Loch Ness Forest


An exceptional opportunity to affiliate with a project in a world-famous location. A two-phase native woodland restoration project just to the south of Loch Ness and near the Great Glen in Scotland. Of course, the Highlands are a world class brand in themselves. They are known from Australia to Japan, from Canada to the USA, and from Europe to China. Perhaps the best known place of all in the Highlands, is Loch Ness.
The project is located in the Heart of the Scottish Highlands and 40 minute's drive from Inverness. It is uphill from the great Loch and in the immediate vicinity of Loch Mhor. The project complements an important Site of Special Scientific Interest; a mature coastal forest that stretches along a section of the great Loch. More than 19,500 tCO2e of offsetting is available.
As it matures, our new woodland will join up two existing, mature forests, creating an important corridor for red squirrels, pine martens, Capercaillies and other rare creatures to move through the landscape. The diverse, permanent woodland scheme is comprised 100,000 trees: Caledonian Scots pine, sessile oak, hazel, downy birch, rowan, eared willow and quaking aspen.
Quaking aspen had been eradicated from the Highlands landscape, whereas it has remained an inspirational feature of the great Rocky Mountain landscape of the USA and Canada. The trees are known for their dancing, golden leaves during autumn. Typically located in areas of damp ground, such as along river courses, new groves will bejewel this great Scottish vista.
Red squirrels are one of the UK’s best loved species. These denizens of the deep wood once thrived from Cornwall, East Anglia, Wales and to the Scottish Highlands and across most of Ireland. The range of the red squirrel has shrunk at an alarming rate since WW2. The range is now about a fifth of what it once was. This rapid reduction is due to habitat fragmentation and the introduction of grey squirrels from the USA.
Grey squirrels can carry a disease, known as Parapoxvirus, to which they are largely immune. However, this disease is lethal to red squirrels. Greys are also able to eat green acorns, decimating this vital crop before red squirrels are able to eat them. Pine martens, an arboreal cousin of the weasel, help to reduce grey squirrel numbers which are easier for them to catch than our native, red squirrels. So doing, they mitigate the spread of the deadly virus.
The estate itself is considerably mountainous and surrounded by several other large mountainous estates. The estate is home to red grouse, black grouse, red deer, roe deer, sika deer and more.
Other rare species in the area include golden plover, dunlin, golden eagles (nesting sites), white-tailed eagles (feeding), ospreys (feeding), ptarmigan, otters and water voles.
Contact richard@highlandcarbon.com with the timing and quantity of your offset requirements to receive a pricing proposal and details of associated benefits.
At a Glance: Loch Ness Forest
Location
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Inverness, Scotland (40 minutes SW of town)
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South side of Loch Ness
Offsetting Capacity
20,092 TCO2e (19,500 tCO2e still available)
Scale
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Mixed native planting; 100,000 trees
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92 Hectares
Special Features
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This large estate is surrounded by various other large estates, in what was once heart of the Caledonian Forest
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The project site itself is on the uplands in the vicinity of a montane loch.
Sustainable Development Goals
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Climate Action
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Life on Land
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Life Below Water
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Partnerships for the Goals
Recognised Offsetting Framework
Woodland Carbon Code
Project Status
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Work taking place spring of 2022
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Project to be validated summer 2022
Recognised Offset Standards
Pending Issuance Units becoming Woodland Carbon Units



