2025 rewind

As 2025 draws to a close we reflect on a year of action, advocacy, awards and so much more. Across the UK, our teams, volunteers, and partners have worked tirelessly to protect wild places, restore landscapes and inspire communities. Here's a round-up of some highlights.

Advocating for wild places

^ Land reform and deer management were top of the agenda in early 2025 when Director of Policy and Land David Fleetwood was invited to give evidence on the Scottish Government’s Land Reform Bill and deer management.

In May the Scottish Government committed to a National Deer Management Plan and following campaigning from the Trust and partners; in June Scottish Politicians voted to double the number of landowners included in the Land Reform Bill and in November we spoke at the REVIVE land reform conference.

Plus, following pressure from a Trust-backed coalition, the UK Government scaled back its Shared Rural Network plan to install mobile masts in rural Scotland by 80%.

Huge thanks to everyone who supported our work to protect wild places from industrialisation by donating to our Fighting Fund Appeal.

Caring for wild places

2025 was a busy year for our land team and trusty volunteers. After Glenlude’s packed agenda of work parties with our regular volunteers – and partners including Phoenix Futures and Jamie’s Wood who spent a couple of sunny spring days in April helping grow Glenlude’s native woodland – the team ended the year on a high. 

^ Our inspiring nature recovery partnership with Phoenix Futures at Glenlude won a 2025 Nature of Scotland Health and Wellbeing Award.

Meanwhile, in the Lake District another thriving partnership project at Thirlmere has been nurturing montane woodland plants in the nursery and working with volunteers to plant them out on the hillside. Over the past five years, the Thirlmere Resilience Project team planted approximately 4,800 trees around Wythburn Beck.

^ Following works at our Blà Bheinn car park, our Skye team – and the many visitors who head for the land we manage at Strathaird – enjoyed upgraded toilet facilities.

Last summer we celebrated 25 years of caring for Ben Nevis and in the autumn we fixed our storm damaged Steall Gorge path. Meanwhile our Mountain Woodland Appeal for East Schiehallion got off to a great start thanks to the Big Give Green Match Fund, and was given a further boost by our generous Members and supporters who responded to our appeal later in the year.

^ Our plans to work with partners at Charterhouse Heritage Park in Coventry are starting to shape up thanks to a funding boost.

^ Our North East Scotland Local Members' Group celebrated their 15^th consecutive year of holding conservation days. In 2025 they held over 20 events of one and two-days duration – roughly equating to over 1,000 hours of work – with the ranger services at Glen Tanar, Balmoral and National Trust Scotland's Mar Lodge. The Group also arranged two visiting speakers, Chris Wardle of NTS and Jeremy Roberts from Cairngorms Connect, who entertained and informed attentive and inquisitive audiences.

Engaging with wild places

Following the spring launch of our redesigned John Muir Award Wild Places Guardian level, 2,900 individuals have achieved their Award, taking action for wild places across Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales. To date over 32,000 hours have been spent actively protecting wild places, including planting trees and wildflowers and advocating for nature with MPs.

^ Events in 2025 kicked off with the Fort William Mountain Festival and a community catch up on Skye, before Trust Members and supporters joined our staff and Trustees at the Wild Places Gathering near the banks of Loch Lomond to hear our plans to secure a lasting future for wild places.

Up at Quinag and Kylesku in Assynt, we have transformed the Kylesku Lodges. Guests are now enjoying staying in a luxurious new lodge White Cairn, which we’ve added to our 10 refurbished A-Frame lodges.

Meanwhile, more underrepresented communities have been able to explore wild places thanks to our educational hiking programme – Connect Outdoors – in partnership with Tiso and Mhor Outdoor. We'd like to thank all the groups who participated in Connect Outdoors 2025, and look forward to helping communities thrive in nature in the future. 

And finally thanks to all our Corporate Members and partners who have supported our work through taking part in initiatives like Step Up for Wild Places and many other ways thoughout the year, as well as welcoming new partners Skye Candles, Whisky Frames and Adventure Patches.