Ayrshire estate recognised with prestigious wildlife conservation accreditation

An Ayrshire estate has received international recognition for its approach to wildlife management, biodiversity and sustainable land use.

Southannan Estate was one of seven Scottish landholdings presented with accreditation through the Wildlife Estates Scotland scheme at the Scottish Game Fair.

The certificates were presented by Scotland’s Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Islands, Jim Fairlie MSP.

Wildlife Estates Scotland, known as WES, is the national version of the European Wildlife Estates scheme and is endorsed by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment.

High Street Ayr

The independently assessed scheme promotes best practice in wildlife conservation and integrated land management.

Southannan Estate achieved an accreditation score of 86 per cent, the highest score recorded so far by a newly accredited landholding.

The varied Ayrshire estate includes residential and industrial areas on its western side, before rising towards open hillland on its eastern edge.

Estate managers are examining ways to restore and improve the land, with an emphasis on soil condition, water movement and biodiversity.

Extensive monitoring is being carried out to better understand the biodiversity within the soil and how water behaves across the estate.

Now Open Later

Southannan is also supporting local people who are interested in developing businesses along the estate’s busy western corridor.

Plans are being developed to provide facilities that could encourage small and emerging businesses to establish themselves in the area.

Kenneth Burns, estate manager at Southannan Estate, said: “Accreditation has been an extremely useful journey for Southannan to go on.

“The estate team have benefited enormously from the experience. We have examined every aspect of management to ensure that we are doing all we can to sustain and enhance biodiversity on the estate.

“We are very pleased to have received such a high score. It is a testament to the hard work of the team on the ground.”

The other estates receiving accreditation were Ardtalla Estate and Dunlossit Estate on Islay, Attadale Estate in Wester Ross, Balruddrie Estate in Kinross-shire, Glenmuick Estate in Aberdeenshire and Logie Estate in Moray.

Each landholding underwent a rigorous independent assessment covering wildlife and habitat management, as well as its social and economic contribution to surrounding communities.

The WES scheme provides a transparent and benchmarked system designed to show how land managers can support wildlife, rural employment and local communities while contributing to Scotland’s biodiversity and land-use goals.

Miles Montgomerie, chair of Wildlife Estates Scotland, congratulated the seven estates on their commitment to conservation and community development.

He said: “The WES accreditation scheme is a rigorous process that requires land managers to demonstrate that they are meeting the highest standards in wildlife and conservation management, including data on 70 key species.

“This helps to provide significant insight into what is working well and where conservation efforts need to be targeted.

“The WES scheme is also about resilience and opportunity, recognising landholdings where people and nature support one another to thrive and grow.

“Achieving a landscape which is rich in biodiversity also ensures sustainable livelihoods and communities that want to live in these areas and look after the land for the next generation.”

Scotland currently ranks second among the 19 European countries participating in the wider Wildlife Estates scheme in terms of the total amount of accredited land.

The Wildlife Estates Scotland advisory board and technical committee includes representatives from the Scottish Government, NatureScot, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, RSPB Scotland and Scottish Forestry.