National award for local estate

A Mearns estate has national accreditation in recognition of its outstanding work on wildlife, habitat and conservation management.

Left to right - David Fyffe, Scottish Land & Estates North East Regional chairman, Alastair Macphie, Glenbervie Estate, Dee Ward, Scottish Land & Estates vice-chairman

Glenbervie Estate received its Wildlife Estates Scotland (WES) award at the recent Turriff Show.

Alastair Macphie, owner of Glenbervie, accepted the certification from Scottish Land & Estates’ North East chairman David Fyffe.

A diverse property covering around 2,000 acres, Glenbervie is the heartbeat of the Macphie food business, the UK’s leading independent ingredients manufacturer.

The estate has a mix of land uses, with two let farms, 1,250 acres of land managed in-hand, including 400 acres of woodland.

The award to Glenbervie has been made following a rigorous accreditation process, demonstrating that the estate is observing best practice in its land management regime.

The estate has built information on species and their habitats, wildlife management, conservation projects and integration of land uses to monitor continuous improvement.”

Mr Macphie said: “Glenbervie Estate is unique in many ways given its importance in our wider manufacturing business but that has not diminished our commitment to following the best principles of land management.

“The award of WES accreditation is significant testament to those who have balanced our conservation goals with the demands of a demanding farming and forestry enterprise.”