Cawdor Estate
The Cawdor Estate has been in existence for over 700 years, with the oldest part of Cawdor Castle dating back to the 14th Century. Today the Estate covers an area of around 58,000 acres, including 28,000 acres of hill ground. The 28,000 acre moor has been a heavily managed landscape for hundreds of years, and hence this management has had to continually change to meet the needs of the environment whilst providing a livelihood for a number of people within the local area.
The hills have been farmed for many centuries; sheep are grazed to produce meat and, in order to help reduce tick numbers, are regularly dipped and dosed. Pests are controlled by the Estate’s gamekeepers to ensure the wellbeing of the indigenous red grouse population; as a bi-product, many other ground nesting species also benefit. Heather is regularly burned to promote young growth for feed and shelter and a birch regeneration scheme has been undertaken to encourage the growth of woodland native to the Estate. It seems a natural progression in the world we live in today to use the land of Cawdor Estate for a different but just as important activity – Renewable Energy.
Lord Cawdor has significant interest in and experience of the renewable energy sector and sees it as important that an Estate the size of Cawdor takes responsibility where it can for the increasing demand for energy. The Dowager is a keen environmentalist, and working together with Lord Cawdor has a great sense of responsibility for the land, so ensuring that the project will have minimal impact on the land and the environment.
It is hoped that Cawdor Estate can contribute towards the important issue of climate change and renewable energy.
