2025 has been a wild one for the uplands. From giant land buyouts to new laws protecting the uplands and their wildlife, the iconic moors and mountains of the UK are finally getting the attention they deserve.

In Northumberland, the Wildlife Trust’s purchase of the Rothbury Estate, backed by Sir David Attenborough, is gaining ground. If successful, it would be one of the biggest conservation-led acquisitions in the country, securing huge areas of habitat, including the Simonside Hills, for nature, climate and people.

Meanwhile, over on the West Pennine Moors, United Utilities and conservation organisations have launched an innovative Landscape Recovery Project. Their goal is to restore large areas of uplands to lock in carbon, clean up water, protect local communities from floods and provide vulnerable wildlife with a home.

The National Trust’s High Peak Estate has made major progress, too, completing a significant amount of peatland restoration under its High Peak Vision. This has involved installing dams and planting sphagnum moss to re-wet the habitat in areas including Kinder Scout.

And corporate landowners, like Oxygen Conservation, have taken on more land for restoration, including the Dorback Estate in the heart of the iconic Cairngorms National Park. By drawing in private investment for actions including rewetting peatlands, reviving grasslands and expanding broadleaf woodlands, they are showing that ambitious nature recovery led by the private sector can drive change.

At a national level, momentum is gathering, too. DEFRA’s new National Estate for Nature is bringing together public and private landowners, covering around 10% of England, including those overseeing stewardship of some of the country’s most iconic upland landscapes. Management plans are expected to be published in spring 2026.

Policy is also keeping pace. Northern Ireland and Wales have rolled out ambitious peatland restoration strategies, while England has strengthened the ban on burning deep peat. These new protections cover 676,628 hectares of the upland peatland, an area equivalent to five times the size of Greater Manchester.

Plans to ban snares have also been included in the UK government’s new Animal Welfare Strategy, a move that will finally bring England in line with Scotland and Wales. This will help protect native upland wildlife including foxes, hares, badgers and otters.

Thank you to everyone who has taken action this year to help make the uplands wilder. Bring on 2026.