First carbon cash flows to community landowner in Assynt - Woodland Trust

Community-owners of highland estates as big as Glasgow have received the first payment in a ground-breaking deal that sees them receive carbon income for native woods created by conservation charity the Woodland Trust Scotland, with funding from Aviva, the UK’s leading diversified insurer.

The first payment has been made from the Trust to the Assynt Foundation.

Assynt Foundation and the Trust last year announced the South Assynt Collaboration Project, a 30-year deal to revitalise the vast area in the northwest highlands of Scotland.

Assynt Foundation Trustee, Simon Jeffreys, said: “We are delighted to get our first carbon payment under our collaboration agreement with the Woodland Trust. We can now hire a part-time administrator and complete our project to put signage and information boards all around the estates, which will make a huge difference to visitors."

With funding from Aviva, the Trust is delivering ecological regeneration across Assynt Foundation’s Glencanisp and Drumrunie estates; protecting, restoring and expanding a range of habitats, particularly woodland, including the most northerly rainforest remnants in Scotland.

Containing iconic mountains Suilven, Canisp, Cul Mor and Cul Beag set among a vast patchwork of rivers and lochans, Assynt Foundation’s estates cover 44,000 acres (almost 70 square miles) and are around the size of the city of Glasgow.