BrewDog sells Scottish rewilding' estate it bought only five years ago

"BrewDog has sold a Highlands rewilding estate it bought with great fanfare in 2020 after posting losses last year of 37m on its beer businesses. The company paid 8.8m for Kinrara near Aviemore and pledged it would plant millions of trees on 50 sq km of land, initially telling customers the project would be partly funded by sales of its Lost Forest beer. It retracted many of its original claims, admitting the estate was smaller, at 37 sq km, and the tree-planting area smaller still."

"It would never have soaked up the 550,000 tonnes of CO2 every year that it originally claimed but a maximum of 1m tonnes in 100 years. The venture, which was part of since-abandoned efforts by the co-founder James Watt to brand the business as carbon-negative or -neutral, was beset by further problems. Critics said the native trees planted there were failing to grow and buildings were sold off."

"Kinrara, which covers 3,764 hectares (9,301 acres) of the Monadhliath mountains, is the latest asset to be sold by the company. It has been bought by Oxygen Conservation, a limited company funded by wealthy rewilding enthusiasts. Founded only four years ago, Oxygen Conservation has very quickly acquired 12 UK estates covering more than 20,200 hectares. It aims to prove that nature restoration and woodland creation can be profitable."

BrewDog bought the Kinrara estate near Aviemore in 2020 for 8.8m and pledged to plant millions of trees across 50 sq km, initially funding the project partly through Lost Forest beer sales. The company later admitted the estate and tree-planting areas were smaller, and reduced its carbon removal estimate to a maximum of 1m tonnes over 100 years rather than 550,000 tonnes per year. The venture formed part of efforts to brand the business carbon-negative or neutral and faced problems including poor native tree growth and building sales. BrewDog reported 37m losses, pub delistings and bar closures. Kinrara, covering 3,764 hectares, was sold to Oxygen Conservation, which plans continued peatland restoration and woodland creation.

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