Seven Scottish estates win Wildlife Estates Scotland accreditation

Seven Scottish estates have been recognised for their wildlife and habitat management with Wildlife Estates Scotland accreditation, the independent scheme widely regarded as the gold standard for conservation-led land management. The certificates were presented on Friday 3 July at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair by Jim Fairlie MSP, the Scottish Government’s Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Islands.

Which estates were recognised?

The seven are Ardtalla (pictured above) and Dunlossit on Islay, Attadale in Wester Ross, Balruddrie in Kinross-shire, Glenmuick on Royal Deeside, Logie in the Findhorn Valley and Southannan in Ayrshire. Several are managed for game, and the awards were collected by the keepers and managers who do the work on the ground.

At Balruddrie the certificate was received by gamekeeper Danny Lyon and assistant deer stalker David Hertwig, on ground shaped over 40 years that takes in 1.9km of the River Devon and a rare woodland raised bog. Glenmuick, in the Dee catchment, took a Silver award, collected by head keeper David Caithness after the restoration of more than 230 hectares of peatland since 2021. Southannan in Ayrshire recorded the highest score ever achieved by a newly accredited holding in Scotland, 86 per cent, with a focus on soil health and hydrology.

What is Wildlife Estates Scotland?

Wildlife Estates Scotland is run by Scottish Land & Estates as the national arm of the European Wildlife Estates initiative. Accreditation is independently assessed and endorsed by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment, and its advisory board and technical committee include the Scottish Government, NatureScot, the Cairngorms National Park Authority, the GWCT, RSPB Scotland and Scottish Forestry.

For the shooting and gamekeeping community, it offers a rare independent measure of the conservation work carried out day to day on sporting ground, from predator control and habitat management to peatland restoration and species monitoring.

What did the minister say?

Jim Fairlie, Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Islands, said: “I would like to congratulate all of those who have earned their WES accreditation. We have exceptional landscapes and magnificent wildlife in Scotland, but protecting and enhancing our biodiversity and habitats requires real commitment. The dedication of landowners, land managers and communities is vital to conserving these special places for future generations.”

Miles Montgomerie, chair of Wildlife Estates Scotland, said: “Achieving WES accreditation is a very high bar. It requires not only exemplary land management but a commitment to working in partnership with other conservation organisations and the integration of conservation work with other land management activities, to benefit the local community. In Scotland we are absolutely at the forefront of protecting our native species and our natural environment for future generations.”

How much land is now accredited?

There are now 55 accredited landholdings in Scotland covering more than 322,000 hectares, an area the scheme likens to over 450,000 football pitches, with a further 26,500 hectares accredited since January 2025. Scotland is second of 19 participating countries by the total area of land accredited.

Montgomerie, who owns Southannan and has chaired the scheme since 2023, steps down later this year.

What happens next?

The newly accredited estates keep their WES status subject to the scheme’s five-yearly reassessment. Landowners and managers interested in applying, and readers who want the full list of accredited holdings, can find details of the accreditation process on the Scottish Land & Estates website.