NRN PARTNER: Scoraig Common Grazings

SCORAIG COMMON GRAZINGS

Location:
Scoraig, Highland
Area Committed:
4240 acres

Scoraig Common Grazings comprise the shared rough land on the Scoraig peninsula in Wester Ross, extending from the settled crofts along the rocky coast towards higher ground inland. Traces of pre-Clearance townships, with their associated field systems and enclosures, are still present in several places across the grazings. The landscape is characterised by open heather moor, peat hags, wet flushes and wind-shaped rocky knolls, threaded with deer paths and scattered lochans. Together these form a varied mosaic of habitats that have traditionally been grazed by crofters’ livestock. Patches of bracken, bog myrtle and rough grass break up the heather, while sheltered hollows support willow and birch scrub. Shaped by generations of common use, this working landscape frames long views across Little Loch Broom and out over the Northern Minch towards the Summer Isles.

Key rewilding commitments:

  • MORE NATIVE WOODLAND: Remove lodgepole pine and invasive rhododendron
  • MORE SPACE FOR WATER: Leaky dams to be created in pilot areas to increase standing water, for the benefit of invertebrates and other wildlife
  • REINSTATE NATURAL GRAZING: Reinstate non-intensive grazing using appropriate grazers