A new solar-powered recycling hub to repurpose steel and waste plastic in Argyll, hedgerow planting to help threatened bird species in Moray, funding for a vital replacement pontoon off the Kintyre peninsula and support for anglers and farmers to remove invasive species across the country are just some of the environmental improvement projects being supported in the latest round of Environment Grants from Crown Estate Scotland.
Since 2020, Crown Estate Scotland has committed more than £1.9m through its Sustainable Communities Fund to help people regenerate their local communities and enable sustainable development by supporting a wide variety of practical initiatives.
The latest successful Environment Grant recipients are:
Upper Annandale Angling Association (Dumfries and Galloway) £8k – Support for maintaining river access for an angling tenant by planting trees and managing invasive non-native plant species.
Caledonian Oyster Co. Ltd (Argyll & Bute) £20k – Solar-powered recycling hub to repurpose steel from redundant oyster farm equipment and waste plastics into new durable products.
The Gordon Lennox Estate Company (Moray) £9k - Creation of a new hedgerow to connect habitats and support under-threat bird species including the Grey Partridge, on Scottish Crown Estate farmland.
Berwick and District Angling Association (Scottish Borders) £7k – Help for volunteers to tackle invasive non-native Himalayan balsam plants along the Whiteadder Water, which will help protect integrity of riverbank.
SCG Farming (Dumfries & Galloway) £11k - Planting a new hedgerow to link woodland with a new area of water, creating habitat, shelter and connectivity for a wide range of insects and other species including House Martins, Swallows, Swifts and bats.
United Clyde Angling Protective Association Ltd (South Lanarkshire) £20k – Control of Giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed along the banks of the River Clyde.
The Hebridean Seaweed Company Ltd (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar) £20k - Construction of a weather-proof shelter to store and compost seaweed filter cake, a product which is used as an organic fertiliser.
Lettoch Farm (Moray) £9k – Removal and mulching of self-seeded Sitka spruce to help improve pasture and protect soil condition.
Carna Conservation Initiative (Highland) £20k - Replacement of the pontoon linking the Isle of Carna with the Kintyre peninsula, restoring safe access for researchers, volunteers and education groups to an area of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The grant to the not-for-profit Carna Conservation Initiative will provide vital funding to repair the pontoon which is essential in enabling visitors to arrive easily by boat. The island, which boasts a unique environment which has led to its designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), provides learning opportunities for people keen to learn more about nature and to volunteer their time to help in a range of improvement tasks, such as removing invasive non-native rhododendron.
Ella Milward Hamylton from Carna Conservation Initiative said: “This grant from Crown Estate Scotland means so much to us and the communities around Carna. We can rebuild our pontoon obliterated by Storm Amy, using local skilled tradespeople and ensure that we can once more welcome visitors and volunteers to continue the unique conservation work and education on this unspoilt Scottish island.”
Another project to receive funding is the Caledonian Oyster Co Ltd, which will use its Crown Estate Scotland grant to recycle waste plastic and steel into finished items such as decking, fence posts and durable outdoor furniture. Angus Vajk from the firm said “As a company which farms oysters in a sustainable way, we’re deeply invested in clean seas and long-term waste reduction. This support from Crown Estate Scotland will enable us to take a big step forward in turning our own waste, and potentially other local marine litter, into durable, useful products for our community. It’s a practical circular-economy project that reduces waste, creates local value and helps keep our coastline clean.”
Ann Jacob-Chandler, Director of Development, Capital Delivery and Decarbonisation for Crown Estate Scotland, said: “This latest round of grant awards will help to address some of the most pressing environmental challenges across Scotland, including reducing plastic waste, helping under threat species and preserving and revitalising landscapes to make them more resilient.
The breadth of projects which have secured funding demonstrates the far-reaching and impactful nature of the Environment Grants programme and highlights how our Sustainable Communities Fund is empowering people and communities across the Scottish Crown Estate to tackle the challenges of greatest concern to them.”
Details on how to apply for the next round of the Sustainable Communities Fund will be published on the Crown Estate Scotland website in the autumn of 2026.
Find out more about how our Sustainable Communities Fund is supporting people across Scotland, visit our story map here.
Image caption: Angus Vajk from the Caledonian Oyster Co. Ltd. on a seat made from recycled oyster trestle tables and reclaimed boat wood, beside Loch Creran.
