The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has finalised the acquisition of two significant parcels of land adjacent to the Drum Estate in Aberdeenshire.

The purchase, which totals 50 hectares of woodland, effectively doubles the size of the nationally important Old Wood of Drum, one of the country's most prestigious sites for ancient oak trees.

The acquisition was made possible after two areas surrounding Drum Castle, Garden & Estate became available from separate landowners in 2022. By incorporating these 50 hectares with the existing 45-hectare ancient wood pasture, the NTS aims to secure a sustainable future for the historic tree population and enhance ecological connectivity across the estate.

The larger portion of the newly acquired land was previously used for commercial forestry, dominated by Sitka spruce, Norway spruce, and Scots pine. Following recent felling, the conservation team is managing the natural regeneration of the area. While some non-native conifers remain, the focus is on favouring native broadleaves such as aspen, birch, alder, willow, and rowan.

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Philip Long, Chief Executive of the National Trust for Scotland, said: "The Old Wood of Drum is one of the few surviving medieval wood pastures and best collections of ancient trees in Scotland, and is an excellent example of the nature we care for within the Trust. The acquisition of this new woodland aligns with our Plan for Nature, a strategy that drives our contribution to Scotland's climate and biodiversity targets and underpins our nature conservation priorities and projects for years to come. Woodland restoration features heavily in the Plan for Nature and wood pasture is one of the Trust's priority habitats. At the Old Wood of Drum, we will deliver positive impacts for nature and for people."

The Trust's long-term vision involves a century-long restoration process to recreate a traditional wood-pasture system. This will involve selective thinning, woodland grazing, and the planting of new oak trees to ensure a succession of ancient specimens. Immediate work also includes the removal of invasive species, such as Rhododendron ponticum, which threaten local wildlife.

Beyond ecological restoration, the project includes the preservation of cultural features. The NTS intends to reinstate the estate's original tree-lined entrance driveway, which has fallen into disrepair. Plans are also being explored to restore Robbie Rossie's Loch as a productive wetland habitat.

Chris Wardle, the Trust's Gardens and Designed Landscapes Manager in the North East, added: "Currently, there is very little established natural regeneration of oak within Old Wood of Drum, due in part to browsing pressure and in part to the lack of sufficient light where the seedlings have germinated. We have an ambition for the next 100-200 years to regenerate the wood pasture system across our land holdings, creating future ancient and veteran trees, particularly the ancient oaks that are such a historic feature of Drum. We plan to unlock a landscape-scale ecological restoration, developing a larger and more accessible landscape of ancient and newly developing woodland and wood pasture for the benefit of nature and visitors."