Delivering natural capital restoration at scale in Scotland isn’t a romantic idea. It’s a relentless, muddy, wind-lashed, problem-solving reality. It’s equal parts logistics and leadership, ecology and engineering, patience and persistence. And if we’re honest, it’s a craft we’re only…
The Cairngorms
Nestled against the spectacular mountainous backdrop of the Cairngorms National Park
Dorback Estate is a spectacular 15,000-acre Highland landscape shaped by glacial valleys, steep corries, and sweeping heather moorland. From the slopes of Geal Carn down to Loch na Spioraid and the wooded lowlands, the Estate spans an extraordinary range of habitats and elevations.
Bordering the Abernethy National Nature Reserve, Dorback sits within one of the most ecologically significant regions in the UK—home to rare species, ancient woodlands, and globally important upland ecosystems.
This is a landscape rich in natural capital and cultural history. Managed historically for sport and conservation, it supports diverse wildlife, fragments of ancient Caledonian pinewood, and a network of existing buildings that create opportunities for nature-based tourism.
Acquired in December 2024, Dorback represents the beginning of a new chapter—one grounded in careful stewardship, deep understanding, and long-term ecological restoration.
Estate Projects & Plans
Click the link to be taken to our estate-focused community website, where you can view detailed plans, updates, and stay connected with what’s happening on the Estate.
Community Website
Woodland Restoration
Dorback is home to two remnant fragments of ancient Caledonian pinewood—part of a network of just 84 surviving sites across Scotland.
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Peatland Restoration
Peatlands are among the UK’s most valuable natural assets, yet many have been degraded through historical land use.
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Sustainable Tourism
Dorback offers a rare opportunity to reconnect people with wild landscapes in a meaningful and low-impact way.
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Dorback Estate represents a rare opportunity to restore a Highland landscape at scale.
Set within the Cairngorms National Park, our vision is to transform Dorback into a resilient, nature-rich landscape where native woodlands expand across the hills, peatlands function as healthy carbon stores, and wildlife can move freely through a connected mosaic of habitats.
Working closely with local communities, partners, and land managers, we are shaping a long-term approach that balances ecological restoration with sustainable land use. This is about more than conservation—it is about creating a living, working landscape that delivers lasting environmental, social, and economic value.
Woodland Restoration
Our vision is to reconnect and expand these fragments into a continuous, landscape-scale woodland. This will involve:
- Creating over 4,000 acres of new native woodland
- Enhancing and connecting 2,500 acres of existing woodland
- Transitioning to montane woodland at higher elevations
Using a mix of natural regeneration and planting, we will establish diverse native woodland including Scots pine, birch, aspen, alder, rowan, and willow.
This approach will, restore habitat connectivity across the Estate, support iconic Highland species, increase long-term carbon sequestration, and rebuild one of Scotland’s most important native ecosystems
Peatland Restoration
At Dorback, we have identified the opportunity to restore over 1,500 acres of peatland—reinstating natural hydrology and improving ecosystem function.
Through rewetting and habitat restoration, this work will, lock away significant volumes of carbon, improve water quality and downstream resilience, restore habitat for specialist upland species, and strengthen the ecological integrity of the wider landscape.
Sustainable Tourism
The Estate’s existing holiday cottages provide a strong foundation for developing immersive, nature-based experiences as part of our Oxygen Escapes offering.
Our vision is to create a model of sustainable tourism that:
- Enables people to experience restoration in action
- Supports local economies
- Enhances appreciation for the natural world
- Operates with minimal environmental impact
Our vision is to evolve Dorback into a destination that combines high-quality accommodation with authentic engagement in conservation.
Explore our interactive landscape vision map for the Estate.
We are committed to Scaling Conservation to deliver positive environmental & social impact.
While large-scale interventions are only just beginning, this is on of the most exciting opportunities for nature recovery and connectivity.
Through these efforts, we aim to achieve a range of objectives—including clean water, carbon storage, spaces for wildlife, community homes, nature engagement, education and learning, green jobs, regenerative agriculture, and clean energy—that collectively contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The figures to the right represent the long-term impact we aim to deliver through restoration—measured over the lifetime of the Estate.
588,000 tonnes of CO2
removed or avoided
159 km
of restored watercourses
5 jobs
supported across the Estate
Articles from across the Estate
Meet your Estate Manager
As Estate Manager for Dorback Estate, Ed leads the delivery of sustainable land management across a landscape shaped by ancient woodland remnants, peatlands, wetlands and the dynamic river systems of Strathspey. Alongside overseeing Dorback’s growing ecotourism operations, they work closely with local communities and partners to ensure the estate’s restoration is collaborative, grounded and built for the long term. Ed is proud to help realise Oxygen Conservation’s ambitions for Dorback — restoring ecological integrity while fostering a shared sense of stewardship for the future.
With over a decade of experience across freshwater, peatland and upland environments, and a PhD in Ecology, Ed combines scientific insight with practical field expertise. They have led river and peatland restoration, biodiversity assessments, hydrological monitoring and species recovery projects in Scotland and internationally. Deeply interested in how ecosystems function and respond to change, Ed is motivated by restoration that is both ambitious and achievable — rebuilding resilient, thriving landscapes in ways that respect local knowledge, support rural livelihoods and create lasting impact for nature and people alike.
Email Ed