NATURE IN SCOTLAND

Harestone Moss Rewilding

A farm with a difference

Harestone is nestled in the Aberdeenshire countryside, adjacent to an ancient moor. The croft was farmed for years,and now it’s time to do it differently, rewild and give the land time to relax, adjust and recover, without losing the crofting benefits.

Our rewilding plan is to create biodiverse eco- systems that allows nature to rule, but regenerative farming to coexist in harmony. Keystone to our plan, is the recovery & recreation of natural wetlands, providing sanctuary for so many species of birds & insects, essentional for a balanced ecosystem.

WHERE WILD THINGS HAPPEN

Be part of the tribe, grab our FREE - how to rewild on a small scale guide, and start your own wild plan !

WILD PLAN OVERVIEW

ECO-TOURISM

NATURAL GRAZING

WETLANDS (2.2H)

WILDFLOWERS
(6.9 H)

HEDGEROWS
(1.3H)

NESTING BOXES

PLANT NATIVE TREES

SUSTAINABLE
FOOD

ADD MORE
BEEHIVES

SOIL
REGENERATION

FARM
SHOP

Our PROJECTS

Changing the landscape of Scotland - One pixel at a time

In 2020 we flooded a small section of land that had been drained in the 1950’s, a trend at the time in which much of the natural bogland in Scotland was lost. So we created a small scale test to see what happens when the industrial drainage is removed. We were amazed at the changes that happened!

This was undoubtedly the catalyst for our larger scale – Marshes project – and the wild plan was born.

Our aim is to arrive at a multi-layered natural landscape and working to truly connect land management in farming, large natural spaces and where fresh water retention will be the key to diverse ecosystems and carbon retention.

As we record every step we make, we hope to offer a small scale template for other landowners to be able to create a viable land based business, while regenerating and ensure nature is winning.

Benefits

Wild stepping-stones across Scotland

Ponds & marshes

We hope to see a dramatic increase in insects, nesting birds , small mammals & more in this self regenerating, evolving habitat. This would have been a rich & diverse landscape. The flooding of marshes and peat bogs will aid in the carbon retention. Soil is the best carbon retainer if treated well.

wildflower meadows

Wildflowers provide our pollinators and insects with food from leaves, pollen, nectar, shelter, places to breed & helping to sustain insects that pollinate our food crops. The have the added bonus of being beautiful too!

Hedgerows & Trees

Hedgerows provide food and shelter for many species and they are essential corridors along which wildlife can travel. They reduce the amount of fertilisers, pesticides and sediment that reach watercourses. Trees help to fight the climate crisis & so much more...

conservation grazing

Grazing is often the most effective and natural way to maintain certain habitats such as grassland. Grazing animals return nutrients and organic matter back to the ground as they deposit their dung, ensuring the soil remains healthy and fertile.

Sustainable food production

Crofting is a traditional social system in Scotland defined by small-scale food production. We plan to grow our own fruit and vegetables that will be available to buy by the local community

The Importance of wetlands

Healthy water systems are the cornerstone of most rewilding projects. Being important habitats for thousands of species, they also function as migration routes for many others, and play a key role in the connectivity of ecosystems. Healthy wetlands are among the most ecologically abundant places in the world.

A wetland can be anything from bog, scrape, reedbed, marsh, pond, wet woodland. Wetlands in Scotland have been altered dramatically as has the way that water flows through farms and landscapes. Rewilding this can be a way of dramatically transforming the land.

If we restore water to its natural state, biodiversity will follow. We hope to achieve this from our variety of water based projects. The most exciting of these is the marches, where we believe we will see an amazing transformation and species return

Monitoring

Monitoring our wild plan is of huge importance.

This will be achieved in various ways, and you can watch the land evolving and changing over the years.

PROJECTS

BOMB HOLES REGENERATION PROJECT

Harestone Moss served as a WW2 "Q" site as noted in the book Fields of Deception The designation "Q" marks it as a dummy airfield created to lure the Luftwaffe away from the local airport at Dyce.

The Well Being Farm garden project

Somebody once said that a weed is but an unloved flower, but in our garden everything will be loved! In our one acre well-being farm garden we will hope to host the remedies to many ailments for health and well being.

Harestone bog
garden project

Harestone bog garden will be located next to lower dam, at the edge of the pond. It will create an area where moisture-loving plants will thrive.

Ther Walled
Garden Project

Our walled garden project is also about re-purposing. It really is core to what we do at Harestone Moss. Every single item on the planet can be re-purposed, you just need to be able to visualise it.

NATURE IN SCOTLAND

Harestone Moss Rewilding

A farm with a difference

WHERE WILD THINGS HAPPEN

Be part of the tribe, grab our FREE - how to rewild on a small scale guide, and start your own wild plan !