Conservation
Drimnin is home to a unique variety of flora and fauna and the Estate is managed in a way that encourages biodiversity and enhances the landscape.
Management policies are designed to be environmentally friendly, to encourage biodiversity and to enhance the natural beauty and landscape.
Animal and bird life is very varied, including:
Birds – Golden and white tailed eagles, buzzards and other raptors, plus a wide variety of seabirds
Animals – Red and roe deer, pine martens and wildcats
Sea life – Dolphins, otters and seals
Farm animals – Highland X and Luing beef cattle and Black face and Hebridean sheep
There is a continuing programme of conservation and regeneration work which includes:
- Regeneration of the Druimbuidhe (northern) and Drimnin to Killundine Woods Sites of Special Scientific Interest designed to restore the ancient Caledonian woods
- Extensive new plantings of native trees and enclosure of other existing woodlands to allow regeneration
- Working alongside Scottish Wildcat Action to monitor wildcat activity in the area
- Working alongside Trees for Life to bring red squirrels to the area
- Plans to restructure the Mungosdail Forest and later the Auliston Sitka Spruce woodland to introduce native species on a rolling programme
- Deployment of Highland and Luing cattle on the hill to improve the vegetation
- A rolling annual programme of bracken control through helicopter and ground-based spraying
- Scheme to encourage bird life such as corncrakes and black grouse
- Planned restoration of ancient dry-stone dykes (walls)
- Planned exclusion of cattle from the Scheduled Ancient Monuments (particularly Auliston, Carrag and Port a’Bhata villages) to conserve the ruins
- Installation of a modern eco-friendly automated log boiler for heating at Drimnin House to minimise oil consumption
- Renewable energy schemes