Sustainability
We understand sustainability to mean two things: first, the efficient management of our enterprises with primary consideration to the ecology and environment; and secondly the continuity of a thriving community.
Wildlife Management
Finzean has a diverse ecology supporting over 135 different species of birds, from the reclusive capercaillie to resplendent eagles and red kite. In summer, the peewit of the lapwing and piercing call of the oystercatcher fill the air. Golden plover can also be found on the high moorland. There is a thriving population of native wildlife throughout the Estate.
Native Woodland Creation
We have a significant area of Scots Pine, part of the easterly fringes of the ancient Caledonian Forest. As part of our woodland management strategy we have commenced a scheme for carefully maintaining and regenerating these areas.
Wildlife Estates Scotland
We recently achieved the top accreditation from the Wildlife Estates Scotland (WES) initiative.
The purpose of WES is to introduce an objective accreditation system to underpin and improve game and wildlife management undertaken by Scottish landowners and managers, in line with the principles of biodiversity conservation. Through the collection of general information about land management, WES also seeks to identify related benefits for society and rural communities.
Supporting the community
We are very proud of our community and inhabitants, some of whose families have lived here for many hundreds of years. To ensure the community’s sustainability, we aim to support its institutions, such as Finzean School and Birse & Feughside Church, and its communal bodies, such as the Community Association and Council, to the greatest extent possible. In 1998, Finzean Estate, with other interested parties, was instrumental in the establishment of the Birse Community Trust to focus on local natural and cultural heritage. The Estate has continued to donate land for community woods, pathways and other recreational areas. There has been a continuous policy of selling low-cost sites for housing development to young people, who have grown up in Finzean. In 1983, we helped establish the first Sheltered Housing scheme in the North East of Scotland and, in 2006 opened the Finzean Farm Shop, which provides full- and part- time employment to 24 people, most of whom live within a 10 mile radius.
You can find out more about our work with the community here.
Our carbon footprint
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture is essential to meet carbon reduction commitments and improve farm efficiency. In 2019, we commissioned our first ever carbon audit. Its results showed total farm emissions of 1,400t of CO2 equivalents, but with woodland sequestration of 10,400t, the net farm output was negative 8,900t CO2e. This is, of course, just a baseline footprint: we see an enormous opportunity to improve this through more efficient management and improving methods to lock carbon into soil, moorland and vegetation.
By shopping locally in the Farm Shop, you are supporting local suppliers and businesses while minimising food miles. We make every effort to source our produce locally, whether that be strawberries from a farm over the Cairn or our own produce from the Estate.