Overview

The Upper-Forth landscape is a rich mosaic of farmland, woodlands, lochs, and protected sites, supporting diverse wildlife and vital habitats. Many areas, however, are under pressure, with degraded and fragmented ecosystems contributing to flooding, water shortages, and biodiversity decline. This project will look at ways to tackle these challenges, exploring how to reconnect nature, strengthen climate and business resilience, and benefit the communities who live and work here.

Central to the project is the creation of a Farmer and Land Manager Network a collaborative platform for farmers, land managers, and estate owners and activities will include one-to-one advisory visits, farm walks, and demonstration site visits covering topics such as leaky dams, reconnecting floodplains, tree planting, and more. You can sign up to be part of the Farmer and Land Management Cluster here. 

The initiative builds on existing Forth Rivers Trust catchment and landscape scale projects including Leven Landscape Enterprise Networks (LENs), Lothian Esk Catchment Partnership and much more, as well as the Carse Climate Action Initiative and other environmental projects delivered by The Carse of Stirling Partnership. Glasgow Caledonian University will lead the project’s monitoring and evaluation framework, applying innovative research methodologies to track its outcomes and build a robust evidence base, ensuring that successful interventions can be confidently replicated across Scotland.

Any queries can be directed to Senior Land Management Advisor, Rachel Smillie.