Crown Estate Scotland funding recipients announced

The creation of a nature-based flood protection scheme in Fife, woodland restoration in Midlothian and support to protect sand dunes and under-threat bird species in Moray are just some of the environmental improvement projects being supported in the latest round of Environment Grants from Crown Estate Scotland.

Since 2020, Crown Estate Scotland has committed more than £1.7m through its Sustainable Communities Fund to help people regenerate their local communities and enable sustainable development by supporting a wide variety of practical initiatives.

Other successful bids in this year’s round of funding awards also include a project to improve wild salmon migration and tackle local flooding in Blairgowrie, the installation of solar panels at a cycle tourism centre in Moray and help to remove invasive Japanese knotweed along the River Avon in West Lothian.

The latest successful Environment Grant recipients are:

• Eden Angling Association (Fife) £19k. Nature-based river management project addressing flooding issues in and around Cupar.
• Seawilding / Craignish Lagoon Moorings Association (Argyll & Bute) £20k. Expansion of Seawilding’s internship and schools programme, focusing on marine habitat restoration.
• The River Avon Federation (West Lothian) £5K. Control of Japanese knotweed (an invasive and non-native species plant) along the River Avon.
• Three Hares Woodland (Midlothian) – £12k. Support for a woodland management project, Japanese knotweed removal and installation of a secure bike rack, to encourage sustainable travel and attract new visitors.
• Lochcarron Moorings Association (Argyll & Bute) £19k. Introduction of swinging moorings for visiting yachts to prevent anchor damage to the seabed and support local tourism.
• Bike Glenlivet (Moray) £10k. Installation of 10kW solar panel array with controller and grid export connection on café roof, expected to reduce CO2 emissions by two tons annually.
• Campbeltown Sailing Club (Argyll & Bute) £15k. Environmental education for school children and monitoring programme for Campbeltown Loch.
• Nicholas Warner along with The Tay Rivers Trust (Perth & Kinross) £20k. Improving salmon migration and addressing flooding issues at Blairgowrie to support implementation of the Scottish Government’s Wild Salmon Strategy.
• RSPB Scotland (Highland) £15k. Project to remove invasive tree saplings and broom from Culbin Sands nature reserve, near Nairn, to maintain the natural dune ecosystem and protect rare bird species.

The grant to improve flood protection in and around Cupar follows devastating flooding in the Fife town in December 2023.

Michael Farrell, Secretary of the Eden Angling Association, said:

“We are absolutely delighted that Crown Estate Scotland has recognised the potential of our restoration project which will have multiple benefits for the River Eden, the environment and the people of Cupar.  As well as helping to prevent future flooding, it will stop large amounts of silt ending up in the river – which is great news for our salmon and sea trout.”

Another project to receive funding is the RSPB’s project to restore sand dunes and protect wildlife near Nairn.

Steph Elliott from RSPB Scotland, said

“We are delighted to have been awarded this Environment Grant from Crown Estate Scotland to restore the wonderful sand dune and shingle habitats at Culbin Sands nature reserve.

“The dunes represent one of the finest examples of storm shingle ridges in Europe, but this site has been compromised by invasive scrub and trees which smother natural vegetation and prevent natural movements of the system. This grant will allow us to employ a project officer who will, with a group of hardy volunteers, restore this beautiful, remote nature rich site.”

Penny Coles, Head of Partnerships for Crown Estate Scotland, said:

“This latest round of grant awards will have a major impact on some of the most pressing environmental challenges, including flooding, carbon reduction, preserving and revitalising landscapes, and helping at-risk wildlife. The breadth of projects which have secured funding demonstrates the far-reaching and impactful nature of the Environment Grants programme and highlights how our Sustainable Communities Fund is empowering communities across the Scottish Crown Estate to tackle the challenges of greatest concern to them.”

Details on how to apply for the next round of the Sustainable Communities Fund will be published on the Crown Estate Scotland website in the autumn of 2025.

Picture: members of the RSPB team removing broom, which is smothering other vegetation at Culbin Sands