Aviemore Peatland Project | highlandcarbon

Gleann Eanaich Peatland, Aviemore

Located in the Scottish Highlands, ranked one of the ‘Ten Best’ visitor destinations in the world by National Geographic magazine. A vast peatland restoration project near Aviemore will improve a large, wild glen.

The peatland project site is home to endangered water voles and rare river otters. Great crested grebes, northern divers and red throated divers have been seen here. Ospreys feed in the loch and river. The headlands are home to golden eagles, mountain hares and ptarmigans.

The project takes place on the Rothiemurchus Estate, one of the jewels in the crown of the Cairngorms National Park. At the top of the glen is a montane loch, Loch Eanaich, where trout and salmon spawn each spring. A spectacular, wild tributary of the Spey River, the Eaniaich, flows from the Loch and winds through the glen. The project is located within a Site of Special Scientific Interest; it enhances Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation. The project complements the Craigellachie National Nature Reserve, the Rothiemurchus Nature Reserve, RSPB Loch Insh Nature Reserve and RSPB Loch Garten Nature Reserve.

The peatland restoration will uplift water quality to the Spey River Watershed, which is a salmon river and home to fifty (half) of the Whisky distilleries in all of Scotland.

The Rothiemurchus Estate itself is home to 25% of the UK’s rare species, for example: capercaillies, Scottish wildcats, crested tits, lapwings, ospreys, otters, pine martens, red squirrels, otters, ptarmigans, crossbills, dotterels, golden plovers, snow buntings, golden eagles, etc.

The Estate receives 350,000 visitors per year. It has miles of tracks for walking, mountain biking and all abilities access. The Estate is home to the largest remnant of the ancient Caledonian Forest and some of the oldest pines in Scotland.

Significant Community Economic Development benefits arise, for one of the UK’s remotest areas, from the project funding (grants and carbon finance) which supports the project supply chain: earth movers, drone operators, hydrologists, ecologists, etc.

The Estate has a commitment to educational outputs including tours for local schools and for charities such as The Scouts. Signage will explain the aims of the project to mitigate Climate Change. Community benefits include improved quality of life/wellbeing and increased ecotourism revenue by improving the natural capital of the area. The Estate will reinvest proceeds from offsetting to further enhance public access and sustainable agricultural practices on a 1500-acre farm.

The Cairngorm’s National Park is the UK’s largest, highest and coldest National Park. It is twice the size of the Lake District National Park and larger than Luxembourg. The Park is home to one-quarter of Scotland's native forest; one-third of the UK land above 600 meters; more breeding waders than the whole of Wales and a quarter of the rare and endangered species in the UK!

Nearly half of the land in the National Park is considered ‘wild land’. 49 per cent of the park has been recognised as being of international importance for nature. There are 19 Areas of Conservation, 12 Special Protection Areas and 46 Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the Park. Simply put, it is one of the UK's most important natural areas.

Opportunities for investment include:

1. Purchase of all or part of the project Pending Issuance Units

2. Front-end investment to secure all or part of the project

The company(ies) purchasing the carbon offsetting from the peatland project would have the opportunity to access a team building day and hospitality at the Rothiemurchus Estate. For details, contact: richard@highlandcarbon.com

At a Glance: Gleann Eanaich Peatland Project

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