National Islands Plan: annual report 2024

Environmental Wellbeing and Biosecurity

Strategic Objective 8 – Improve and promote environmental wellbeing and deal with environmental security

Commitment 8.1 Protect island biodiversity.

Implementation Route Map 2024

• The National Islands Plan Annual Report 2022 sets out a series of projects that are currently supporting this commitment and will continue to support island biodiversity going forward.

Agri-Environment and Climate Scheme (AECS)

The Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) promotes land management practices which protect and enhance Scotland’s magnificent natural heritage, improve water quality, manage flood risk, preserve historic sites and drive adaptation measures to climate change. In 2023-24, £6.7 million was committed across Scotland’s islands.

Key Projects

Species on the Edge

The Species on the Edge project completed its second delivery year in 2024. The project is a partnership led by NatureScot, working with seven other conservation organisations to secure a future for 37 of our most threatened coastal and island species. As well as carrying out direct conservation action, the programme is working with local communities to provide opportunities for them to get involved in preserving their unique wildlife.

Species on the Edge works across seven project areas to deliver nine delivery plans. Our priority species are all highly reliant on coast and island habitats. They include Arctic, common and little terns, brown long-eared, common pipistrelle and daubenton’s bats, great yellow bumblebee, small blue and marsh fritillary, four species of burnet moth, Scottish primrose and Irish lady’s tresses.

Species on the Edge is active in four island areas – Shetland, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides and Argyll and the Inner Hebrides – as well as the North Coast, the East Coast and the Solway. The project is receiving £4.2 million of funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund towards an overall budget of over £6.5 million. Other funders include the Scottish Government, the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and the Dulverton Trust.

Goose Management Schemes

There is a national policy for goose management, but islands in particular support concentrations of wintering migratory geese because of their location on the international flyway. In locations where migratory geese cause significant agricultural damage, there are management schemes in place. Currently, these are Islay, Coll, Tiree, Uist and South Walls. Resident greylag geese also cause agricultural damage, particularly in crofting areas, and management has been supported by NatureScot and the Scottish Government to try to reduce populations of resident greylag on Tiree, Coll, Uist, Lewis, Harris and Orkney.

Sea Eagle Management Scheme

In 2024, NatureScot funded Management Agreements were in place through the Sea Eagle Management Scheme (SEMS) to support land managers who are experiencing difficulties with white-tailed eagles predating livestock. Whilst there is a national policy for white-tailed eagles, the population are particularly concentrated on islands – particularly Mull, Skye and the Outer Hebrides. In 2024, there were 125 farms, crofts or sheep stock clubs in island locations receiving support from the SEMS – 76 holdings on Skye and Raasay, 19 on Mull, 13 on Lewis and Harris, 9 in the Uists and Benbecula and 2 each on the islands of Eigg, Islay, Barra and Lismore.

Chough Management – Islay and Colonsay

NatureScot has continued to fund supplementary feeding of fledgling chough at specific roost sites on Islay and Colonsay. Studies demonstrate that food availability in the first few months following fledging is the most significant factor in first year survival. The majority of farms supporting nesting and roost sites are under management supported by the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS), or NatureScot management agreements. However, changes in farm occupancies and ownership and continued reduction of livestock across Islay and Colonsay have raised uncertainties regarding future management of some sites for chough; NatureScot are providing advice to such customers on management requirements and available funding streams.

In 2024, the Scottish Chough Forum, in conjunction with the Argyll Countryside Trust, were successful in securing funding from the Nature Restoration Fund to investigate the feasibility of reinforcing the current chough population. A contractor has been secured to undertake this work and we anticipate the report will be published in Autmn 2025.

Nature Restoration Fund projects

The Nature Restoration Fund supported the following projects on islands during 2024-25:

Local Authority- Orkney Islands Council

• Native Oyster Restoration in Bay of Firth: 63,061.00 Offered 2024-25
• Orkney Native Wildlife Project - Extension: 1,112,545.00 Offered 2024-25

Local Authority- Highlands and Islands, Moray, and Aberdeenshire

• Helping Rare Species Adapt: 60,142.00 Offered 2024-25

Local Authority- Na h-Eileanan an Iar

• Watershed Connections - Laxay: 143,540.00 Offered 2024-25

Local Authority- Shetland/Orkney/Highland

• Transforming Nature Delivery - Biosecurity for Scotland’s seabird islands: 130,065.16 Offered 2024-25

Local Authority- Argyll & Bute

• Helping Nature - Turning the Tide - Building Natural Capital & Restoring Nature across the landscape of Luing and Scarba: 31,609.62 Offered 2024-25
• Helping Nature – Ceanntragh - Gorm an Fheòir (Kintra - of the Green Grass): 76,800.00 Offered 2024-25
• Helping Nature - Protecting Gigha’s Woodlands: 1,432.24 Offered 2024-25

Whitebeam – Arran: this Nature Restoration Fund project with the Royal Botanical Gardens, Edinburgh aims to provide survey information of population extent and condition of three endangered species of tree that are endemic to Arran, specifically two neighbouring glens on the north-west side of the island – Glen Catacol and Glen Diomhan.

UNESCO Geopark – Arran: the Arran Geopark is an aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark in the final stages of achieving accreditation from UNESCO. Support was provided to the Arran Geopark Team via the Island’s Heritage and Culture Project. It is expected that Scotland’s newest UNESCO Global Geopark will officially open in Spring 2025.

Commitment 8.2 Address biosecurity in a holistic and integrated manner as a means not only to contribute to environmental wellbeing, but also to contribute to sustainable economic development on Scottish islands.

Implementation Route Map 2024

• We will continue to undertake island-specific projects to put in place measures to address biosecurity in an integrated manner, including on the most important islands for breeding seabirds.

Biosecurity for Scotland

The Biosecurity for Scotland project is funded by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund until March 2026, and is a partnership between RSPB, the National Trust for Scotland, and NatureScot. This work aims to bring together stakeholder organisations, island communities, and volunteers to safeguard Scotland’s internationally important seabird islands from invasive non-native mammalian predators on 38 unique islands or island groups.

In 2024, the project has supported responses to six biosecurity incidents, carried out biosecurity surveillance and detection dog checks across the island network, launched the Predator Free Certification scheme for boat operators, and provided training to organisations and boat operators The project is currently launching a co-design process, embracing a participatory approach to developing a long-term island biosecurity programme for Scotland.

Legislative changes came into effect in 2024, which will require alteration to incursion response procedures. In 2023, the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticides announced a voluntary withdrawal of second generation rodenticides (SGAR) for use in outdoor open areas effective from 31 December 2024. The use of SGARs is required by best practice rodent eradication and incursion response, and there are currently no effective alternatives. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as the UK Competent Authority for biocides have assisted in developing a Critical Situation Permitting procedure to the permit the specific conservation use of SGARs for seabird island incursion response within the required 48-hour window.

The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 has now come into effect which requires users to hold a wildlife trap licence to use approved spring traps. This will have training implications for personnel involved in rodent and mustelid incursion response.

Orkney Native Wildlife Project

The Orkney Native Wildlife Project (ONWP) was successful in securing funding from the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to extend the project. This extension will allow the completion of Phase 2 of the project, using an enhanced methodology expected to give greater certainty of removing a sufficient number of stoats to then move to a “mop up” and post eradication monitoring phase within five years. Separately, native wildlife monitoring carried out as part of the project is showing significant recovery of Orkney’s native wildlife species, including importantly Curlew and other waders, short-eared owl, and significant recovery of the Orkney vole.

The Hebridean Mink Project

NatureScot commissioned a strategic review of the Hebridean Mink Project in 2024 due to concerns at the numbers of mink captured per annum in the Outer Hebrides. The review report makes it clear that, whilst delivering significant biodiversity benefit, the current approach is not likely to deliver eradication, but that with an appropriate level of resource and commitment, eradication should be feasible. NatureScot is aiming to set up a new partnership project that will develop an operational and funding plan for eradication. This is likely to be a major project and will need to be delivered through a partnership approach with external funding support.

The Uist Native Wildlife Project

The Uist Native Wildlife Project (formerly Uist Wader Project), has now completed feasibility studies and has developed two operational plans, firstly addressing how hedgehogs will be removed from Benbecula, and secondly how they will be translocated to the mainland. A third operational plan is now required to address the release strategy on the mainland and the scientific requirements to follow the impacts, positive and/or negative, of this release process

With the support of the Nature Restoration Fund, this research will be completed in 2025. The removal of hedgehogs from Benbecula is viewed as a trial of methodology and the intention is to extend the project into South Uist thereafter. The cost of this trial phase is expected to be approximately £6.5 million. North Uist (currently hedgehog free) will be monitored as part of the trial.

Rum National Nature Reserve

Work is progressing to develop and test a seabird population model and a new rat tracking method to monitor rat activity in Manx shearwater colonies on the Rum Reserve.

Ailsa Craig

Monitoring of Ailsa Craig SPA carried out by Biosecurity for Scotland in October 2024 found possible signs of rodents. Rats were eradicated from Ailsa Craig in 1991, after colonising the island from boats about a century earlier. NatureScot is working with Biosecurity for Scotland on a programme of more intensive monitoring over the next few months to establish whether rats have recolonised and is liaising with the site’s owners and other agencies to investigate possible breaches of biosecurity.

Commitment 8.3 To establish an islands forum, through Zero Waste Scotland, as part of the implementation of the Deposit Return Scheme, to ensure that key considerations for islands (and rural communities more generally) are reflected. This Forum will support, not only, input into our legislative plans for the scheme but also ensure that key considerations for islands communities are integrated into the implementation planning process.

Commitment Fulfilled.

This commitment was fulfilled in 2020. Please see the National Islands Plan Annual Report 2020 for further details.

Commitment 8.4 Work with island communities to explore how they can contribute to the circular economy through small-scale pilots for example supporting local food production.

Implementation Route Map 2024

• Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) continues to work actively in this field including by chairing Highland Adapts, the Highlands region adaptation partnership.
• ZWS is working in collaboration with HIE to deliver the Fuel Change Highlands and Islands Challenge, a development programme getting young people engaged with climate action.
• ZWS is also supporting partners in a Highland cup re-use scheme and it is delivering workshops and follow-up support on circular economy with Highland Council and Shetland Islands Council.

Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) is chairing Highland Adapts – the Highland region adaptation partnership exploring progressive partnership models for place-based climate initiatives.

Furthermore, ZWS have worked in collaboration with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and young people to deliver the Fuel Change Highlands and Island Challenge which ended in 2023-24. Thirty-six young people participated and twenty-five organisations/businesses actively engaged in the programme.

ZWS has also been supporting an In-Vessel Composting Group, which has pulled together organisations from across the region to tackle barriers to community composting initiatives. This initiative has included Skye and Mull.

ZWS has partnered with North Ayrshire Council to deliver a Net Zero Nation project on Arran and Cumbrae. The programme has a circular economy focus. Fourteen businesses, from a range of sectors, are participating in the main programme (gaining access to carbon accounting software). The wider programme, with sessions on a range of topics including waste, circular economy and energy, is open to any organisation across both islands and has seen a good uptake in attendance.

Commitment 8.5 Continue and refresh the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund, which has benefitted island communities through provision of infrastructure to mitigate the impact of increased tourism benefitting islands’ communities and environment.

Commitment Fulfilled.

This commitment was fulfilled in 2020. Please see the National Islands Plan Annual Report 2020 for further details.

Commitment 8.6 Develop work with the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy’s NonNative Species Action Group to increase public information around minimising particularly high-risk invasive species movements on island.

Implementation Route Map 2024

• We will consult with the Non-Native Species Action Group and NatureScot on which species should be included and how raising public awareness may be best achieved.

A key action in our Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Delivery Plan is to “implement the Scottish Plan for Island Non-Native Species (INNS) Surveillance, Prevention and Control and secure wider support measures to enable long-term effective INNS removal at scale”. Our Scottish INNS Plan will set out in more detail what we intend to do to tackle INNS and will ensure that resources are better focused on preventing and tackling INNS where possible. We are currently working alongside NatureScot on developing the plan and we are seeking to engage as widely as possible with stakeholders in order to create a plan that will meet Scotland’s specific needs. In developing our plan we will be considering a number of actions that aim to tackle INNS on islands, including raising awareness of INNS. We are consulting on the plan and aim to publish later in 2025.

Commitment 8.7 Work with island partners to design solutions that address climate change through nature based solutions with multiple benefits including, for example the protection and restoration of peatlands and salt marshes.

Implementation Route Map 2024

• The Scottish Government will continue to support collaboration with island partners to ensure nature based solutions are used to tackle climate change.

Outer Hebrides

The Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership’s Climate Change Working Group is working closely with Climate Hebrides CIC towards developing climate change adaptation plans for the Outer Hebrides.

In 2024, Climate Hebrides undertook significant community and stakeholder engagement with the “Our Climate Story” interactive mapping tool, collecting over 200 contributions about real life climate experiences from the community. The first Outer Hebrides Climate Conference (OH-COP) took place in September, with over 115 delegates gathering to discuss climate change priorities and actions.

Argyll Islands

Argyll & Bute Community Planning Partnership is developing a Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Engagement Strategy and Action Plan for Argyll and Bute in partnership with the wider community. The long-term outcome will be an Argyll and Bute region which is not only net zero, but a significant sequester of carbon for Scotland, and well-adapted to climate change and its impacts. The CPP has secured resources and recruited a Climate Change Project Manager. Work on the plans is ongoing.

Rum

NatureScot are investigating natural capital investment opportunities on the National Nature Reserve to support the development of a nature-based economy on the island.

NatureScot in partnership with Scottish Government are progressing opportunities to upgrade the island hydro power grid to future proof this against climate change impacts. The hydro generation is located on the National Nature Reserve and supports the community, businesses as well as NatureScot’s operations.

Peatland ACTION

During 2024, Peatland ACTION Partners completed a total of five projects across the islands of Skye, Islay, North Uist and South Uist, completing restoration of just over 450 hectares in total.

In addition, NatureScot Peatland ACTION have committed support and funding to a further nine projects on the islands, which we will continue to progress during 2025 – these projects have a total value of just over £1.5 million and will restore around 2000 hectares once completed. These projects are taking place in Arran (2), Islay (2), Orkney (2), Shetland (2), and Lewis (1)

There are currently 1.6 FTE Project Officers on Shetland, and two FTE Project Officers located in the Outer Hebrides, who are working to deliver peatland restoration projects. In addition, two 2 FTE Project Officers work in Argyll, with islands as part of their remit. Orkney and other islands (such as Skye) are covered by Project Officers working across the Highlands.

Peatland ACTION provide support to a number of peatland monitoring projects on islands, including monitoring at a pre-restoration site in Lewis, JHI-managed flux towers in Lewis and Shetland, and two water loggers collecting hydrological date on Arran.

On Arran, Peatland ACTION is working with the National Trust for Scotland and the Dougarie Estate. The Lagg and Lochranza distillery owner, Isle of Arran Distillers, has partnered with Scotland’s Dougarie Estate to restore 325 hectares of damaged peatland. The initiative is facilitated by peatland restoration consultancy Caledonian Climate in partnership with specialist contractor Angus Estate Plant and is primarily funded by Peatland Action. The restoration will take place between November 2024 and February 2025, and over 55 years, it is anticipated to reduce emissions by just over 16,500 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e).