Scottish Land & Estates awards recognize conservation and decarbonization efforts

The 2026 Scottish Land & Estates Helping It Happen Awards have recognized several initiatives focused on environmental conservation and climate action in rural Scotland.

The River Dee Trust received the Conservation prize for its ‘One Million Trees’ campaign. Working alongside various estates and the Dee District Salmon Fishery Board, the initiative aims to plant one million native trees across the Dee catchment by 2035. The project seeks to stabilize riverbanks, shade water to combat rising temperatures, and protect habitats for species such as wild Atlantic salmon and freshwater pearl mussels.

Additionally, Crown Estate Scotland won the Iver Salvesen Award for Combating Climate Change for its Solar North programme. This initiative focuses on decarbonizing rural housing by integrating solar photovoltaic panels, battery storage, hot water diverters, and EV charging infrastructure into rural tenanted properties. The programme is designed as a scalable model for retrofitting traditional homes with renewable energy technology.