Areas of interest

Spanning almost half of Scotland, the highlands and islands are unique and special places – rugged mountains, moorland, pockets of ancient Caledonian pine forest and temperate rainforest and miles of coastline. Sadly, these vital ecosystems are now under threat as we face climate change and natural world emergencies.

Recent decades have seen dramatic and alarming reductions in the variety and number of plants and animals around us and it is now clear that we only have a small window of opportunity to regenerate and restore the natural world on which we all depend.

Fortunately, there are already a great many projects in progress throughout the region, led by local people and communities with a real passion to protect and restore nature in their area.

However, many of these projects are new or just starting out and thus need financial support in order to achieve their goals.

The Highlands & Islands Environment Foundation supports projects in the following areas: