Scotland’s Woodland Comeback: £670k Boost Could Unlock £9.2m Nature Revival
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park is set to lead one of the country’s most ambitious woodland restoration drives after securing more than £670,000 in development funding – a first step that could unlock a further £9.2 million for large scale nature recovery.
The investment kickstarts the Landscape Connections initiative, a major partnership between the National Park Authority, RSPB Scotland and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Countryside Trust.
If the development phase is successful, the project will move into an eight year programme to restore and reconnect woodland habitats across an area more than twice the size of Glasgow. The focus will be on some of Scotland’s rarest ecosystems, including temperate rainforest, ancient Caledonian pinewoods and upland forests.
These habitats support threatened species such as black grouse and pied flycatcher, while delivering wider environmental benefits – cleaner air and water, natural flood management and greater public access to nature.
Crucially, local communities will help shape the plans over the next two years. The initiative aims to:
- Create green jobs and training opportunities
- Provide practical conservation skills and wildlife monitoring training
- Improve sustainable deer management
- Support rural economies through profitable local venison
- Remove invasive species such as rhododendron
Funding comes from The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s £150 million Landscape Connections programme, supporting long term nature recovery across the UK. The park becomes only the second Scottish site to receive backing, following the Solway Firth coastal restoration scheme.
Leaders describe the funding as a milestone opportunity to embed people centred conservation at scale – delivering healthier landscapes, thriving rural businesses and lasting benefits for both nature and communities for decades to come.
