Highlands Rewilding sustainability score: 29/100
Better than 13% of Construction / Real Estate
Below expectations starts at 31. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Highlands Rewilding is a Scottish rewilding and land-management company founded in 2021, operating restoration projects on native broadleaf woodland, peatland, and riparian habitat. It generates revenue through building lets, rental income, livestock sales, and carbon credits.
More about Highlands Rewilding
The company holds 23 employees and £315,604 annual turnover (FY 2025).
Founded 2021Head office United KingdomStaff ~23 (2025)Revenue £315,604 turnover (FY ended 31 Mar 2025)Website ↗
Highlands Rewilding restores land on Scottish estates and has registered credits under the Woodland and Peatland Codes, but it publishes no emissions figures. It says it sold 83% of the land bought with its UK Infrastructure Bank loan, and its filed accounts contradict themselves on a £155,000 gain against a £100,000 loss. Outcomes so far are mostly baselines and early interventions, not independently measured recovery.
Highlands Rewilding scores 29/100 (Significant gaps) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it. Last verified November 2026.
That places Highlands Rewilding joint 753rd of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 32nd of 40 in Construction / Real Estate.
What is Highlands Rewilding doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Nature & Biodiversity Impact and Controversies & Red Flags (7/10, 7/10). Weakest on Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain and Carbon Footprint: Operations (2/10, 3/10).
Where Highlands Rewilding lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
What would raise this score
- Emissions from its supply chainAssess where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Emissions from its own operationsPublish emissions figures for its own operations, even an estimate from energy bills.
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow its emissions are falling, even from energy bills or mileage.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations3/10No emissions figures for its own operations, not even an estimate from energy bills.
- Emissions from its supply chain2/10No assessment of where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Whether its emissions are falling3/10No evidence its emissions are falling, not even from energy bills or mileage.
- How clean its energy is5/10Less than half its energy shown to be renewable, or no transition plan.
- Its effect on nature7/10No verified restoration beyond its own footprint, or supply chain not mapped for nature risk.
- How it uses materials and handles waste3/10No active waste reduction, reuse or repair shown.
- Its effect on water4/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets5/10Its targets aren't science-based or committed to the Science Based Targets initiative.
- How openly it reports5/10No dedicated sustainability role, board oversight or public report.
- Its record on controversies7/10Points deducted for controversies or its business model. The finding is under question 10.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is Highlands Rewilding's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas Highlands Rewilding's score changed?
Highlands Rewilding's score has been reviewed 2 times and currently stands where it started, at 29.
- 29 → 297 November 2026
Correction, 7 November 2026: removed an unsourced emissions figure. Score unchanged.
- Scored 296 November 2026
Initial public score 29 (publish-draft)
What evidence is Highlands Rewilding's score based on?
15 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
40% of them were published by Highlands Rewilding itself; the rest come from independent sources.
Highlands Rewilding's filed activity is land management for restoration, but building lets and rental income were 87.8% of its £315,604 turnover, so under our majority-revenue rule it is classed as Construction / Real Estate (owner ruling 2026-11-06).
9 of 15 sources are independent of the company.
“The principal activity of the company is land management across Scotland”
“We sold 83% of the land we bought with the UKIB loan and previous equity we raised to three buyers”
“50% of Highlands Rewilding’s electricity is produced by solar and wind power and there are plans underway to be fully self-sufficient in this area.”
“the planting of 60,000 native broadleaf trees across the rewilding sites, and the recording of over 18,000 invertebrates since 2022”
“trustable removal and avoidance credits on high integrity Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code registers”
“Highlands Rewilding has made baseline assessments of the woods, timber plantation, peatland, soils, wildlife and habitats.”
“Bunloit began carefully clearing the largest 18-hectare patch using a small mulcher, replanting with locally sourced native trees.”
“We are working with Peatland Action and others to restore the Peatland areas at our Bunloit estate”
“Announced at COP30 in November, we are one of only two Scottish organisations to be adopters”
“Scottish land acquisitions should not be based upon these speculative financial models”
“However, the financial model this was based on was too risky, as Highlands Rewilding themselves have admitted.”
“These sales are all quite worrying, in my opinion.”
“has until January 2025 to pay off a £11 million loan with the UK Infrastructure Bank and Top Online Partners”
“The field trip saw representatives from various Scottish universities and public bodies visit two nature-based carbon offsets sites”
“significant financial gearing and unusually speculative income forecasts”
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How does Highlands Rewilding compare with other construction / real estate companies?
Where Highlands Rewilding sits among construction / real estate peers.
Among the 40 major construction / real estate brands we've scored, Highlands Rewilding is tied =32nd of 40, with 3 others.
Who scores higher in Construction / Real Estate?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Highlands Rewilding.
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