Highland estate as big as Glasgow to be revitalised in partnership between community, conservation charity and Aviva
PR & communications officer - Scotland
Assynt Foundation, Woodland Trust Scotland and Aviva, the UK’s leading diversified insurer, have struck a 30-year deal to revitalise a vast area in the northwest Highlands of Scotland.
With funding from Aviva, Woodland Trust Scotland will deliver ecological regeneration across Assynt Foundation’s Glencanisp and Drumrunie estates. This project will protect, restore and expand a range of habitats, particularly woodland, including the most northerly rainforest in Scotland.
The Trust will register carbon from woodland creation and share the income with the Foundation. The Foundation is expected to receive £2–£2.5 million subject to tree growth.
The South Assynt Collaboration Project aims to create 2,000–2,500 acres of new native woodland in the first five to ten years, amongst a wider mosaic of trees, open moorland and mountains. Open ground habitat, peatlands and riparian areas will be improved through a 30-year rolling work programme. In addition, 500–1,000 acres of existing ancient woodlands, including remnants of Scotland’s rainforest, will be restored and expanded.
The result will be a resilient upland landscape that helps reconnect people to the land and increases biodiversity.
Containing iconic mountains Suilven, Canisp, Cul Mor and Cul Beag, set amongst a vast patchwork of rivers and lochans, Assynt Foundation’s estates cover 44,000 acres (almost 70 square miles) and are around the size of the City of Glasgow.
Aviva’s chief sustainability officer, Claudine Blamey, said:
“Aviva and the Woodland Trust are working together to mitigate climate change and protect and restore nature. The state of our climate and of nature are crucial to the long-term sustainability of our economies and societies. We are delighted to be able to support the South Assynt Collaboration Project to restore the landscape in the northwest Highlands of Scotland, thereby helping the UK become more climate-ready.”
Assynt Foundation trustee Dorothy Griffin said:
“The collaboration with the Woodland Trust will help us make the land more resilient, store more carbon, support biodiversity and strengthen the connection between people and land for generations to come. We are really excited to get started.”
Woodland Trust Scotland director Alastair Seaman said:
“We’re excited to be pioneering a new approach that combines community landownership, a company that’s taking its de-carbonising responsibilities seriously and the expertise of the Woodland Trust. Our vision is a landscape restored and a community empowered. This is a new approach, so we’ll be learning as we go and sharing what we learn with others who may want to explore similar approaches.”
Notes to editors
For further information, contact George Anderson at Woodland Trust Scotland on 07900 891691.
Free to use images of the spectacular Assynt landscape can be downloaded here.
Video footage is available on request.
About Woodland Trust Scotland
Woodland Trust Scotland is part of the largest woodland conservation charity in the UK, with more than 500,000 supporters. It wants to see a UK rich in native woods and trees for people and wildlife.
The Woodland Trust has three key aims:
- protecting the UK's rare, unique and irreplaceable ancient woodland
- restoring damaged ancient woodland, nurturing precious pieces of our natural heritage back to life
- establishing new native trees and woods to create healthy, resilient landscapes for people and wildlife.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering over 33,000 hectares. In 1984, the Trust acquired its first wood in Scotland, where it now owns and cares for some 60 sites covering more than 8,000 hectares. Access to all Woodland Trust woods is free so everyone can experience the physical and mental benefits of trees.
About Assynt Foundation
Assynt Foundation was set up to make a community buyout of the Glencanisp and Drumrunie Estates in Assynt in the northwest Highlands of Scotland from the Vestey family. It achieved this in 2005 by raising £2.9 million, including substantial backing from the Scottish Land Fund, the Big Lottery Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
This buyout was the first major landholding purchase under the community buyout provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and is the fourth biggest buyout in Scotland in terms of land area.
The two estates combined amount to around 18,000 hectares (44,000 acres) of land and include much of Assynt and Coigach's distinctive inselberg landscape, including the iconic mountains of Suilven, Canisp, Cul Mor and Cul Beag.
Assynt Foundation is a company limited by guarantee registered in Scotland, reg. no. SC272665. It is also a Scottish registered charity, reg. no. SC036540.
The voting membership of the Foundation is only open to residents of Assynt. The Board of Directors is elected from among the membership by the members. Local control is guaranteed via the constitution. Non-residents can join as non-voting supporters.
The Foundation's charitable objectives, enshrined in its constitution, are:
- To manage community land and associated assets for the benefit of the community and the public in general, as an important part of the protection and sustainable development of Scotland's natural environment, where sustainable development means development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
- To advance the education of the community about its environment, culture and/or history.
About Aviva
Aviva is the UK's leading diversified insurer and they operate in the UK, Ireland and Canada, with international investments in India and China.
Aviva help their 20.5 million customers make the most out of life, plan for the future, and have the confidence that if things go wrong they’ll be there to put it right.
Aviva have been taking care of people for more than 325 years, in line with their purpose of being “with you today, for a better tomorrow”. In 2024, they paid £29.3 billion in claims and benefits to their customers.
Aviva has committed to donate £10 million to the Woodland Trust to support their Woodland Carbon Scheme, which will deliver carbon removal and biodiversity improvements through woodland creation and peatland restoration. Other projects between Aviva and the Woodland Trust include creating one of England’s biggest new native woodlands as part of a habitat restoration project at Snaizeholme in the Yorkshire Dales.
The donation is part of Aviva’s pledged £87 million to nature-based solutions projects, working to capture carbon, contributing towards flood resilience and helping to restore natural habitats. It supports Aviva’s ambition to make the UK the most climate-ready large economy.
In 2021, Aviva announced their ambition to become net-zero by 2040 – the first major insurance company in the world to do so. While they are working towards our sustainability ambitions, they recognise that while Aviva has control over their operations and influence over their supply chain, when it comes to decarbonising the economy in which they operate and invest Aviva is one part of a far larger global system. Nevertheless, they remain focused on the task and are committed to playing their part in the collective effort to enable the global transition.
Find out more about Aviva’s climate goals and their sustainability ambition and action.