Scotland’s rivers, lochs and wetlands are being restored back to good health, thanks to support from NatureScot’s Biodiversity Challenge Fund.

In the past three years, the Scottish Government has invested £3.7m in 27 freshwater and river restoration projects across the country, using innovative, nature-based solutions to help reverse biodiversity loss and mitigate against the effects of climate change.

Major achievements include the planting of 78,000 native trees along river banks to stabilise and prevent erosion and flooding. These new trees also provide essential shade and nutrients for important species like Atlantic salmon, brown trout and freshwater pearl mussel.

One of the largest funding awards, £330k, was made to the Forth Rivers Trust to restore and improve the headwaters of the River Teith catchment, a Special Area of Conservation.  As well as using large pieces of wood to stabilise the river bank and diversify in-stream habitat, this ambitious project planted 8,000 trees along 8kms of the River Larig in the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, to eventually provide shade for the river and cover for salmon, trout and lamprey. The project completed last week with partners and volunteers coming together to plant the final trees.

Meanwhile, in the Inner Forth, 110 hectares of wetland habitat has been improved to increase the connectivity, quality and resilience of four wetland areas. Creating new ponds and pools, hedging and improved habitat features add to the biodiversity of the sites and provide a refuge for wildlife.

More on this story can be found here.