Farms in National Park selected to drive climate‑resilient land management

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority has selected three farms to lead the next phase of its Resilient Farm Network (RFN), a four-year (2026-2030) programme designed to help agricultural businesses enhance resilience, adopt nature-friendly practices and support a long-term shift towards sustainable land use across the National Park.

The three farms, Glen Finglas, Shemore and Portnellan, will work with specialist advisers and fellow land managers to test and refine on-farm approaches that strengthen profitability, biodiversity and soil health. Their involvement marks a major step forward in establishing a National Park‑wide network where farmers and land managers can share knowledge and trial regenerative techniques that support both business performance and nature recovery.

Each farm will test approaches best suited to its own farming system and land. Glen Finglas and Shemore are well placed to demonstrate grazing‑led methods that support habitat restoration. And Portnellan, a small family farm with extensive long‑term animal data from its organic, grass‑fed beef enterprise, can showcase practical regenerative farming rooted in a strong learning culture.

As part of the programme, the farms will receive tailored support including carbon and biodiversity audits, free financial analysis and annual data-driven performance reviews.

Insights generated through the farms will also be shared across the wider Resilient Farm Network, creating opportunities for land managers throughout the National Park to swap knowledge and learn from practical, on-farm experience.

Together, the programme will help businesses make changes that reduce the impacts of an increasingly unpredictable and worsening climate, while also strengthening the rural economy, supporting local communities and restoring nature

Dominic Hall, Future Nature Portfolio Manager with Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority said: “The selected farms reflect the range of farming approaches adopted across the National Park and give us a strong starting point to explore sustainable, nature-friendly ways to make businesses more resilient for the future.

“This work has become even more important after a summer of wildfires and drought across parts of the UK, with farmers and rural businesses calling for clearer, evidence‑led ways to cope with increasingly unpredictable conditions.

“By trialling different land management techniques together, we can build a clearer understanding of the practical changes needed to help farms deal with climate pressures while strengthening their ability to run profitable, productive operations.

“The Resilient Farm Network will also serve as a test pilot for farms and rural communities across the country, demonstrating ways to adapt to and mitigate against the impacts of the climate crisis.”

Land Manager and Co-Owner of Portnellan Farm, Freda Scott-Park said: “Being part of the Resilient Farm Network gives us a chance to build on our closed herd and long-term animal data, using that history to understand how the farm can adapt and stay resilient in the years ahead.

“A key focus for us is exploring how our soil structure and grass pastures can be improved to provide grazing resilience and enhanced biodiversity for the future.

“Through the RFN, we’ll also be able to test ideas like small-scale agroforestry, better surface-water management and new approaches to shade and shelter, helping us make informed decisions that benefit both the herd and the wider landscape.”

The National Park Authority’s Resilient Farm Network programme aligns with the Scottish Government’s Academic Advisory Panel’s publication of evidence-based priorities for climate adaptation across Scotland’s agricultural sector. It highlights that resilience is best built through whole‑farm approaches that improve soil health, strengthen land and livestock management, and make use of natural landscape features – supported by farmer‑led knowledge exchange and joined‑up policy. By adopting resilient, regenerative practices, land managers in the National Park can build more stable, productive farming systems that are better equipped to cope with a worsening climate, strengthening the landscapes that support local communities and nature for the long term.

Agriculture Minister, Jim Fairlie MSP said: “The Resilient Farm Network is an exciting opportunity for crofters and farmers within the National Park to take advantage of expertise that will help them to manage land sustainably over the longer term, while restoring nature and increasing their resilience to climate change.

“The evidence and lessons we can learn from the existing RFN farms, and now joined by Glen Finglas, Shemore and Portnellan can benefit the wider agriculture sector, which is a vital part of rural Scotland and our economy.”

The RFN’s approach also strengthens the National Park Authority’s wider landscape‑scale work, including the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Landscape Connections initiative – funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and delivered with RSPB Scotland and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Countryside Trust. This initiative aims to restore and link some of Scotland’s rarest woodlands while creating opportunities for local communities and supporting rural economies. Through ‘Grazing for Future Nature’, part of Landscape Connections, the National Park Authority will work with farms across the initiative’s focus areas to deliver and develop conservation‑grazing projects that support woodland restoration, improve farmland biodiversity and strengthen native woodland networks.

Farmers and land managers who are members of the RFN will have the opportunity to access training, peer support and funding opportunities, including the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund for projects linked to nature restoration.

To find out more about the RFN programme, visit the National Park Authority website or complete the Expression of Interest form. For any questions, contact landmanagement@lochlomond‑trossachs

Written by: Phil Briscoe

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