8th October 2025
Biodiversity and Balnagown Estate
Balnagown Estate is aware that the world is experiencing a crisis in both habitat loss and biodiversity. The UK is the bottom of the G7 countries for biodiversity and is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. The estate recognises that out of all the regions in the UK that the Scottish Highlands are one of the most biodiversity rich and recognises its responsibility as a landowner to support and expand these important habitats and assist the organisms within them. To this end the estate maintains a policy of having conservation at the heart of its land management.
Biodiversity in decline
The term Biodiversity relates to the number and variety of species of animals, plants, fungi and micro-organisms in a specific area. Each habitat hosts its own special variety of species and each species within a given habitat plays a particular and necessary role to create balance and maintain life.
The international community is currently experiencing a crisis of both habitat and biodiversity, due mainly to human activity due to population growth, destruction of habitat (for housing, roads, farming, pipelines, industrial development etc.), non-native invasive species, over-exploitation of wildlife, and pollution. All this is happening at a speed never experienced. Human activity has already affected over 70% of ice-free land.
There are, however, solutions that can be enacted upon by all individuals. That may be personal decisions to lead a more environmentally sensitive lifestyle or in the case of Balnagown it is to maintain conservation at the heart of our decision making.
“Around half of the world’s original forests have disappeared, and they are still being removed at a rate 10x higher than any possible level of regrowth.”
WWF
Fields that nurture nature
In the farming arena the estate has been working hard to increase soil biodiversity through increasing the species of cover crops and green manures, introducing livestock, and incorporating organic matter such a straw and much. In 2023, it planted two and a half kilometres of hedging and hopes to do more. Annually, six metre grass strips are planted along water courses in the arable fields and specific cover crops have been introduced to many of the fields along the perimeters to provide food for wild birds over winter. One field is managed specifically for grassland species of plants and an another is being managed to provide a habitat for wading species.
Creating space for nature to flourish
In the woodlands the estate introduced and maintains a continuous cover policy throughout all forestry in and around the core estate for the benefit of the human and wild life populations. The former Logie quarry was allowed to reseed and is now maintained for public access as well as the environment part of which is managed in conjunction with the Butterfly Conservation Scotland for the benefit of two rare and endangered species of butterfly; the Small Blue and the Dingy Skipper. Cattle were specifically introduced on to the site, now back to its original name of Balchraggan Wood, in 2023 for the ‘Species on the Edge’ project.
The cattle prevent encroachment of scrub which shades out the food plant of the butterflies while harvesting of timber, sand and stone extraction help to also maintain disturbance in the soil which gives space for the butterflies food source to grow. Cattle now also graze throughout many of the estates core woodlands creating disturbance which opens up bare ground allowing seeds to set and birds to feed whilst their dung feeds the soil. Thus, the biodiversity of these habitats is supported and grown.
Woodlands for wildlife
Balnagown is currently working on creating two new woodlands. The first at Rheguile, nr Edderton, will involve c 140 hectares of tree planting. As part of the consultation process the estate collaborated with the RSPB, local wildlife groups and neighbours to ensure that the project was sympathetic to their concerns including existing breeding bird species. The make-up of the site was changed to create open corridor space for hunting, foraging and nesting of the specific birds while maintaining buffer zones around area of peatland. The estate is also planning a new woodland at Tuiteam, nr Rosehall which comprises of a 240 hectare site with 80 hectares of tree planting. The surrounding open area allows space to maintain moorland and peatland habitat.
Future plans include further native woodlands in the Upper Cassley catchment. The aim here is to have trees planted directly lining the river and its tributaries which will help cool water temperatures, introduce woody debris and aid soil stabilisation to promote important species such as the Freshwater Pearl Mussel and Atlantic Salmon.
You don’t need hundreds of hectares of woodlands, or miles of river bank to make a difference to biodiversity.
Restoring the wild
On the core estate grass cutting is kept to a minimum with some areas only being cut twice annually, this provides cover for species throughout the year and allows species to set seed, these wild area are supported by removing the grass debris to reduce fertility which promotes wildflowers, or the planting of specific plants, such as yellow rattle, which parasitises the grasses and opens up space for other species. In addition the estate has also created wild flower beds within both the formal and informal gardens to benefit insect life.
On the northern part of the estate Balnagown is working with Peatland Action to restore its degraded peatland by blocking artificial drains, revegetating bare peat and reprofiling and damming peat hags. This work has been going on since 2023 and now has over 500ha of peatland restored with the third phase, covering c200ha due to complete by spring 2026. There is still lots to do though with over 2000ha of land identified for future restoration but once completed this will trap several hundred thousand tonnes of carbon while helping to control flooding, mitigate drought effects by slowly releasing water, managing water temperatures and providing an intact habitat for rare peatland species.
If any parties or individuals are interested in the work the estate and would like to know more. Please contact the Estate Factor, Callum Paterson, on 01862 843601 or [email protected]
