Nestled in the Cairngorms, Mar Lodge Estate National Nature Reserve is one of Scotland’s most ecologically diverse areas. It has been in the care of the National Trust for Scotland since 1995 and has played host to a series of remarkable projects in conservation and biodiversity.

It was thanks to a significant contribution of over £10 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, along with support from private donors like the Easter Charitable Trust, that the Trust was able to secure this magnificent estate. The property covers more than 29,000 hectares of astonishing Scottish landscape: heather-covered moorland, Caledonian pine forest, towering mountains and the Quoich wetlands. Its acquisition marked a turning point for our charity, enabling us to launch large-scale conservation and restoration projects to safeguard the estate’s landscapes and biodiversity for future generations. Furthermore, a portion of the funding was set aside as an endowment to fund long-term maintenance and support ongoing conservation efforts.

As we now approach the National Lottery’s 30th birthday, we are grateful that we were one of the first organisations to receive funding of this nature from the National Lottery. Since the first draw in 1994, over £49 billion has been raised for good causes and awarded through more than 690,000 individual grants. Thanks to National Lottery players, support has been given to a vast array of projects, ranging from strengthening local communities and powering sports teams to unlocking creative talent and supporting environmental projects such as those at Mar Lodge.