Our Environment

The Douglas-Home family have an exemplary record of caring for the environment – and as a result of their historic management, the Estates have significant areas of land which have been designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Protection Areas (SPA), and an Special Area of Conservation (SAC) - 10 in all.

At Douglas, much of the heather moorland, forms part of the Muirkirk and North Lowther Uplands SPA. The Red Moss is a Nationally important raised peat bog and Millers Wood a rare example of native Scottish birch woodland.

At Hirsel, the River Tweed is both an SSSI and SAC, and the Hirsel Lake, Dundock Wood and  the Leet Water an SSSIs.

The importance of the environment resulted in the development of an integrated environmental conservation plan in 2002 as a “Green Book”, setting out the environmental objectives for the Douglas Estate.

The Hirsel has a conservation management plan in place, completed in May 2006 in conjunction with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) which provides a “blueprint” for the future management of the historic designed landscape of the Hirsel Policies.

Following the development of those management briefs, over 200 acres of new native riparian broad leaved woodland has been planted at Douglas in 2007 and 2008 and over 10 miles of new hedge rows planted at the Hirsel.

There are moorland management plans in place for the heather moorlands at Douglas, and as part of the farming operations on both Estates, significant areas of land are managed specifically for the benefit of wild birds.

The Estate woodlands are FSC® Certified (FSC C112410), and there are two district heating plants providing heat and hot water for 17 properties from two Biomass boilers (fuelled by woodchip harvested from the Estate’s commercial woodlands) – this initiative has resulted in the decommissioning and removal of 14 conventional oil fired boilers.

The Estate is currently involved with 4 wind farm projects, which, in due course, will hopefully result in a significant production of “green energy” to benefit the carbon footprint of the UK.

The Estates see the “environment” as one of their greatest assets and as a business enterprise one that is a benefit to the Estate’s economy in terms of revenue, environment and landscape – whilst also enhancing the “well being” of the community of a whole.