Trio of West Coast estates vie for moorland prize

THE 2017 Golden Plover Award finalists have been announced.

The coveted prize recognises progressive, practical and sustainable moorland management in Scotland, and is open to estates, farms, individuals and syndicates who have gone the extra mile for our hills.

This year the award has focused on the north and west of Scotland, appealing to landholdings that have shown a dedicated level of commitment to integrated land use, and this has taken the award into new and exciting terrain. After several years in the eastern Highlands, the 2017 applicants embraced diverse issues such as upland fisheries, rural employment, conservation, peatland, deer management and crofting.

The judges have identified three finalists – Ardnamurchan, a 10,000-hectare sporting estate with a balanced approach to deer management, agriculture and tourism; Reay Forest in Sutherland, which has a reputation for integrated work between interests such as conservation, deer stalking and renewable energy; and Fearann Eilean Iarmain, a stunning estate on the Isle of Skye which links traditional land management with crofting, a distillery and support for a thriving Gaelic culture.

Heather Trust director Simon Thorp said: ‘We had some really positive interest in the award this year from estates and projects in the north Highlands and up and down the West Coast. We believe we’ve chosen a strong, diverse spread of applicants to go forward as finalists, and we look forward to learning more about their work in the next few weeks.’

The 2017 winners will be announced on June 30 at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair at Scone Palace.