Rural Community Gateway

The Partnership is made up of Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission Scotland, the Nadair Trust and local development trusts and aims to explore new ways to secure maximum social, economic and environmental benefits from expanding native woodlands on the islands.

Eleanor Shaw, General Manager of the Nadair Trust said, "It’s great news that the project is taking root and flourishing on the islands of Mull and Gigha – and hopefully on others in the future. The Nadair Trust has been involved in developing this initiative since it first germinated more than five years ago, and we are delighted to be able to support it through Nadair 2, our Heritage Lottery funded programme for the Argyll Islands."

The Argyll Islands Native Woodlands Partnership Project involves a three-year ‘pathfinder’ programme, based mainly on the Isle of Mull, to examine aspects of native woodland habitat networking and to develop effective methods to support the creation of new native woodland networks by conversion, recovery, expansion and linkage.

The project is expected to last for three years, but will be funded and evaluated on an annual basis. The woodlands development officer will be employed by the Mull and Iona Community Trust.

James Hilder, Development Manager of the Mull and Iona Community Trust (MICT) explained the reasons for their involvement: "Living and working in remote rural areas as the Argyll Islands presents additional challenges not felt by most mainland communities, and forestry and farming is no exception. In addition, rural communities are now facing major changes in the way that land management is being funded. The Trust feels it’s imperative that we keep pace with these changes and with a pathfinder project such as this, Mull has the chance, potentially, to influence future funding strategies to the benefit of the land managers on the islands. In the past, the islands have often been at the back of the queue – hopefully this piece of work will put us at the front."

For more details about the post and an application pack, visit MICT’s website.

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