain willows at Ben Lawers, Caledonian pinewoods at Mar Lodge Estate or peatbog restoration on Ben Lomond are just some examples of that.’

Jeff added: ‘What we’ve set out to do is highlight the habitats where we can make the biggest impact and the species which we see as most important, based on the many special places in our care. We’re aiming to care for the best of Scotland’s nature for everyone to enjoy.’

The plan also makes it clear that the Trust’s approach for all of our places will be to restore them into good ecological condition, and this will involve restoring to either a wild condition, such as native woodlands or to nature-rich, sustainably farmed habitats, such as lowland meadows or wood pasture.

Jeff continued: ‘Scotland’s nature, beauty and heritage is held, rightly, in high regard. We want to ensure that all the work that our nature conservation experts do all over the country plays its part in protecting the very qualities that make Scotland so special.’

The plan identifies 26 species that the Trust will focus on protecting. These include mountain plants, such as the stunning alpine gentian, and seabirds, as well as hen harrier, red-necked phalarope, corncrake, Greenland white-fronted goose, narrow-headed ant, willow tit and Scotland’s rarest fish: the vendace. It also includes the slender Scotch burnet moth and three species of trees, including the Arran whitebeams, which occur nowhere else in the world.

Jeff said: ‘We‘ve focused on these habitats and species because they represent the best of Scotland’s nature and offer Scotland’s most important opportunities in our collective actions against biodiversity loss and climate change. Our conservation work is only possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters. To help us continue, please donate today.’