AGM 2026 questions and answers

1.1 How is the Trust maintaining effective land management and partnership working at Schiehallion?

The Trust is recruiting a Director of Wild Places and Head of Land Management, who would provide additional leadership and points of contact. The Trust continued to work with partners, including Forestry and Land Scotland. Specialist contractors and advisers are supporting work across the Trust's properties, including the Schiehallion fencing project. This approach reflects the need to make effective use of available resources while accessing specialist expertise. 

1.2  Is the Trust placing sufficient priority on staff working directly on its properties and maintaining relationships with local communities?

The importance of local employment and community relations was acknowledged, whilst explaining that specialist contractors have an important role in conservation and land management. 

2.1 Will the Trust publish the findings of ongoing investigations?

The OSCR investigation is ongoing and confidential.  

3.1 Are senior leadership salaries proportionate to the size of the Trust and an appropriate use of charitable funds?

It was explained that comparisons between years were affected by changes in staffing levels, vacancies and the timing of senior appointments. The Trust sought to recruit experienced staff in a competitive employment market, while recognising the importance of fair remuneration across the organisation. 

3.2 Why did legal and professional fees increase significantly in 2025, and could these costs be reported more transparently? 

It was explained that the relevant  figure covered a broad range of professional services – including consultancy and professional support – rather than legal advice alone. It was explained that the Trust was reviewing its bookkeeping systems and chart of accounts and would discuss the presentation of these costs with its auditors. 

4.1  Is the Trust's reliance on legacy income sustainable, and what is being done to increase other sources of income? 

It was agreed that legacy income plays an important role in supporting the Trust's work and that membership subscriptions alone could not meet all operating costs. It was emphasised that membership remains important beyond its financial contribution, helping to strengthen the Trust's influence, reputation and wider supporter base. 

4.2  What is the Trust's reserves policy, and how does it balance financial resilience with spending on charitable activities?

It was explained that the Trust's total reserves included restricted funds and heritage assets, so the headline figure did not represent money freely available for expenditure. The Trust's free reserves stood at approximately £1.1 million, equivalent to around six months of expenditure. This is considered to be a reasonable level of protection against financial uncertainty. 

5.1 How will the Trust extend its influence beyond the land it owns and strengthen partnerships to protect wild places? 

It was explained that the Wild Place Quality Index would support the Trust's future strategy by providing a way to identify, measure and monitor the qualities of wild places. Its potential was described in how it would help landowners, planners, policymakers and conservation partners understand and protect wild place qualities over time. 

6.1 What action is the Trust taking to address concerns about staff turnover, morale and organisational culture? 

It was explained that the Board was acutely aware of these concerns and took its duty of care towards staff seriously. We outlined work to strengthen staff policies, including grievance, anti-bullying and harassment, and whistleblowing procedures, alongside consideration of external support on psychological safety. 

7.1 Has the redesign of the John Muir Award made it harder for some providers to participate, and how is the Trust responding to feedback?

It was explained that the redesign had previously been under consideration since 2019 and was necessary to address the financial and administrative sustainability of the Award. The programme had moved towards a more streamlined online process, ensuring that Award activity aligned with the Trust's objectives. The Trust is developing stronger links between the Award and membership, including group and family membership, and remained open to opportunities for in-person training.