13 June 2025

GWCT winds down Auchnerran tenancy after a decade of conservation success

AuchnerranAfter ten years of conservation success the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has taken the difficult decision not to renew its lease on Auchnerran Farm in Scotland when it expires later this year.

GWCT took on the lease at Auchnerran Farm, in Aberdeenshire, in 2014 with the principal aim of demonstrating that a productive hill-edge farm could successfully coexist with a thriving population of breeding waders.

Our goal was to transform a formerly neglected yet biodiverse landscape into a profitable and sustainable farming operation. Over the last decade this vision has been realised. The farm now supports 1,850 breeding Blackface ewes, alongside a wide range of waders, other ground-nesting birds and wildlife, as well as a small-scale shoot, proving that productivity and biodiversity can work hand in hand.

However, with continuing uncertainty around future agricultural subsidies in Scotland and a growing need to broaden our research to encompass a wider range of farming systems beyond hill-edge sheep farming, we have taken the decision not to extend the lease beyond 2025.

We are confident that, through our work at Auchnerran, we have been able to show that you can change farming practices over time to increase productivity and sustain a profit-making farming business, while also keeping measures in place that benefit wildlife and support biodiversity. A productive farm where wildlife has a central place is the legacy we are proud to hand over to our successors.

A haven for wildlife

Auchnerran flockOystercatcher, curlew, lapwing and skylark are some of the species that have continued to thrive through the agricultural changes that have taken place at Auchnerran through the past ten years.

In fact, our Farmland Breeding Bird Surveys have recorded a total of 82 different species since 2015, of which 21 are now red-listed in the UK.

Some of our key successes include:

  • 908 wader nests and broods have been recorded and fates monitored since 2018
  • Annual maximum count of skylark increased from 4 individuals in 2015 to 65 in 2025
  • 539 wader chicks have fledged to date – with this many of this season’s lapwing, oystercatcher and curlew still to go
  • Sheep flock productivity (lambs per ewe) has increased from 60% in 2015 to 120% in 2024
  • Woodland bird surveys show the maximum count of cuckoos has increased three-fold to 18 individuals during our tenure

The GWCT will continue to analyse and publish the wealth of research that has already been generated from Auchnerran, with one scientific paper already accepted, another one in review and a further three currently being prepared for submission. In addition, another three papers are in the early stages of development.

Dr Nick Hesford, Director of GWCT Scotland, said: “We will be working on a review of our tenure at GWSDF outlining all our achievements over the last decade, which we hope to publish at the end of the year to mark our tenancy coming to an end.

“The achievements and incredible conservation work we have undertaken at Auchnerran makes me very proud.

“We are immensely grateful to everyone who has contributed to the success of the farm and our research efforts over the years. In particular, we wish to thank our landlord Andrew Salvesen and his family for their exceptional generosity, support, and vision throughout our tenancy.

“We now look forward to focusing on the range of other projects we are working on or planning across Scotland.”

If you are heading to the Scottish Game Fair (4-6 July), please visit our central exhibit to find out more about GWCT Scotland, what we do and what we have planned for the future.


Notes to editors

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust – providing research-led conservation for a thriving countryside. The GWCT is an independent wildlife conservation charity which has carried out scientific research into Britain’s game and wildlife since the 1930s. We advise farmers and landowners on improving wildlife habitats. We employ more than 60 post-doctoral scientists and other research staff with expertise in areas such as birds, insects, mammals, farming, fish and statistics. We undertake our own research as well as projects funded by contract and grant-aid from government and private bodies.

For information, contact:
Eleanor Williams
Telephone: 07592 025476
Email: press@gwct.org.uk