THE ESTATE
The National Trust for Scotland bought the 30,000-hectare Mar Lodge Estate for the below market value price of £5.6 million in 1995 with support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the Easter Charitable Trust, entering into a management agreement with the then Scottish Natural Heritage over its woodland. The estate – which covers the land to the west of Braemar and to the east of Glen Tilt – forms part of the largest stretch of high subarctic ground in Britain. It is the largest National Nature Reserve in Scotland, and boasts 15 Munros and
four of the five highest mountains in Scotland including Ben Macdui at 4,295ft. It has the highest source of any river in Britain, is home to one of two of the oldest known Scots pines in Scotland – dating back to 1477 – and to the country’s second largest Caledonian pine, a monster at around 100ft and with a girth measuring nearly 20ft. It also boast the second highest altitude tree – a rowan 3,595ft above sea level. With in excess of 5,000 species recorded on the estate, over 10% of all the species found in Scotland, the estate holds eleven national and international environmental designations designed to protect it.
A finance chief’s work developing a unique vaccine in Scotland is enriched by “phenomenal” public support.
Working daily with the vaccine task force, father of two David Lawrence leads discussions with the UK Government around manufacture and roll-out of his biotech company’s “inactivated adjuvante” COVID-19 vaccine that saw Livingston-based Valneva “take a different approach”.
He commented: “We’ll ensure absolutely we’ve got a safe and effective vaccine. I think people should feel very encouraged. They should be very confident the safety profile will be absolutely fine.”
The CFO’S 14 year-old daughter Sophie is remote learning while son Cameron, 18, is a university student. “In terms of the support from my family and friends, it’s been phenomenal,” he said.
“You see neighbours and they say ‘great job, keep up the good work’ and that’s all very supportive.
“I feel very blessed to be involved, being some sort of partner in the overall solution.”