Regenerating woodland on the John Muir Trust's Li & Coire Dhorrcail property

Conservation workers on a remote estate will be spared a regular nine-mile walk thanks to a charity grant that will help them buy a boat to reach the property.

Workers and volunteers on the John Muir Trust’s Li & Coire Dhorrcail on the Knoydart peninsula on the west coast of Scotland will use the £6,265 to provide a boat and moorings at Arnisdale.

The grant came from the People’s Postcode Trust, a grant-giving charity, funded by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.

It can take just five minutes to get to the property by boat from Arnisdale. Without a boat, the only access to Li & Coire Dhorrcail is a nine-mile walk along seven miles of footpath and a further two miles of rough ground.

Lester Standen who manages the John Muir Trust’s Li & Coire Dhorrcail property, said: “The big challenge in managing Li & Coire Dhorrcail is its inaccessibility. We need to make about 80 crossings a year, to transport staff, volunteers, tools and equipment.”

“Having our own boat is a big step forward and it will cut down on the time volunteers have to spend walking in to the property. I’m delighted the People’s Postcode Trust has given us this boost.”

The JMT has been carrying out ecological restoration on Li & Coire Dhorrcail for the past 25 years. Its aim is to improve important native habitats such as upland birch and native pine woodland and promote a rich range of wildlife on the property.

People’s Postcode Lottery is a charity lottery in which participants play with their postcodes to win cash prizes while raising money for good causes. As a charity lottery, £2 from every monthly lottery ticket charities and community initiatives across England, Scotland and Wales, including the People’s Postcode Trust. People’s Postcode Lottery says it believes in supporting local communities so the money raised by players in each country, stays in that country.