Lochaline primary school serves up local venison

Children at Lochaline Primary School on the Morvern peninsula are enjoying deliciously eco-friendly midday meals thanks to the recent addition of local venison to the school’s lunch menu. The locally sourced meat from Ardtornish Estate has been included in the menu following an agreement between Highland Council and Ardtornish, brought about by nature restoration partnership, Loch Abar Mòr.

The initiative offers pupils the chance to enjoy a healthy, locally sourced alternative to other meats while helping to build awareness of the important role that deer management plays in nature recovery.

‘It’s been fantastic to include greater variety to the lunch menus with the addition of such a healthy, local product from Ardtornish, and the uptake has been great – the children are really enjoying the venison,’ says Headteacher, Andrew Kent. ‘We hope to build on the venison lunches with some learning around deer management for nature recovery, helping the children understand more about the landscape around them, where their food comes from and how responsible land management can benefit nature and the wider environment.’

Loch Abar Mòr is a nature restoration partnership bringing together land managers, communities, schools and businesses from across Lochaber, including Ardtornish Estate. Its partners share an ambition to restore and reconnect a thriving network of natural habitats, to return more wildlife to the landscape, and to create new social and economic opportunities for the region’s communities.

Deer management is a key part of this work. Where deer numbers are too high, browsing can prevent young trees and other vegetation from regenerating, making it harder for woodland and other habitats to recover.

‘Venison is a healthy and environmentally sustainable source of meat – as well as being a vital part of Scotland’s deer management story, and central to our drive to tackle the biodiversity and climate crises,’ explains Dee Baum, Loch Abar Mór Partnership Manager.

‘But it remains a niche choice of meat, so we’re keen to connect people – however we can – with the deer management around them, to help them see it not as a problem, but as a resource. Facilitating this agreement between Highland Council, Lochaline Primary and Ardtornish was a great way to do just that – and where better to start than with the next generation?’

Henry Dobson is Land Manager at Ardtornish Estate. He welcomes the opportunity to supply venison to the school:

‘I’m delighted that Ardtornish venison is being enjoyed by local school children. It’s good for them and it’s good for helping to combat the biodiversity and climate crises.

‘The Scottish venison industry needs support to make best use of this valuable local resource, and finding new markets and helping people to discover venison as a tasty, healthy food is all part of that. Supplying to our local school is especially rewarding because it helps young people understand the connections between the food they eat, local people who work the land and the landscapes around them.’

The partnership demonstrates how collaboration between schools, local authorities, land managers and nature restoration partnerships can deliver a wide range of benefits, as Dee continues: ‘Helping to create thriving communities within nature-rich and climate resilient landscapes across Lochaber is a central part of our partnership’s vision. If we can encourage an appreciation of local food and the natural environment whilst supporting local supply chains, it’s a win-win for everyone.’