National Islands Plan Annual Report 2025

Environmental Wellbeing and Biosecurity

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

Commitment 8.1 Protect island biodiversity.

Agri-Environment and Climate Scheme

The Scottish Government continues to work to improve and promote the environmental wellbeing and security of our islands. The Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) promotes land management practices which protect and enhance Scotland islands’ magnificent natural heritage while improving water quality, managing flood risk, preserving historic sites and driving adaptation measures to climate change. This has included around £5.5 million spent across Scottish islands in 2025, with £4.87 million committed on new contracts for the next five years.

Species on the Edge

The Species on the Edge programme is now approaching the end of its third year of delivery. 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. The programme is carrying out direct conservation action, as well as working with local communities to provide opportunities to get involved in conserving their unique wildlife.

Species on the Edge is active in four island areas – Shetland, Orkney, Na h-Eileanan Siar and the Argyll islands – and works across seven project areas to deliver nine multi-taxa species projects. The priority species are all highly reliant on coast and island habitats.

Survey and monitoring carried out as part of the project has increased understanding and knowledge of priority species, which has contributed to creating and improving habitat across these areas. A network of Project Officers and People Engagement Officers have worked with volunteers to increase skills and capacity. The programme has delivered a wide range of activities aimed at increasing connection to nature, including the Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival.

Goose Management Scheme

While there is a national policy for goose management, islands support high concentrations of wintering migratory geese because of their location on the international flyway. Therefore, 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 2025, 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 heavily concentrated on islands – particularly Mull, Skye and in Na h-Eileanan Siar. In 2025, there were 100 farms, crofts or sheep stock clubs in island locations receiving support from the SEMS – 55 holdings in Skye and Raasay, 12 in Mull, 12 in the Uists and Benbecula, 7 in Lewis and Harris, 5 in Islay, 3 in Lismore, 2 in Coll and one each in the islands of Arran, Barra, Eigg and Gometra.

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. 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 is providing advice to such customers on management requirements and available funding streams. To support this the Saving Scotland’s Red-Billed Chough Report, funded by the Nature Restoration Fund, has been published on the Argyll Countryside Trust website. The report investigated the feasibility of reinforcing the current chough population. The Scottish Chough Forum and NatureScot are currently digesting the report and its findings with a view to planning further conservation action for this species in Scotland.

Nature Restoration Fund Projects

The Nature Restoration Fund supported the following projects on islands during 2025-26.

UNESCO Geopark

The Arran Geopark was officially recognised as a UNESCO site in Spring 2025 and NatureScot have been working with the Geopark Ranger Service on several small projects.

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.

Biosecurity for Scotland

The Biosecurity for Scotland Project is funded by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, and is a partnership between Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), National Trust for Scotland, and NatureScot. This work aims to bring together stakeholder organisations, communities, and volunteers to safeguard Scotland’s internationally important seabird populations from invasive non-native mammalian predators on 38 distinct islands or island groups. Work is ongoing to secure longer-term support for island biosecurity in Scotland after the project ends in March 2026.

In 2025, the project carried out biosecurity surveillance and detection dog checks across the island network and provided training to organisations and boat operators. The project’s stakeholders have co-designed a Biosecurity Programme Plan which is due for completion in January 2026. Roll-out of the Predator Free Certification (PFC) scheme for boat operators (first launched in 2024) has continued, and recommendations for the future of the scheme will be published by April 2026.

Orkney Native Wildlife Project

The Orkney Native Wildlife Project amended its approach and has extended the second phase of its mop up process, after successfully securing further funding from the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF). The Project continues to be at the forefront of landscape-scale invasive non-native species removal, both nationally and internationally.

Saving Uist Native Wildlife Project

The Saving Uist Nature Project, formerly the Uist Wader Project, has now completed its feasibility stage 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 under development to address the release strategy on the mainland, and the scientific requirements to assess the impacts of the release.

Rum National Nature Reserve

A new rat tracking methodology is now being implemented to monitor rat activity in Manx shearwater colonies on the Rum Reserve Work is also progressing to test a seabird population model with recent survey data.

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.

Establishing a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in Scotland has been a long-standing commitment of the Scottish Government, and we continue to progress towards launching the scheme in October 2027, alongside schemes in England and Northern Ireland. Scottish Ministers have designated UK Deposit Management Organisation Limited (UK DMO) as the scheme administrator for Scotland.

UK DMO will continue engagement on implementation with stakeholders, including those representing island communities.

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.

The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting small producers, many of which are located in island communities, empowering them to play a key role in making our Vision for Agriculture a reality through the Small Producers Pilot Fund.

In 2025-26, we have invested up to £1 million through the Fund to support Scotland’s active small producers, by driving change through 4 strategic areas:

• Skills Development – providing training to build knowledge and capacity among small producers.
• Innovative Projects – supporting initiatives like private kill facilities, horticulture development, and a central information hub.
• Supply Chain Solutions – offering short-term funding to boost innovation and knowledge sharing across local food supply chains.
• Impact Tracking – implementing robust monitoring and evaluation to measure success and guide future improvements.

We are developing a policy proposal to identify the right support through the Small Producer approach. We continue to learn how the breadth of ‘ecosystem’ support elements such as support for small abattoirs, defined by the Small Producer Steering Group, contribute to a buoyant Small Producer sector and which individual interventions are most needed. Additional work is also underway to assess routes for preferential access to future Tier Three and Tier Four support.

From Autumn 2024 to Autumn 2025, Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) supported a Net Zero Nation Circular Island pilot on Arran and Cumbrae in partnership with North Ayrshire Council. The programme supported 15 island-based SMEs from a range of sectors to develop net zero and circular economy strategies. The businesses involved gained practical skills to reduce emissions and strengthen resilience through a mix of:

• in-person and online workshops
• carbon accountancy tools
• expert guidance
• tailored training

Additionally, in February 2025, Zero Waste Scotland’s Food Systems Team gave a presentation to 15 businesses on Arran to introduce them to ZWS’s ‘One Month Challenge’ tool to help measure their food waste. This work was undertaken in partnership with Arran EcoSavvy, Arran’s Food Journey and Visit Scotland. A mix of businesses were involved including those from brewery, dairy, retail and hospitality sectors.

More broadly, Zero Waste Scotland continues to engage with HIE and other partners to build capacity and explore further circular economy opportunities.

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 Non-native Species Action Group to increase public information around minimising particularly high-risk invasive species movements on island.

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 forthcoming 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 to develop 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. Development of the Plan will include consideration of a number of actions that aim to tackle INNS on islands, whilst raising awareness of INNS. The Plan is expected to be published later in 2026.

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.

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.

The second Outer Hebrides Climate Conference (OH-COP2) was held in September 2025, bringing together 157 participants to strengthen regional climate collaboration on adaptation and mitigation, share locally grounded insights, and showcase community-led climate action.

Argyll Islands

The Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership approved its Climate Change Strategy in spring 2025. Additional government funding has been secured to extend the Climate Change Project Manager post until mid-2026 to enable them to build on this.

Rum

NatureScot is investigating natural capital investment opportunities in 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.

Islay Invasive Plant Project

The Islay Natural History Trust aims to tackle four key species that are present through many villages and some wild places on both Islay and Jura. These are Japanese Knotweed; Giant Rhubarb (Gunnera); Himalayan Balsam; and the first significant outbreak of Floating Pennywort in Scotland. If these invasive species are allowed to spread unchecked, they have the potential to damage ecosystems. Through funding from the Neighbourhood Ecosystem Fund, the Trust aims to train members of the different communities to tackle invasive species in their areas and develop a network of volunteers and land managers working towards eradicating these species over the next five years.

Peatland ACTION

During 2025, Peatland ACTION Partners completed a total of seven projects across the islands of Lewis, Islay, Skye and Mainland Shetland, delivering just over 610 hectares of peatland restoration.

In addition, Peatland ACTION has committed support and funding to a number of projects that will be completed by the end of March 2026. This includes projects on Lewis, North Uist, Shetland and Orkney.