A bright future for Lochaber’s wee trees

The £108,000 award from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot, will go towards ‘Wee Trees Lochaber’, a project that will protect, enhance and expand mountain woodland across the region through an ambitious mapping, surveying and tree nursery development programme.

‘Due to historic land management, including overgrazing, mountain woodland is one of Scotland’s rarest and most fragmented habitats, with less than 15 hectares remaining in Lochaber,’ explains Abel McLinden, Partnership Manager for Loch Abar Mòr. ‘These high-altitude woodlands are characterised by juniper, dwarf birch and montane willows, and support a wealth of upland biodiversity, including the globally endangered whortle-leaved willow and the UK red-listed ring ouzel. They’re also critical to whole ecosystems – stabilising slopes, regulating water flow and increasing resilience to extreme weather and erosion.

‘But these habitats are now restricted to isolated crags and gullies with little or no natural regeneration,’ Abel continues. ‘Without targeted intervention, the remaining populations will further decline, threatening the unique upland ecosystems and the species that rely on them.’

Focusing on sites from Creag Meagaidh and Glen Roy to Ben Nevis, Corrour and Glencoe, the Wee Trees project will map Lochaber’s remaining mountain woodland, sensitively collecting seeds and cuttings from the remaining trees. The team will then work with specialists to assess genetic variation and ensure that future planting can add greater diversity to the woodlands, strengthening their resilience. The project will also collaborate with local tree nurseries to expand specialist propagation skills and capacity, laying the groundwork for reliable supply chains of mountain woodland species.

‘The goal will be to create a thorough and costed restoration delivery plan, based on a clear understanding of the condition and distribution of the existing mountain woodland,’ Abel explains. ‘To deliver large-scale restoration, we’ll also need locally adapted planting stock and coordinated deer management across estate boundaries.

‘There are plenty of examples of deer management now proving that deer fences are costly and unnecessary barriers in the landscape – including at Corrour, where planted downy willow without fences saw 98% survival rates. If we want to reverse biodiversity loss, strengthen our ecosystems and contribute meaningfully to Scotland’s Nature Networks and biodiversity strategy, our projects need to be ambitious.’

Dr Katherine Leys, NatureScot’s Head of Biodiversity added: ‘Mountain woodland supports a huge range of plant and animal species while helping to relieve flooding and erosion. Without targeted action, we’re at risk of losing this rare and incredibly important habitat. Thanks to the Nature Restoration Fund, we’re able to support the first phase of the Wee Trees Lochaber woodland expansion project, which will lay the groundwork for an ambitious recovery programme. We look forward to seeing how this exciting work progresses.’

Wee Trees Lochaber brings together a range of landowners, and aims to involve additional partners as the project evolves. Current partners include Corrour Estate, Glen Nevis Estate, the National Trust for Scotland Glencoe, the John Muir Trust, Arkaig Community Forest, Trees for Life’s Dundreggan Estate and Rivertrees Nursery.

This project is supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot.