Scotland's Rare Atlantic Rainforest Wins Nearly £6 Million Lottery Grant

A five-year project to restore Scotland's rare Atlantic rainforest has been awarded almost £6 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the BBC reported. The money will pay for three community hubs, and for training and work for local people.

The project, called Our Rainforest Futures, aims to protect woodlands that are home to hundreds of species, from glow worms to slime moulds and rare lichens, while giving residents of the west coast a stake in the work.

What the money will pay for

The grant will support hubs in Torridon, Morvern and mid-Argyll. Through them, local people will be offered training and job opportunities in habitat restoration, deer management and the removal of invasive species, according to the BBC.

Each hub will draw in nearby villages and towns:

Torridon: Kinlochewe, Shieldaig, Lochcarron, Applecross and Gairloch.
Morvern: Lochaline, Strontian and Tobermory on Mull.
Mid-Argyll: Crinan, Tayvallich, Lochgilphead, Ardrishaig and Tarbert.

Our Rainforest Futures is an Alliance for Scotland's Rainforest project led by Woodland Trust Scotland. Argyll Countryside Trust, Community Woodlands Association, Plantlife, RSPB Scotland and SRUC are also involved.

Why this rainforest needs help

About 75,000 acres of rain-soaked woodland on Scotland's west coast are classed as Atlantic rainforest because of their rare oceanic plant life.

The BBC said overgrazing by deer and livestock, invasive plant species and disease are among the main threats to the remaining woodland. That is why deer management and the removal of invasive species are central to the training on offer.

What it means for west coast communities

The project is as much about people as trees. Julie Stoneman, who manages the Saving Scotland's Rainforest Programme at the charity Plantlife, said the hope is that the project can create more than 20 jobs and 15 trainee posts, according to the BBC.

Caroline Clark, Scotland director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said the future of the rainforest and the future of many west coast communities are closely linked. She said that with the right support, both can thrive. She described the investment as made with money raised by National Lottery players.

For residents of the communities covered by the three hubs, that means training and work in habitat restoration, deer management and invasive species removal.

A habitat many people have never heard of

Clark said Scotland's rainforest is internationally significant but largely unknown. She pointed to a 2025 survey that found fewer than one in three people even know it exists.

Part of the project's task, then, is raising awareness as well as restoring habitat.

What happens next

The grant covers a five-year project led by Woodland Trust Scotland, with conservation groups, a community woodlands body and SRUC taking part alongside local residents. Timings for the hubs and the first training places were not disclosed.

Around Prague, based on reporting by BBC News

Cover photo: Aais6 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

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