Moray Estates and the Doune Community Woodland Group recently hosted the great and the good from the public sector partnership working on private investment in natural capital, which includes representatives from the Scottish Government, NatureScot, the Scottish Land Commission, Forestry and Land Scotland amongst others.

Moray Estates were represented by Doune Estate manager, Rory McLeod, who gave a tour of the Doune Ponds nature reserve, along with a number of volunteers from the Woodland Group. The management agreement between Moray Estates and DCWG is cited as a good practice example by the Scottish Land Commission of how landowners and communities can work together on land management to achieve common goals. Many and varied questions were asked by the Partnership about how the relationship between the community and the estate worked and whether there might be scope for further public investment to enhance the management activities.

It was generally agreed that the scale of management activities currently undertaken at the Ponds were appropriate in relation to achieving the objectives of the community to provide an attractive amenity site close to the centre of the village with minimal requirement for public funding intervention. Apart from the weather, the event was very positive, with all parties learning from each other.

2024 is the final year of the 10-year management agreement between Moray Estates and the Doune Community Woodland Group. Plans are well advance to extend this agreement for a further 10 years.