Funds will support vital conservation work at Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve—protecting rare alpine habitats, native wildlife, and the long-term health of one of Scotland’s most important mountain landscapes.
The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA (NTSUSA) has met a challenge set by the Connecticut-based Jeniam Foundation, resulting in a gift of $75,000 to the National Trust for Scotland in recognition of the 75th anniversary of its acquisition of Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve. The gift comprises individual donations from more than 70 NTSUSA supporters across the United States, which were matched by the Jeniam Foundation.
The National Trust for Scotland purchased Ben Lawers in 1950 to protect its rare population of arctic-alpine plants, the largest in the United Kingdom. Since then, the Trust has embarked on a long-term program to understand the pressures affecting species and habitats by monitoring changes to the 11,000-acre landscape. These insights have helped reverse nature loss over the past 75 years. Successes on Ben Lawers include forty years of regular footpath maintenance, allowing open access to the landscape for more than 40,000 annual visitors. Updated wayfinding and interpretation highlight the significance of the cultural landscape (which dates back thousands of years) as well as the biodiverse natural habitat.
The Trust also has purchased grazing rights at market rate to enable the natural regeneration of the countryside, using GPS collars to create virtual fences, and pioneered the restoration of montane scrub, planting more than 400,000 montane willows.
Scotland’s natural beauty
In September, the Jeniam Foundation issued a challenge to NTSUSA, the American friend’s group of the National Trust for Scotland, offering to match all donations to Ben Lawers dollar-for-dollar up to $30,000. With this important leverage, NTSUSA sent an appeal to its members that was met with tremendous enthusiasm. In just two months, the Jeniam Foundation’s match was met and exceeded.
“Ben Lawers is a special place in part because it was the first property the National Trust for Scotland purchased specifically for nature conservation,” said Kirstin Bridier, executive director of The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA. “The Trust not only cares for castles and country houses but also protects nearly 200,000 acres of wild countryside across Scotland. The success of this fundraising appeal demonstrates that Americans are interested in conserving Scotland’s natural beauty as well as its cultural heritage for the benefit of future generations.”
NTSUSA’s $75,000 grant to the National Trust for Scotland not only marks the 75th anniversary of the Trust’s acquisition of the landscape, but also recognizes the recent retirement of Helen Cole, who worked on the mountain as property manager and senior ranger for 35 years.
Ben Lawers is located north of Loch Tay in the Scottish Highlands. It is the 10th highest Munro (mountain over 3,000 feet) in Scotland. The National Trust for Scotland is that country’s largest independent conservation charity. In addition to wild landscapes like Ben Lawers, the Trust looks after ancient houses, battlefields, castles, mills, gardens, coastlines, islands, and all the communities, plants and animals which depend upon them.
In the US, The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA has raised nearly $12 million for the Trust’s conservation priorities since its founding in 2000.
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