South Kilminning, Community Ownership

Crail Community Partnership (CCP) has successfully applied for asset transfer of South Kilminning, from Fife Council. 

Where is it? 

South Kilminning is a wildlife site on the coastal path between Crail and Fife Ness. It is made up of two sections of land; Kilminning Coast, which is a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve, and the upper section, a parking and picnic area that was previously a camping area. Kilminning Coast will remain as a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve when ownership changes to CCP. 

(Redstart)

Although covered in large part by tarmac, left over from its use as an airfield, trees and shrubs have begun to take over, making Kilminning a magnet for migrant birds and other coastal wildlife. It is also valued by locals and visitors as a little bit of nature in the midst of the industrial farmland of the East Neuk.

But the area could be much better for both wildlife and people.

What's the plan?

The Crail community has just regained ownership of the land from Fife Council, through a community land asset transfer. Plans are now afoot to restore Kilminning’s full potential as a wildlife site, and to do something positive for the biodiversity and climate emergency.

We plan to create a much more interesting and biodiverse space for nature and for people. We plan to remove much of the tarmac (although leaving enough for access and parking) to create space for more trees, for water and so for more wildlife. We plan to greatly increase the tree and shrub cover, and to connect Kilminning to other sites around Crail via a network of wooded paths. Over the next thirty years we want to have Kilminning as part of a network of wildlife sites so that a person could walk all day around Crail in biodiverse, beautiful habitat. But that is the final destination, and we are at the start.

Driven by the community

You might ask why we are doing this. It's simple - wildlife needs our help, and the community needs wildlife.

The Crail Charrette was triggered by the news that Crail is to have up to 320 houses built in Crail North. During the Crail Charrette carried out in 2018-19, large scale support for environmental enhancement was identified, both during informal community drop-ins and formal community meetings involving over 500 stakeholders. For example, in a survey with representative participation from all ages and community groups the overall “winner” in terms of what we should be doing to develop our community was:

• More woodland areas
• More wildlife areas

Why do we need Crowdfunding support?

Right now, we need to pay the legal fees for Kilminning (land transfers might be cheap but lawyers are not).

(Eastern Olivaceous Warbler)

We need to do some infrastructure work to manage access to prevent off road driving and fly tipping.

(Red-breasted Flycatcher (female))

We need to consult (and pay!) professionals who can advise us about the hydrology of the site and the engineering needed to remove the tarmac, and to create a loch and flooded meadow instead. 

Rewards for you

As well as the option to simply donate an amount of your own choosing, we are also offering you a selection of rewards to pledge on:

• You can become a corporate sponsor for this project, by pledging £500 
• Pledge £50 so that we can plant additional hedging to encourage nesting birds
• Pledge £10 or more to receive a high quality digital copy of a wildlife photograph of your choice  

A selection of beautiful photographs have been kindly donated by local Crail wildlife photographer, John Anderson, showing images of some of the exceptional wildlife at Kilminning and the adjacent Kilminning coast.

You can view the images in this gallery:  Kilminning Digital Prints

Once you have decided which print you'd like, pledge on the £10 (or more) reward, then email your choice to: [email protected]

And longer term? 

We will create a full plan for Kilminning and start a second round of fund raising to make the habitat improvements. This may be as simple as breaking up the tarmac and planting trees, or as complicated as diverting and damming the existing burn that runs through the site, to create a loch and other wetland habitats.

Whatever the exact outcome, we will end up with a rewilded site, better for wildlife and people.

We need your help

We need your help on the first steps of this exciting project to restore the natural environment at Kilminning. To start the process of making things better for biodiversity, for climate change and for us all.

Please pledge or donate whatever you can, and share our project using the icons on this page to tell everyone you know about it.

Video Credits

Music: www.bensound.com

Photos:  John Anderson, Will Cresswell

Drone Footage:  Tom Dawson