Wester Ross

Wester Ross

Wester Ross is located in the north west of mainland Scotland and, as our most southerly district on the west coast, is a boundary region in the project. The area is remote, scenic and isolated, with one of the lowest population densities in Europe.

The project area begins at the River Kanaird, bordering West Sutherland to the north, and extends south to the Applecross River on the Applecross Peninsula. All rivers flowing west are covered – there are 23 river catchments and many smaller coastal streams. The larger catchments include the Ewe, Gruinard, Little Gruinard, Broom, Ullapool and Dundonnell. There are many lochs in the area, the largest of these are Loch Maree and Fionn Loch, and the coastline extends for approximately 500 km.

Wester Ross is an area of spectacular mountains, such as those around Torridon, with rugged, rocky and moorland terrain reaching to a coastline of cliffs and rocky shores. There are relatively small areas of fertile soil in the valleys and around the coast. Much of the land has been managed for grazing over the past 200 years. Tree cover is sparse but there are remnants of ancient broadleaved woodlands and important areas of native Scots pine woodland at Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve.

Wester Ross is designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve for its spectacular landscapes, diverse and rare wildlife, and rich cultural heritage. The Wester Ross National Scenic Area (NSA) is Scotland’s largest in terms of its land area (1,453 km²) and there are two other NSAs that include parts of Wester Ross: the Kintail NSA and Assynt-Coigach NSA. Approximately 20% of Wester Ross has the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) designation and Little Gruinard River is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for Atlantic salmon. There are many other protected sites in the area.

We maintain a mink monitoring and trapping network in Wester Ross which is managed by a Mink Monitoring and Control Officer – based with our project partner the West Sutherland Fisheries Trust. Our invasive plant control project does not extend to this district.

A challenging landscape

The mountainous landscapes and extensive coastline of Wester Ross makes this challenging terrain to monitor and trap American mink – but it is an important area for wildlife conservation. The many coastal cliffs are home to a range of vulnerable seabird breeding colonies; freshwater lochs support internationally important populations of black-throated divers; and the area is considered a stronghold for the endangered water vole.

Wester Ross is also a vast area with a very small population. Only 8,000 people live in an area of 5,200 km² – or 1.6 people per km². There are remote peninsulas and uninhabited islands which provide excellent habitat for the highly adaptable mink.

Volunteers are absolutely vital across the project for our mink control programme – and especially so in these challenging environments. We consider anyone who contributes to the project to be a volunteer, including estates, ghillies, gamekeepers, crofters and members of the public. If you would like to help, please get in touch.