Nevis Nature Network

Context

In 2023, the Nevis Landscape Partnership launched its most ambitious nature restoration project yet, working in partnership with the largest landowners in the Nevis Landscape Partnership management area: JAHAMA Highland Estate, John Muir Trust, Glen Nevis Estate and Forestry and Land Scotland.

This iconic landscape attracts about half a million visitors every year with well over one hundred thousand of those summiting Ben Nevis. This landscape is known for more than just its tall peaks. Spanning 22,000 acres, the Nevis Nature Network project area covers a vast array of native habitats, from ancient rainforest along the River Nevis, up to rare montane scrub on mountain cliffs. It also includes land with both European and Scottish habitat designations: Ben Nevis Special Area of Conservation, a Caledonian Pinewood Inventory site and the Ben Nevis Special Site of Scientific Interest. These special habitats are home to rare and vulnerable wildlife, such as Atlantic salmon, red squirrels and golden eagles.

The partnership formed because of a joint recognition that the natural habitats of this iconic landscape were in a poor state of health. We understood that we could only maximize positive impact for nature if we work together and at scale.

NatureScot’s 2021 site condition monitoring of the Ben Nevis protected sites, found that: “The majority of the natural features were in ‘unfavourable condition’, which means they are in a poor state of health and are struggling to thrive. 72% of the upland habitats and 100% of the woodland habitats surveyed were classed as being in ‘unfavourable condition’.” The Caledonian Pinewood Inventory site is also in unfavourable condition. NatureScot reported that the biggest threats to our woodland habitats are high herbivore impacts, invasive non-native species (INNS) and recreational use.

Development Phase

In June 2024 we launched our 9-month development phase project, funded by: the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund (managed by NatureScot), Rewilding Britain’s Rewilding Innovation Fund, The Woodland Trust, Forestry and Land Scotland, JAHAMA Highland Estate, Glen Nevis Estate and Friends of Nevis. Thank you so much to everyone involved. We were overwhelmed by the support that we received to get this project up and running.

During this development phase we investigated opportunities to collaboratively address our biggest ecological challenges. We wanted to:

To achieve this, we engaged area specialists to:

• Investigate the nature restoration potential
• Cost, map and rank opportunities for action
• Provide advice and support to NLP and the land management decision makers

We discovered:

• Our existing native woodlands have a highly fragmented distribution
• This landscape has huge potential for woodland restoration and expansion by natural regeneration
• Collaborative herbivore management could unlock this potential
• We are located in the heart of Scotland’s temperate rainforest zone, which means that we have huge potential to restore and expand this internationally important habitat.
• We have many rare montane scrub populations which are largely restricted to inaccessible cliff ledges due to high herbivore impacts.
• Rhododendron ponticum is the most abundant invasive non-native species in the project area (present across ~400ha of the project area)
• Rhododendron ponticum is actively colonising from Fort William town and surrounding landholdings. A wider removal project would be required to project the landscape long-term.
• Designated habitats are being significantly damaged in some location by heavy footfall. Options have been identified to maintain recreational access whilst protecting vulnerable habitats.

What’s happened since?

• We are continuing to work collaboratively to implement as many of the recommendation as possible
• Our landowning partners are committed, in principle, to delivering a fenceless native woodland expansion project through collaborative herbivore management.
• We have become an Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest ‘Focus Project’.
• We have agreed a 100-year vision:

“A new stronghold for Scotland’s Rainforest has been established in the Nevis landscape.

A thriving woodland network connects riparian woodlands, along the River Nevis, to montane scrub on the upper slopes of Ben Nevis.

Meadows, heathland and wetlands weave through the forest and explode with wildflowers each spring.

The community around Nevis treasure this wild place and want to ensure its ongoing protection.

Visitors from near and far, explore our landscape and marvel at our iconic and rare species, including red squirrels, Atlantic salmon and highland cattle.

Businesses operate sustainably in Glen Nevis and benefit from the natural resources that it provides.”

We are now seeking funding to:

• Create a collaborative 10-year rainforest restoration strategic plan.
• Initiate a collaborative deer reduction cull.
• Develop a strategic plan for community engagement.
• Remove Rhododendron ponticum from the highest priority areas within the project area.
• Investigate the possibility of a wider community Rhododendron ponticum removal project in Fort William town and the wider landscape.
• Restore degrading footpaths on designated sites.

If you have any questions or ideas about this exciting project, please email our project manager Ellie Corsie: ellie.corsie@nevislandscape.co.uk

or alternatively: info@nevislandscape.co.uk