The 1,200-acre (approx. 511-hectare) Bunloit Estate, located on the northwest shore of Loch Ness in Scotland, is a flagship rewilding project owned by Highlands Rewilding. Purchased in 2020 by Dr. Jeremy Leggett, the estate serves as a "primary scientific test-bed" or open-air laboratory, focused on accelerating nature-based solutions to climate change, boosting biodiversity, and generating community-focused economic, or "profit-for-purpose," returns
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Conservation and Rewilding Work
Habitat Restoration: The project focuses on restoring a mosaic of habitats, including woodlands, peatlands, and grasslands.
Woodland Management: Non-native conifer plantations are being removed and replaced with native broadleaf woodlands, encouraging natural regeneration.
Peatland Restoration: Work involves re-wetting degraded peatlands (by blocking drainage ditches) to turn them from carbon sources into carbon sinks.
Biodiversity Enhancement: Low-intensity grazing by Highland cattle is used to manage grasslands, while deer numbers are controlled to allow native woodlands to regenerate naturally.
Species Reintroduction: There are plans to introduce wood ants to promote seed dispersal and tree growth.
Affric Highlands Initiative: Bunloit is part of the larger 200,000-hectare 'Affric Highlands' initiative, which aims to create an East-West wild landscape corridor.
Research and Scientific Monitoring
Natural Capital Focus: The estate is used to verify carbon sequestration and biodiversity gains through rigorous, data-driven research.
Baseline Studies: A 2021 baseline analysis found the site to be a net emitter of carbon (240 tCO2e/year) due to degraded peat, but estimated potential for a net saving of 60,747 tCO2e over 100 years through restoration.
Long-Term Monitoring: The estate conducts yearly biodiversity surveys (using LIDAR, eDNA, camera traps, and on-the-ground surveys) to track changes in mammals, birds, insects, and flora.
Partnerships: Collaboration is key, with partners including the University of Oxford (ten-year study), University of Edinburgh, SRUC, University of the Highlands and Islands, and Nature Metrics.
Rare Species: Surveys have identified rare species such as the pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly, various dragonfly species, and important lichen communities.
Community and Social Impact
Employment and Education: The project has created, or aims to create, new "green jobs" in monitoring, forestry, and estate management, alongside supporting local schools with environmental education.
Community Co-ownership: Highlands Rewilding operates a "mass ownership" model, offering local communities opportunities to invest and have a say in land management.
Social Research: The project is investigating the socio-economic benefits of rewilding, including how to create sustainable income streams for local communities.
The overall aim of the work at Bunloit is to provide a scalable model for land management that benefits nature, people, and the economy simultaneously.