A major rewilding project that started near Loch Ness is aiming to extend into Argyll with the purchase of the Tayvallich Estate.
Highlands Rewilding is the favoured bidder for the estate which is on the market for offers over £10,465,000.
It has now been given extra time to raise the asking price and become the third estate in its rewilding project.
A closing date in November had been set for the sale of Tayvallich which has attracted widespread interest.
Fighting climate meltdown
Robert McCulloch, head of estates and farm agency at selling agents Strutt and Parker, said: “We had a closing date for offers, as a result of which an offer has been favoured from Highlands Rewilding which on a subject to funding basis.”
Highlands Rewilding was set up by Dr Jeremy Leggett, founder of the solar energy company Solarcentury and former scientific director at Greenpeace.
He said the project’s aim is to “fight climate meltdown and biodiversity collapse while contributing to a rural green new deal”.
It bought the Bunloit Estate near Loch Ness in 2020 and later the Beldorney Estate in Aberdenshire in 2021.
Fifty founding funders injected £7.6 million into the mass-ownership company.
They include Simon Beaufoy, Oscar-winning screenwriter of Slumdog Millionaire, and world champion mountain climber Alex Honnold.
In September, the project announced it was seeking a new wave of investment to help buy land.
Dr Leggett said of the proposed Tayvallich purchase: “Our purpose is to help take rewilding to scale in Scotland and later beyond.
“How could we not try to buy the amazing Tayvallich estate when it came on the market, especially when one considers the unique opportunity the 1,300 hectares offers for expanding the rare Atlantic temperate rainforest?”
He said governments agreed a vital treaty to repair biodiversity collapse this week in Montreal.
“Rainforest-rich countries in Africa were coaxed reluctantly across the line in agreeing to protect their vast remaining rainforest because of low levels of developed-country financial support.
Nature recovery and community prosperity
“How can a country like the UK look them in the face if we don’t make every effort to repair our tiny remnants of temperate rainforest?
“Highlands Rewilding wants to help lead the effort to make that happen. We are also thrilled about the opportunity to work with a vibrant local community.
“The purpose of Highlands Rewilding is nature recovery and community prosperity through rewilding.
“We hope to be able to create an exemplar of both nature recovery and community prosperity on Tayvallich.”
Dr Leggett admitted he was surprised the finance-dependent offer was accepted.
“The sellers told me they went with Highlands Rewilding – for a three-month trial to see if we could raise the finance – because of who we are, what we do, and the fact that they knew many members of the local community would prefer us as new owners.
“I think that was an extremely honourable thing to do, in circumstances where they had plenty of other options.
“I guess that is encouraging, in that it is another indication that the Highlands Rewilding model has attractions to many.
“But I really hope I can get this acquisition across the line. Highlands Rewilding, and indeed the entire embryonic nature-recovery economy, really needs big financial institutions to show that they have a survival reflex now.
“This story is a bit of a litmus test.”
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