At Benmore Estate we are committed to placing sustainability at the heart of long term development plans.

Hydropower

On the Abhainn na l-Uamha river, we constructed a 500kW ‘run of the river’ hydroelectricity project in 2015.  This type of hydro scheme uses the natural downward flow of water and a turbine generator to capture the energy carried by the water to produce electricity.  We expect our scheme to produce in excess of 1.8 megawatt hours of electricity each year. This is then sold to the national grid and is enough to power over 350 homes.

Before any work was carried out we worked closely with Scottish Natural Heritage and completed a three year investigation into the Abhainn na l-Uamha river.  Following guidance from specialist consultants, planning permission was granted and a CAR Licence from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA).  The proposed scheme was registered with OFGEM and grid connection secured with Scottish and Southern Electricity.

We are proud to contribute a scheme, which will help make the island more sustainable with minimal impact on the natural beauty and wildlife habitat which make it so special.

Salmon Hatchery

Our new hatchery facility and fish counter at Glen Forsa is now complete and on January 30th, 2019 it became operational when the first crop of eggs were put into our hatching system.  This investment will underpin our plan to restore the salmon stock on the Forsa over the next 10-20 years, helping us manage the river to create the best west coast salmon fishery in Scotland.  Every year we plan to release fry, parr and smolts into the upper reaches of the river to help restore what was once a first-class salmon fishery.

We hope that this investment will reward us by restoring prolific runs of grilse and summer salmon, and the Forsa will in time become a “go to” destination for our fishermen.

Native Woodland Creation

As part of our management strategy we have commenced plans for a large scale native broadleaf woodland creation scheme to compliment the existing forestry and enhance the amenity value, biodiversity and natural capital of the estate. 

During the initial phase we intend to plant over 500 hectares of new native broadleaf woodland in Glen Forsa, in addition to felling and redesigning the existing commercial woodland blocks – ultimately creating a whole glen rejuvenation project. 

As well as creating a mosaic of native woodland this exciting project would have significant future benefits for the River Forsa including:

These new woodland plantings will, as they grow, provide additional rich habitats for wildlife, flora and fauna as well as add to the bio diversity of the glen.

A wide variety of birds can be seen throughout the estate, some being resident while others visiting seasonally. We are particularly lucky to have resident pairs of Golden and White Tail Sea Eagles in addition to many other birds of prey such as buzzards, hen harriers and owls. For more information on the wide variety of birds to be found on Mull, please visit www.mullbirds.com

Deer Management

The wild red deer is arguably the most iconic native species in Scotland. Red deer are an important part of the Scottish Highland’s ecology, economy and culture. As land managers we have a responsibility for the welfare of the deer and their natural habitat. We aim to balance a healthy, productive population with sufficient grazing for the herd and other animals without causing damage to their habitat. This involves the management of their numbers by selective annual culling between July 1st and February 15th.

To promote the quality of the herd, our stalkers will decide on suitable cull stags, commonly those who show distinguishable poor genetics or are past their prime. Additionally, the hinds are selected to favour those with good confirmation and strong calves. After the rut, when the stags are physically low, we start supplementary feeding in Glen Forsa. This provides the deer with essential vitamins and minerals over the winter months until the grass improves again during the spring.

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