Conservationists abseil into 60-metre gorge to tackle invasive plant species

Conservationists have abseiled down a 60-metre gorge in the Highlands to tackle invasive species such as Japanese knotweed in a bid to protect biodiversity in Scotland.

Rope access specialists from the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) dealt with invasive plants which had grown in crags in Corrieshalloch Gorge National Nature Reserve in Wester Ross.

The gravity-defying feat is part of efforts to tackle invasive non-native species (INNS), including Japanese knotweed and rhododendron ponticum, under NTS’s new Plan for Nature, which identified it as the main driver of nature loss in Scotland.

Property and conservation staff surveyed the gorge, identifying sites where invasive plants had established themselves on the cliff sides before applying a targeted dose of herbicide.

The project aims to protect native flora from being crowded out of their natural habitats.

NTS plans to remove the six most troublesome non-native invasive plants from its estate: rhododendron ponticum, Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed, salmonberry, skunk cabbages and New Zealand broadleaf, and to gradually remove non-native invasive shrubs where they are protecting gardens from coastal spray.

It will also review emerging invasive species, targeting those which are most invasive and have the highest ecological impact.

Rob Dewar, the trust’s INNS project officer, said: “Our work at Corrieshalloch is part of our ongoing nature conservation to remove invasive non-native species and demonstrates the extreme lengths we go to, to protect the places in our care.

“These gravity-defying feats are undertaken by our rope access specialists who support our conservation efforts in these hard-to-reach places where these species can quickly establish themselves, like on the vertiginous sides of the gorge.

“The INNS work is focused on eradicating invasive non-native plants, including Japanese knotweed, American skunk cabbage and rhododendron ponticum.

“The work helps to tackle these species and protect native flora from being crowded out of their natural habitat to safeguard the biodiversity of Scotland’s wild landscapes.

“It is thanks to the continued generosity of our members and supporters, including players of People’s Postcode Lottery, that we’re able to continue our vital work to care for and protect Scotland’s natural heritage at this special place for everyone to enjoy, now and into the future.”

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have supported NTS’s Love Our Nature project since 2022, which benefited from £900,000 last year, and have raised more than £3.4 million since 2014 to support the charity.

Further funding will support nature conservation work across a variety of habitats including coastal and marine areas, peatlands, wetlands, woodland, and the eight national nature reserves cared for by the trust.

Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “Players of People’s Postcode Lottery will be delighted to know they are supporting the important work of NTS to protect the biodiversity of our beautiful landscapes.

“Tackling invasive non-native species is vital to ensure the survival of our native plant-life by protecting the natural habitats in which they thrive.”