Featured below is a series of films and editorial features produced by SCOTLAND: The Big Picture and funded by the Fishmongers’ Company’s Charitable Trust providing information and inspiration for land managers seeking to embark on a journey of river catchment restoration. Creating Riverwoods showcases a series of case studies – featuring landowners, gamekeepers and fisheries experts who have come together to restore the health of Scotland’s threatened rivers, through a range of practical interventions. It is hoped that the transformative positive effects of their actions will further increase appetite and ambition for ecological restoration in and around our rivers.
or find your local rivers/fisheries trust below
Atlantic salmon need cold, clean water. With increasing water temperatures now adding to the many pressures facing this iconic fish, creating shade by restoring native woodland along Scotland’s exposed riverbanks has become a race against time.
With thanks to Kyle of Sutherland Fisheries Trust, Alexander Forestry, Lower Oykel Fishings and Forestry and Land Scotland.
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Globally, wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests. As climate breakdown increases the likelihood of heavy rainfall events, efforts are being made across Scotland to reunite rivers with their natural flood plains, revitalising wetlands and slowing river flows, creating dividends for both people and wildlife.
With thanks to Dee Catchment Partnership, Atlantic Salmon Trust, Forth Rivers Trust, Tweed Forum and Crookston Farm.
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Restoring Scotland’s rivers requires that we look beyond the riverbank to consider the influence of the wider landscape. Rewetting peatlands and replanting upland forests benefits the whole river catchment, boosting wildlife, reducing siltation and enhancing resilience to droughts and floods.
With thanks to Findhorn Watershed Initiative, Trees For Life and Glenmazeran Estate.
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For centuries, Scotland’s rivers have been straightened, confined and tidied, but today, rivers are being rewiggled, deadwood is being reintroduced and artificial barriers are being removed, returning rivers to their natural meandering course, diversifying flows and restoring connectivity from source to sea.
With thanks to Balmoral Estate, Dee Catchment Partnership, SEPA, cbec eco-engineering UK Ltd, McGowan Environmental Engineering and Timelapse Scotland.
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Healthy rivers need healthy wildlife populations, functioning together to sustain a productive system. River restoration efforts are seeking to restore the abundance of life Scotland’s river ecosystems once supported, recognising the importance of all the pieces of the ecological jigsaw, from beavers and aspen to salmon and invertebrates.
With thanks to Rottal Estates, South Clunes Farm and Buglife.
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Read the comprehensive practitioner’s guide developed by the Tweed Forum, providing actionable insights and practical strategies for the on-ground delivery of river woodlands. Learn how you can start the journey of creating or restoring river woodland that provides environmental, socio-economic, and financial benefits to your community.
For more information, please contact:
Or find your local rivers/fisheries trust below:
