Ahead of World Rivers Day 2025 – a celebration of the world’s waterways held annually on the fourth Sunday of September – over £200,000 in funding has been awarded to 11 organisations across Scotland, kickstarting a pipeline of new river woodland creation and restoration activities. 

After a comprehensive application and selection process, 11 pioneering environmental NGOs, charitable trusts, fisheries boards, community groups and research organisations have been awarded grants through the Riverwoods Blueprint Project, a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The recipients will produce river woodland development plans – the essential first step in enhancing local river health, creating new homes for wildlife and improving access to nature.  

The successful projects span from the Tarras Valley in Dumfries and Galloway, where Langholm Initiative will scope opportunities and co-design a river woodland restoration strategy with the community, to Morvern where Loch Abar Mòr and Ardtornish will explore how to facilitate natural woodland regeneration in the 3,399ha Rannoch River catchment.  

In total, the grant recipients will cover over 2,233km of riverway across the length and breadth of Scotland. The successful projects are: 

• Connecting Tarras Riverwoods – Langholm Initiative – Dumfries & Galloway 

• Luce Riverwoods: Enhancing the Future – Galloway Fisheries Trust – Dumfries & Galloway 

• Pow Burn Riverwoods – Symington Community Council – Ayrshire 

• Water of Assel Woodland Creation & Reconnection Development Plan – Ayrshire Rivers Trust – Ayrshire 

• Lyne Water – Woodlands for Water and Climate – Tweed Forum – Scottish Borders 

• River Eden and Motray Water Catchment – Woodland Development Plan – Sustainable Cupar – Fife 

• From Third to Forth – The Bannock Burn River Woodland Development Plan – TreeLink Stirling – Stirlingshire 

• Nairn & Lossie Headwaters – Riparian Development – Findhorn, Nairn & Lossie Rivers Trust – Moray 

• Raineach: Cuimhneachan na Coille, Rannoch (Bracken) – Memories of a Forest – Loch Abar Mòr nature restoration partnership, convened by SCOTLAND: The Big Picture – Highlands and Islands 
• Lussa Riverwoods Catchment Development Plan at Ardua Community Forest – Mull and Iona Community Trust – Highlands and Islands 
• Building a Route Map for Strategic Riparian Woodland Expansion in the Flow Country – UHI North, West and Hebrides – Highlands and Islands 

READ MORE: RIVERWOODS.ORG