Auchlyne & Suie Estate is a family run estate based on traditional values looking forward to the future.
It encompasses both agricultural and sporting operations, as well as native woodland creation, renewable energy and 4x4 camping.
Traditional activities such as hill sheep farming and stalking are a way of using the relatively unproductive land that covers about 80% of the estate and need to be done in a sustainable way that enhances the habitat at the same time.
The use of Integrated Land Management Planning helps highlight the connectivity of different aspects of the estate and balance a commercial enterprise alongside a commitment to improve all aspects of conservation.
As one of the owners and the Estate Manager, Nicola Colqhoun believes that, as a sector, there is a need to be more proactive about addressing the lack of knowledge within the general public in terms of what actually happens on large expanses of Scotland.
She said: “We need to raise awareness of what happens on a day to day basis on relatively unproductive land which can’t be used for more profitable farming enterprises such as growing fruit or vegetables and what other things (ecosystems services) that land managers and farmers provide – like restored peatlands soaking up all the rain and carbon sequestration when we plant new trees.”
The estate is involved with LEAF - linking Education and Farming – and every fortnight during term time, Nicola has a video call with a classroom of 8 year olds in London.
This has happened for 3 years and shows the children every aspect of farming life.
There was an acknowledgement that peat was degrading on the holding. This was partly due to previous government schemes supporting the construction of drains (grips) and historic over-grazing of livestock and deer.
Having degrading peat has no long-term advantages and is ultimately unsustainable.
Nicola said: “In taking an overview of the estate and its management the team also looked at a full range of factors that influence peatland recovery.
“My role was to identify areas of peatland habitat that would benefit from restoration and we did this in partnership with Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority’s Peatland Team.”
Over the last 30 years, in partnership with Scottish Woodlands, the estate has created some native woodlands and some woodland regeneration projects.
Where old monoculture Fir plantations have been cut down, a larger area has been re-fenced and allowed to regenerate naturally with species, such as birch, rowan, alder and hazel.
This has resulted in a mosaic of scrubby woodland which is ideal for black game. The population of black grouse has begun to utilise these young woodlands and the estate hopes that as the habitat is managed to their benefit, the population numbers will increase.
However, some of their woodland creation scheme has been impacted by the encroachment of beavers from the Lower Tay and the estate have worked closely with Scottish Forestry and NatureScot to manage and mitigate their activity.
They are also working with Forestry Land Scotland to remove sitka spruce regen from an area of scrub that they want to manage for conservation value.
Taking a holistic view of the estate has identified project opportunities that could improve the financial and environmental sustainability of the business.
Considerations included: farming native domestic stock; forestry; sporting interests and diversification including renewable energy.
By undertaking peatland restoration, the roles of grazing pressures, retained water, and landscape and wildlife enhancement within the estate business are better understood.
These benefits may take time to be realised in the estate finances but will ensure the business is environmentally on a more sustainable footing.
Producing extensively reared meat - which will have a lower carbon footprint than anything produced in large scale intensively farmed lots in other areas of the world - natural flood management, carbon sequestration through good soil, peatland and woodland management.
In partnership with the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA), the estate have participated in 4 rounds/20 years of AECs have begun to manage the wetter, flood-prone valley bottom fields to increase their suitability for wildfowl and waders by managing the grazing and predators at key times of year and holding water in certain areas to create the right habitat for young chicks.
The aim is to increase the numbers of breeding waders such as lapwing, redshank, curlew and snipe.
The 3 peatland restoration projects, with another 2 in the pipeline, have not only put the peatland back on the road to recovery but the ditch re-profiling and ditch blocking with peat dams alone can reduce the number of lambs and other animals lost down the drains where they are unable to escape and often not found; provide a home for wildlife and smooth the flow of any hydro scheme.