Nature restoration in perpetuity - the sale of the Barrahormid area of Tayvallich to a charitable trust
We are delighted that half of the Tayvallich estate has been sold to a charitable trust who will hold it in perpetuity for nature restoration and community prosperity. The Trust have entered into a long-term management arrangement with Highlands Rewilding who will operate all of the land management, in accordance with our mission and principles, the Memorandum of Understanding with the local community at Tayvallich, and the objectives of the Trust.
The Barrahormid area of Tayvallich
A long-term management plan
This operating lease for the Barrahormid area of Tayvallich sets a new precedent for our nature recovery operations by locking over 625 hectares of land into being managed for carbon and biodiversity uplift and the delivery of benefits to the local community, essentially forever. This is something that we, as a company, could not guarantee if we retained ownership. We will manage Barrahormid as we will the rest of the Tayvallich area, with land management decisions informed by our comprehensive methods for measurement, monitoring and analysis, operating on a win–win share of the natural capital proceeds. We are therefore delighted that the Barrahormid Trust will become our first land services partner.
“Nature adapts slowly, but we can act now to give it the best chance for long term success. When we work with nature, we work with necessarily long timelines, something which is too often lost in today’s economics, but which can be guaranteed through this sale of land, not to a private landowner, but to a charity.
If Highlands Rewilding were to fail in its mission, and we do not believe that it will, the charity and its purpose of nature recovery and community prosperity will continue on, safeguarding the land and boosting the chances for the long term success of rewilding.”
The Barrahormid Trust are a charity whose mission aligns closely with that of Highlands Rewilding, with their own activities carried out to meet the following purposes* and provide the following public benefit:
Protect and restore the unique natural habitats on the Barrahormid Estate and surrounding areas on the Tayvallich Peninsula, Argyll;
Provide land or buildings for rural or affordable housing, or for rural enterprises, to those in need;
Create opportunities for people to experience and be inspired by the nature on Barrahormid.
The land at Barrahormid contains Barrahormid Farmhouse, farm buildings and several ruined properties (see below for a detailed description of this land area). The Trust will uphold the Memorandum of Understanding agreed between Highlands Rewilding and Tayvallich Initiative, and part of the agreement requires Highlands Rewilding and the Trust to work together to explore opportunities to renovate these ruined properties, where possible, for use as rural housing, including long term lets, and any plots or renovations would having a rural housing burden attached.
“This is a great opportunity for potential development of other plots and ruined developments on the Tayvallich estate that will help to fulfil HRL’s and TI’s desire for nature recovery and community prosperity with repopulation. It’s great that the Memorandum of Understanding developed and signed between HRL and TI last year carries across to the Barrahormid Trust, ensuring that Rural Housing Burdens will be applied to enable re-population of this area because housing will be used as primary residences. ”
Ruins at North Ardbeg, Barrahormid
When we purchased the Tayvallich estate, we did so with the help of a bridging loan from the UK Infrastructure Bank. This was an important step in the pursuit of our mission for nature recovery and community prosperity through rewilding taken to scale in Scotland, and then beyond. This next step, protecting nature in perpetuity, is something that Highlands Rewilding, as a company, could not otherwise find it easy do. The sale of land to a charitable trust, therefore, represents a long-term solution for nature recovery in perpetuity, safeguarding over 625 hectares of land, now placed in trust.
“The Barrahormid Trust is delighted to have acquired part of the Tayvallich Estate from Highlands Rewilding. Our aims as a charity are to restore and protect in perpetuity the unique natural environment in this area including Celtic rainforest, fen and wildflower meadows, whilst providing opportunities for local repopulation and employment.
Landscape scale restoration will be a centuries-long process and we hope the extended management agreement we have entered into with HRL will serve as a model for ecological conservation and restoration with community benefit in Scotland.”
Images from around Barrahormid
The Land at Barrahormid
The land at Barrahormid is made up of a mixture of open native woodland, enclosed deciduous woodland, permanent pasture and rough grazing. The area also contains two small freshwater lochans and around 4 kilometers of coastline along the Sound of Jura.
The majority of the Barrahormid estate is designated in recognition of the important species and habitats there. Approximately two thirds of the estate is covered by the Tayvallich Juniper & Coast Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which has been designated for the juniper habitat, as well as the presence of the very rare Marsh fritillary butterfly. This overlaps with the Tayvallich Juniper and Fen SSSI, designated again for the juniper scrub, as well as the upland oak woodland, the valley fens and the dragonfly assemblage. It is also covered by the West Tayvallich Peninsula SSSI, which is a geological designation, with the rocks of the area forming part of the Dalradian Supergroup. Future management of this land will ensure the condition of these important habitats are improved and maintained.
There is potential for the native woodland to be restored and linked with the remnants of temperate rainforest. Following Highlands Rewilding’s biodiversity and carbon baselining during 2024, regenerative agriculture practices could be implemented to improve natural regeneration, and there are possibilities for marine restoration and aquaculture activities.
Within Barrahormid there are 9 ruined croft areas each with multiple buildings with potential for redevelopment and repopulation. Barrahormid Farmhouse, farm buildings and a modern deer larder are also part of this area.
* The Barrahormid Trust’s purposes, in line with the purposes set out in The Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 in Section 7 (2), namely (m), (i) and (f) respectively, are:
1. The advancement of environmental protection or improvement;
2. The advancement of community development;
3. The provision of recreational facilities, or the organisation of recreational activities.