The Cairngorm Capital Foundation
The Cairngorm Capital Foundation was established in 2021 by Cairngorm Capital’s partners, as a way for us to support the causes about which we are most passionate and to make a positive contribution to the communities in which we operate.
Our firm’s Scottish heritage naturally draws us to projects that focus on protecting and restoring the landscape and wild habitats of the Scottish Highlands but we are always on the lookout for initiatives elsewhere in the country that align with our ethos and values.
The Foundation’s most recent activities include:
The Foundation’s impact in 2022
Partnership between the Foundation and Scotland the Big Picture resulted in several rewilding initiatives across the National Park in 2022
Northwoods Rewilding Network
- ‘Seed islands’ – small fenced enclosures protecting 100 native trees in each, that are rare in the landscape due to their palatability to grazing animals. This will help accelerate the expansion of native woodland, lock away carbon and return wildlife to the landscape.
- Leaky dams – wood structures located in watercourses that act like beaver dams, holding back water and forming ponds and wet grasslands that benefit insects, fish and amphibians, while reducing the risk of downstream flooding.
- River restoration – historically many of Scotland’s rivers have been straightened, reducing their biological complexity and speeding the flow of water. Re-meandering these watercourses to their natural channels creates a habitat for declining species, such as Atlantic salmon and reduces the risk of flooding.
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Cairngorms Cranes
Returning native species to our ecosystems is a key part of SBP’s work, and the Cairngorms Cranes project seeks to reintroduce a breeding population of Eurasian cranes to the National Park for the first time in 500 years, restoring a missing piece of the Park’s ecology.
The Foundation supported the completion of the project’s one-year development phase, which involved all the ecological, social and legal assessments necessary to reintroduce a native species.
Riverwoods
Three years in the making, Riverwoods is a spectacular feature-length documentary that shines a light on the perilous state of Scotland’s Atlantic salmon. A key objective for the Riverwoods screening tour was to engage with those in a position to effect change – land managers, policymakers and local communities.
With Cairngorm Capital’s support, SBP were able to host a significant screening in the Cairngorms National Park, attended by more than 500 people. Significant river restoration work has been catalysed and accelerated as a result.
The route forward – “Wild Water”
Throughout 2023-24, the Foundation’s support will focus on and reflect its long-term commitment to supporting the expansion and enrichment of river and wetland ecosystems, delivering benefits to climate, nature and people.
Climate
By restoring natural wetland habitats and planting new river woodlands, both of which remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, The Wild Water Project is able to reduce the impact of a changing climate.
Nature
Healthy rivers are able to support greater populations of key species such as Atlantic salmon, while the expansion of wetlands and the reintroduction of missing native species like beavers and cranes, will help restore the functionality of our ecosystems.
People
A nature-rich Scotland is good for people. Creating more space for water will reduce the risk of flooding, drought and wildfires. River woodlands and restored peatlands will help clean air and improve water quality, while a landscape full of life provides endless opportunities to enhance our wellbeing.