THREE Scottish estates have been put up for sale by a rewilding company.
The 866-acre Beldorney Estate in Aberdeenshire and the 834-acre North Bunloit estate on the western shores of Loch Ness are among those brought to market by Strutt & Parker on behalf of Highland Rewilding for offers of more than £5 million and £2.2m.
The Ulva and Isle of Danna estate on the Tayvallich Peninsula, the largest of the three at 1269 acres, is also available for offers of more than £3,710,000m.
Highlands Rewilding is seeking buyers or investors who want to deliver rewilding at scale by investing in the three estates.
Robert McCulloch, head of estates and farm agency for Strutt & Parker said: “This is a unique opportunity with buyers being offered a choice amongst three scenic estates, hosting a wide array of habitats and wildlife species, which also include residential properties ranging from a 16th century castle to a recently built architectural award-winning contemporary home.
“While this is an open market sale, which encourages the interest of purchasers of all types, the preferred bidders are those who share Highland Rewilding’s vision for the future and are willing to enter into a long-term management agreement with Highlands Rewilding to supports its nature recovery objectives.”
Where are the estates?
Beldorney estate is located in Aberdeenshire and home to a 16th century and seven-bedroom castle, a farmhouse, three cottages and a range of other buildings.
It is currently managed with the aim of achieving income streams through the provision of ecosystem services.
Goals include improving grasslands through regenerative agriculture and expanding wetland habitats.
North Bunloit (above) meanwhile is located on the western shores of Loch Ness and largely comprises conifer plantations, peatland and bot alongside areas of ancient native woodland and heath.
Ardachy House is also located on the state which enjoys “breath-taking views across Loch Ness and the Monadhliath mountain range”.
The Ulva and Isle of Danna estate (below) is described as one of the “richest areas of conservation importance in the Argyll area”.
“The coastal environments are also extremely diverse and include nationally significant priority marine features such as saltmarsh, mixed intertidal sediments and native oysters,” the agent said.
There are currently three properties which are lived in and/or rented out under various agreements.
The main residence is Port nan Gallan – located in a “stunning position” on the Isle of Danna, looking out over Loch na Cille.
It also hosts two jetties and a boathouse.
Why is the estate up for sale?
The owner of Highlands Rewilding Jeremy Leggett has stressed that the sales are not aimed at paying off a loan.
The former Greenpeace director sold his renewable power developer Solarcentury to Norwegian state energy giant Statkraft in 2020 for £117.7m.
Speaking to the Press and Journal, he said the sales were to allow him to “replicate a model that guarantees community-centred nature recovery in perpetuity”.
“We call this our nature and community in perpetuity model,” he explained.
He further added: “Only in the unlikely event that we fail in our current fundraising round will we use the proceeds from the land ales to repay the loan that allowed us to buy Tayvallich in the first place.”
He also hit back at suggestions this was a “fire sale,” saying: “Most of the coverage seems to assume the simple story that we are going bankrupt and have only put our land on sale to repay debts. It’s more complicated and more positive than that.”
