Lottery win for Scotland’s rainforests

Activism / 10 November 2026 Walkouts planned at more than 200 schools, colleges and universities on November 20 for youth strike 10 November 2026 Industrial / 10 November 2026 Health visitors claim victory after long-running strike wins pay rises 10 November 2026 Justice System / 10 November 2026 Labour deputy leader criticises Brand’s defence inquisition of victims 10 November 2026 Britain / 10 November 2026 Former Reform UK candidate behind Oxford ‘race science’ event exposed over antisemitic writings 10 November 2026 Britain / 10 November 2026 Commission set up in Wales to look at independence 10 November 2026 Wales / 10 November 2026 Culture war breaks out in Senedd as Reform accused of ‘being a one-trick pony’ 10 November 2026 A PROJECT aiming to restore Scotland’s “internationally significant” rainforest and support rural communities has won nearly £6 million in lottery funding.

Just 30,000 hectares of one of Britain’s rarest habitats remain, but the five-year Our Rainforest Futures project hopes to change that by training and employing local people as it creates “rainforest guardians” across the west coast, with hubs at Torridon and Morvern in the Highlands, and mid-Argyll.

Led by the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest, the project has now been supported with £5.98m of funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Welcoming the cash on behalf of Plantlife — a partner in the project — its Saving Scotland’s Rainforest programme manager Julie Stoneman said: “The people who live and work in the rainforest zone are essential to securing its future.

“Our Rainforest Futures will offer accredited and informal training in skills such as deer management, ecological surveying and invasive species removal.

“It will create more than 20 jobs and 15 traineeships, support community-led projects with grants and advice and provide exciting new opportunities for volunteering and learning.”