c) The Highland `KingKong´ (aka Honshu)!
A recent blogsite posting (andywightman.scot/docs/Rural_Land_Sales_2020_22.pdf) is based on a Scottish Land Commission analysis of data from the Registers of Scotland. In total, 103,924 ha of land held in (aggregate) holdings of over 500ha was sold in the three years 2020-2022, i.e. 0.45% of rural Scotland. 79 "large" landholdings were sold (i.e. not gifted or inherited) in 2020-2022: 54 larger than 500ha, and 25 less than 500ha but owned by those who thus (or already) owned more than 500ha. 42% of the land sales were to owners with no other land.
Several of the larger sales (over or near 3000 ha) occurred in the North East:
* Sales price unknown, being hidden in the term "Implementation of Missives".
Andy comments that: "The overwhelming majority of sales of large scale landholdings in 2020-2022 have been by organisations engaged in `natural capital´ markets and investment. The report does not publish the information on who is behind the companies involved but they are almost all financial organisations ranging from asset managers through to the trustee of the University of Oxford".
The Cairngorms National Park Authority is carrying out a public consultation on how to limit wildfire risk (which climate change is likely to increase). In 2023, Park Rangers dealt with 219 active fires, and identified 678 fire-remain sites - map etc. available in cairngorms.co.uk/resource/docs/boardpapers/24112023/231124BdPaper3FireManagementByelaws.pdf
Three Options are being considered:
The byelaws would cover barbecues, but not properly controlled fires within a property curtilage (including a bothy), camping stoves, or muirburn. If interested, please consult the CNPA website for further information and the consultation questionnaire.
At time of writing, NEMT is considering its response to the consultation, with deadline of 17th April 2024, which can be seen at cairngorms.co.uk/working-together/authority/about/corporate-plans/fires
The BBC has reported that 2023 has been confirmed as the hottest on record. There was a streak of 115 daily records set from the period 15 August to 8 December 2023 across the world. There is the highest concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmospheres for 2 million years.
The UK experienced its second highest temperatures on record according to the Met Office; Eight of the twelve months were warmer than average and in June and September the country experienced heatwaves. The Met Office stated: "the observations of the UK climate are clear. Climate change is influencing UK temperatures over the long term - the UK saw 11% more rain than average with a provisional figure of 1289.8 mm falling"
a) Beavers in the Cairngorms: the first translocation of beavers into the Cairngorm National Park took place last December, when a pair were released on the Rothiemurchus Estate and another pair on the Kinrara Estate owned by Anders Povlsen. This follows the Park Authority being granted a licence by NatureScot. Three more beavers were released in early March 2024 at the RSPB Scotland Insh Marshes nature reserve, near Kingussie. A dedicated beaver officer has been employed and will be working with landowners and keeping an eye on the beavers. The release was overseen by beaver translocation experts The Beaver Trust.
As a response to these dramatic developments, farmers and crofters from the Speyside area came together at a well-attended meeting to share concerns and have formed a group. They expressed fears that these beaver developments could impact on their farming livelihoods and the decision was made without proper consultation.
b) The Wildcat Release Programme
As part of a long-term plan to increase the population of the Scottish Wildcat, 19 Wildcats were released into the Cairngorm National Park in June 2023. It is envisioned, within the lifetime of the project that a further 20 wildcats will be released in 2024 and 2025.
An update on the released wildcats indicates that 18 have survived and one died of natural causes. Of those, 17 have stayed within the wider project area of Strathspey and Badenoch. It remains to be seen how they have coped with a cold, wet winter.
c) The Highland `KingKong´ (aka Honshu)!
This male macaque monkey, Honshu normally resident at the Highland Wildlife Park, escaped from there and had a few days of freedom attracting world-wide attention and made headlines as the Highland `KingKong´. He presumably had heard that the Cairngorm National Park was welcoming to all sorts of visitors! He initially made his way to the village of Kincraig and managed to eat berries and the contents of bird-feeders. Then he fancied a change of scene and made his way across to Insh (by way of road bridge?) to find richer pickings there, in the shape of Yorkshire puddings that had been left out. He was successfully caught there by members of staff from the Highland Wildlife Park and apparently was none the worse for his little adventure, and his subsequent fame has meant a move to Edinburgh Zoo!
Leading charities, such as the John Muir Trust, Trees for Life, have claimed that cuts in environmental funding will impact on Scotland´s ability to achieve its ambitious targets for rewilding and conservation. The funding in those areas has been cut by millions of pounds in those areas by the Scottish Government and diverted to other policy areas. This claim was in a letter by the Scottish Environment Link - an umbrella body of nature and conservation groups - in November 2023 . NatureScot has acknowledged they have a multi-billion pound shortfall in the amount of money available for its policy priorities. Scottish Ministers have pledged £500 m. to restore nature restoration over 5 years, they say
These claims were reinforced in March 2024 when an independent body - the Climate Change Committee (CCC) indicated that the Scottish Govt.´s flagship 2030 target of reducing gashouse emissions is now out of reach. The latest figures show that emissions were 49% lower than the baseline year of 1990, but the target for 2030 is 75%.
Please send to NESBREC details of wildlife species that you have seen and can confidently identify. You are asked to complete a record and send this to NESBREC´s website nesbrec.org.uk/recording-services/
Please read the guidance and download the appropriate recording form and details are sought of:
Saving the Scottish ChoughA report published in NatureScot suggests that more effort must be made to save our endangered native chough. It is hanging on, with barely 50 pairs, in its stronghold of the islands of Islay and Colonsay. These birds are susceptible to parasitic infections and itis hoped that the additional agriculture package that is being developed and the release of fresh stock of chough from other parts of the UK will increase its resilience.
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