Tweed Invasives Project | Scottish Land & Estates

Nominee Summary

For 25 years, landowners, estates, fisheries and communities across the River Tweed catchment have worked alongside Tweed Forum through the Tweed Invasives Project to deliver one of the UK's most successful landscape-scale programmes for tackling invasive non-native species (INNS). Together they have coordinated action against giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam, restoring river corridors, protecting biodiversity and improving public safety across 300 miles of watercourse. Through sustained partnership working, long-term investment, monitoring and practical action, the project has transformed the river and created a model of collaborative stewardship that continues to influence best practice across the UK.

What was the motivation behind the work which was undertaken?

The primary motivation was to protect the environmental, economic and social value of the River Tweed. There was growing concern about the spread of giant hogweed, which was degrading river habitats, increasing erosion, reducing biodiversity and creating significant health and safety risks for river users. As an internationally important river designated as both an SAC and SSSI, there was a strong desire to protect the Tweed's natural heritage, world-renowned salmon fishery, productive agricultural land and high-quality landscapes that support tourism, recreation and local communities. A further motivation was the recognition that invasive non-native species could only be tackled effectively through total cooperation. Landowners understood that isolated action would have little impact when infestations continued to spread from neighbouring land and along watercourses. By working together across ownership boundaries, supported by Tweed Forum, estates, farms, fisheries and communities were able to address a shared challenge at a catchment scale, protecting both individual landholdings and the wider Tweed landscape for future generations.

Overcoming Challenges

A major challenge has been delivering consistent action across a cross-border, 5,000 square kilometre catchment comprising hundreds of landholdings, where success depends on neighbouring estates, farmers and fisheries working in alignment. Developing and maintaining these relationships has taken time, but this collaboration has been fundamental to achieving landscape-scale invasive species control. Securing long-term funding has also been a persistent challenge. Many landowners have contributed far more than access alone, providing staff time, machinery, local ecological knowledge and, where required, direct financial support. This shared commitment has been critical in sustaining continuity of operations over more than two decades. Operational constraints involve treating infestations in remote or steep riverbank locations. Specialist rope-access contractors are therefore deployed annually to safely and effectively undertake work in areas that are otherwise inaccessible. The programme has also had to adapt where traditional control methods are insufficient. Species such as Himalayan balsam cannot be fully controlled using conventional mechanical or chemical approaches at catchment scale. As a result, the project is supporting trials of biological control methods as a more sustainable long-term solution. Tweed Forum has come up to solutions where these issues exist and have demonstrated adaptability and strong partnership working, and is widely recognised as an effective model of collaborative invasive species management.

The Environmental, Social & Economic Benefits

The Tweed Invasives Project has delivered significant environmental, economic and social benefits across the catchment. INNS cost the British economy more than £1.9 billion per year; Tweed Forum’s work to control INNS is lessening this impact within the catchment. Environmentally, the project has restored native riverbank habitats, reduced riverbank erosion, improved ecological connectivity and enabled the recovery of diverse native plant communities, strengthening the resilience of freshwater ecosystems and protecting the internationally important River Tweed SAC and SSSI. The project helps to safeguard the internationally renowned Tweed salmon fishery, which contributes around £24 million annually to the local economy and supports more than 500 jobs. The project protects productive agricultural land, improves the efficiency of invasive species management through coordinated catchment-scale action and has developed local environmental skills by training volunteers and contractors. Socially, controlling giant hogweed has made riverside environments significantly safer for residents, anglers and visitors. The enhanced quality of the Tweed landscape supports recreation, tourism and initiatives such as the Tweed Valley Canoe Trail and the evolving River Tweed Trail. Tourism in the Scottish Borders has an economic impact of almost £380m annually (STEAM Report 2012-2023), with the region’s scenery and landscapes being tourists’ top reason for visiting (VisitScotland’s Survey 2023). Tweed Forum’s work helps ensure that the Tweed continues to appeal to visitors seeking connection to the great outdoors. Volunteer programmes and community engagement through river-centred projects such as Destination Tweed have strengthened partnerships between landowners, local communities and environmental organisations, fostering long-term stewardship of the catchment.

Including the community

Community involvement has been central to the success of the Tweed Invasives Project. Alongside landowners and estates, local communities, anglers and volunteers play an active role in monitoring and tackling invasive species across the catchment. Local people are encouraged to act as the “eyes and ears” on the ground, reporting sightings of target species to the project team. A dedicated network of volunteers then provides practical support, assisting with survey work, monitoring and hands-on control. Training events, field demonstrations and awareness campaigns have strengthened understanding of invasive non-native species and promoted responsible management practices, fostering a shared sense of responsibility for protecting the river environment. The project also provides important opportunities for education and skills development, including school engagement sessions, volunteer training and pathways into environmental work. Involvement in initiatives such as AQUA biosecurity accreditation has helped reinforce best practice and raise standards across the catchment. By actively involving communities in practical conservation, the project has strengthened partnerships between local people and land managers, demonstrating how collaborative action can deliver lasting environmental improvement.