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7 Aug 2025

Looking for love in Ben Lomond

Written by Paul Williams
A view of a craggy mountain, with plant cover at the lower edges.
The female population of relict downy willows are found on the highest crags of the west Ptarmigan Ridge at Ben Lomond.
Our rangers are playing Cupid in a bid to help save a population of relict downy willow trees on one of Scotland’s most popular Munros.

Recently, we have been playing matchmaker for a small patch of four female downy willow trees (Salix lapponum) on the slopes of Ben Lomond, thought to be several decades old. We’re aiming to enhance the population through natural woodland regeneration by introducing male plants grown from cuttings that have been carefully taken from the healthy population of male willows on the Loch Lomond side.

By collecting cuttings and growing saplings in our tree nursery at Ben Lomond, we are pairing up potential partners to create a viable and sustainable seed source. This work aims to protect mountain willow scrub, one of the six priority habitats identified in the Trust’s Plan for Nature, which provides a framework and focus for our nature conservation efforts and includes the actions we will take to care for our willow populations.

Ben Lomond is the most southerly Munro (mountain over 3,000ft/914m). The summit is the highest part of the area of land in the care of the Trust, which also includes the woodlands and fields of the lower slopes, peatland and moorland, and the crags and steep slopes of the high ground. One of the most popular hill walks in Scotland, visitors can enjoy spectacular views of Loch Lomond from the summit, guided tours by the Trust’s team of rangers, and wildlife such as ptarmigan and ravens, skylarks and wheatears, black grouse and even pine martens.

Expand image 1: Craggy and grassy hill at Ben Lomond called A' Chrois, with grey sky in the background. Expand image 2: A low-growing willow shrub is in front of a large grey stone. Expand image 3: Close-up of furry seed pods on female downy willow plants

Alasdair Eckersall, Property Manager and Senior Ranger at Ben Lomond, said: ‘This project was made possible by funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery and will support our nature conservation on Ben Lomond. It will enable improvements to our tree nursery, which is crucial in helping us to grow native montane willow scrub species that are replanted on this beautiful mountainside.

‘We are nurturing the cuttings to develop rooted male saplings that will be planted out on Lomond side in the future, and we’re grateful to Forestry and Land Scotland for the permission to obtain the cuttings. The plants will take some time to grow and develop strong root systems before we can plant them – we expect to do this in 2028, so it’s a long-term vision that we hope will have a positive impact on the biodiversity of this precious landscape.’

The cuttings grown in our nursery will be used to help expand the population of downy willow on the ben and protect the relict female trees from dying out.

The funding will also support the creation of woodland pasture habitats that will see enclosed areas of new tree saplings planted across the lower slopes of Ben Lomond. Teams of volunteers will construct the fenced exclosures, which will help to protect the young trees from grazing animals. In the longer term, this woodland pasture will soften the landscape, combat habitat loss and support biodiversity.

Quote
“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, protect and share Scotland’s nature, beauty and heritage at this special place for everyone to enjoy.”
Alasdair Eckersall
Property Manager and Senior Ranger, Ben Lomond
Expand image 1: Grassy vegetation grows on black rocks with small white flowers. Expand image 2: Willow shrubs in plant pots sit in a row along a wall, with a brown wooden fence in the background. Expand image 3: A female downy willow shrub grows on a crag, with catkins on its branches.

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have supported our charity’s Love Our Nature project since 2022, which benefited from £900k last year. Funding awarded through Postcode Earth Trust this year has supported nature conservation projects at a variety of different habitats, including coastal and marine areas, peatlands, wetlands, woodland and the eight National Nature Reserves cared for by the Trust.

Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, Laura Chow, said: ‘It’s great to know our players are making such a difference by supporting the Trust’s work to care for Scotland’s rare tree populations. It’s vital that we conserve our native plants and woodlands to help tackle the growing threat of climate change and protect our natural heritage for future generations.’

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have now raised over £4m since 2014 to support the National Trust for Scotland. The Love Our Nature project supports our vision to care for, protect and share Scotland’s nature, beauty and heritage for everyone, as outlined in our 10-year strategy, launched in 2022.

Two logos side by side. One reading: People's Postcode Lottery and the other: Postcode Earth Trust

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