Walk & Talk: integrated land management at Foregin Mor
We're co-hosting a Walk & Talk at Foregin Mor · Cairngorms National Park
When Strathspey Estate's sporting tenancy at Foregin Moor ended in 2023, the estate faced a choice: simplify the land, or make it work harder. They chose harder.
Working with Zora, Strathspey has spent the past few years developing a strategic land management plan for Foregin Moor that runs multiple uses on the same ground at once - native woodland regeneration and creation, peatland restoration, conservation grazing and habitat management, sitting alongside continued agriculture, forestry, deer management and some sporting use. This integrated land management plan balances nature restoration, rural employment, community access, sporting interests and long-term estate viability.
The numbers behind the plan:
- 425 hectares of native upland woodland, established through natural regeneration with targeted planting where seed sources or soils don't allow it
- 340 hectares of degraded peatland under restoration, delivered across two phases
- A dedicated conservation zone to support wader populations, including curlew, lapwing and black grouse
This is the harder version of land management. Most projects optimise a single use. Foregin Moor is testing whether several can run on the same ground at once - and what it takes to manage the handover between them without one undermining another.
Join us on the ground · 1 July 2026
On 1 July, we're co-hosting a Walk & Talk with Scottish Land & Estates at the site. Will Anderson, CEO of Seafield & Strathspey Estates, Jonny Willett, Zora's Commercial Lead for Scotland, and our operations team will walk through the programme covering:
- Native woodland expansion through natural regeneration and targeted planting
- Peatland restoration to reduce erosion, rewet the landscape and support biodiversity
- Conservation grazing and habitat management for waders and moorland species
- Deer management, predator control and continued low-impact sporting use
- Carbon, biodiversity and landscape outcomes within a working Highland estate
The aim is not to present a finished model, but to open up a practical discussion about what integrated land management can look like on the ground: the opportunities, the constraints, and the trade-offs involved in delivering nature recovery while retaining local skills and rural income streams.
The event is free for SLE members. Capacity is limited to 7 places, with a sandwich lunch included. Participants will meet at Station Road, Carrbridge, before travelling by 4WD to the site. This is an outdoor event — please bring suitable clothing and footwear.
Book your place via Scottish Land & Estates →
Booking cut-off: Friday 26 June, 12:00pm.
