Exclusive:Scottish land charity records £1.9m loss as 19 roles made redundant and trustees resign

One of Scotland’s biggest wildlife charities has made a financial loss of £1.9 million, as dozens of staff have been made redundant or resigned.

The John Muir Trust (JMT), which just passed its 40-year anniversary, confirmed 19 roles have been made redundant over the past year. Of those, The Scotsman was told 12 staff members will be let go “very soon”, while “others” have managed to find other roles within the trust.

Reports also show five of the charity’s trustees resigned in March this year. Meanwhile six of the eight listed members of the core management team also resigned in the past year leaving David Balharry, who has taken on the role of secretary as well as his role as the chief executive, and a main fundraiser. It comes as recently released financial documents showed the charity, which owns Quinag and Sandwood Estates in north-west Sutherland, made a loss of £1.9m in the past year. The JMT said this was due to a combination of “significantly lower income and considerably higher costs”.

The John Muir Trust (JMT), which just passed its 40 year anniversary, advocates protecting wild land | Katharine Hay

A JMT spokesperson said: “Like many other charities and membership organisations, the trust is operating in a particularly challenging financial environment. Last year the trust experienced a significant drop in income, and costs in 2023 were much higher than in 2022. The combination of significantly lower income and considerably higher costs left a deficit of £1.896m last year.

“Earlier this year the trust responded by reducing costs in all areas of the business. Even after doing this there were insufficient reserves to support the deficit.

“Sadly, that left no option but to take the very difficult decision to put 19 posts at risk of redundancy. That process will conclude very soon, and it will see 12 members of staff move on from the trust, while others have taken up alternative positions within the trust.

“This means the trust is now on a stronger financial footing to progress its important work to conserve and protect wild places for the benefit of present and future generations.”

The JMT has previously locked horns with communities in the north-west over deer management. Its application to NatureScot for an out-of-season and night licence to cull deer on the Quinag estate to meet its “ecological objectives” was unpopular with the Assynt Crofters’ Trust (ACT), which described the charity’s deer cull as “gratuitous”.

The John Muir Trust and locals in Assynt have previously clashed over deer management approaches | Katharine Hay

The ACT said the increase in culling would have a “direct, short-term impact” on its North Assynt Estate and local businesses, which depend on income from stalking. The Scottish Gamekeepers Association has previously claimed there have been a number of “animal welfare breaches” ever since the JMT was awarded the out-of-season licence. 

In a lengthy statement on its website, the charity said deer were preventing the “restoration of healthy habitats by devouring burgeoning new habitats, from tree saplings to grasslands, montane scrub and heather” and defended its approach to deer management.

The financial and job losses come after the trust faced tensions among staff last year.

Mr Balharry was exonerated in November following an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct. The trust never revealed exactly what accusations Mr Balharry had been facing, citing issues of privacy.

He had been suspended and placed on leave for five months last year while an independent investigation reviewed the matter.

After he was exonerated, the charity’s chairwoman Jane Smallman said: “We are delighted to have David return and pleased that we can now get back to focussing on our core objectives of protecting and restoring wild places for the benefit of communities, climate and nature.

“Following this investigation, we will now seriously address what we can do, to better protect staff from false allegations in future.”