SIR, Since retiring after 40 years in the international oil industry and being able to concentrate on my lifelong interest in Highland farming and crofting, I have had more time to look at and consider our future.

Our only family have bred Highland ponies and Highland cattle for 150 years here in Badenoch.

We are being more and more guided by government net zero aspirations to be delivered by 2030 and beyond. Rather than digging our heels in and fighting this in agriculture, we should be educating ourselves and following guidance for how they want us to go.

We are still waiting for detailed guidance in Scotland, but evidence of this ‘direction’ has been seen in Irish, Welsh and European future agricultural policy. Most of it aimed at increased carbon sequestration and a reduction in emissions. We should be grasping this as an ‘opportunity’ for our sector as we all know we can seriously deliver for ‘nature’ and the ‘climate’, although I am not saying we can save the world alone!

There is a lot of people that are not ‘hands on’ in the rural sector like we are, and it is important that we all join together and try and influence their direction in a practical way. I know some people get concerned about me using words like indigenous, native and local but that is who we are. Surely we cannot be the only country in the world that does NOT have an indigenous population?

But, in my defence I am willing to accept someone as indigenous if they accept and practice the culture and practices of the area they have come in to and not tried to change it – so we are inclusive.

Currently we are seeing some really big mistakes made by ‘them’ (corporate rewilders) even very locally to here, Muckrach, Kinrara and Far Ralia.

In their haste to get investor onboard and to cash in on natural assets/capital by being seen to be saving the climate – mostly by greenwashing means – the people, the place and our livelihoods are being ignored! Any serious investor will only commit if they can see a ‘gold standard of ethical practice’ and that includes protecting the indigenous people – the same thing would be the first thing asked before investment in the Amazon or Alaska, so why not the Highlands of Scotland.

I look forward to hearing other’s thoughts on this subject. What we all need to do is get round a big table and find outcomes that work for all sides on this debate.

We can achieve a lot of nature in our fine country TOGETHER.

Ruaridh Ormiston, Kingussie