Compendium of Best Practices: Highland Boundary
Basic information
What is the name of the case? Highland Boundary: Pairing botanical spirits with sustainability
Country, Region: Alyth, Perthshire, Scotland
Involved Stakeholders: Marian Bruce and Simon Montador (founders) and four other employees
Facts on the local economy: The town of Alyth has around 2,400 inhabitants and is located in the East of Scotland close to Dundee and Perth. Alyth attracts some tourists but its economy relies mainly on agriculture
Other specific local characteristics: The Kirklandbank Farmhouse is a 5-bedroom traditional farmhouse that welcomes tourists who want to enjoy holidays in nature and where they can help out at the farm in the Perthshire countryside
Introduction
Highland Boundary is a family-run and female-led business that produces and distils novel spirits and liqueurs using hand-picked, local botanicals. It is located at Kirklandbank Farm, near Alyth in eastern Scotland. The name comes from its location on the Highland Boundary Fault, the geological dividing line between the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland. Highland Boundary specialises is the development of new and unique flavours from native wild plants, using distillation techniques tailored to the individual characteristics of each botanical. is the company is also committed to sustainable land-management and integrates biodiversity protection into its harvesting techniques. Only a small number of leaves, flowers and berries are harvested from each individual plant, to allow for natural regrowth and for feeding wildlife. Carefully selecting plants from the immediate environment, it actively contributes to the protection of native plant species and the maintenance of the ecological balance. Since 2018, the business has launched four products: two botanical spirits (40% ABV) and two liqueurs (20% ABV). The first release was the Birch and Elderflower Wild Scottish Spirit where birch buds and elderflowers are picked from spring woodlands near the distillery. The business is currently financing itself but is in the process of applying for grant opportunities and searching for suitable investors.
A best practice
Highland Boundary operates under a circular economy business model that integrates carbon capture, distillery operations and sustainable forestry. A key aspect of Highland Boundary’s is its ability to balance inputs to generate both a healthy business and contribute to climate protection and social impact. In particular, the company places a great emphasis on sustainable picking practices during material collection, ensuring minimal impact on trees. For example, the company adheres to the rules of the “Honourable Harvest”, an ancient Indigenous practice that, recognises the reciprocity between human beings and the living world. By adhering to these principles, the company exemplifies environmentally friendly practices and leaves a large part of nature untouched. In addition to mere preservation activities, the company also act as regenerative business using its activities to restore lost biodiversity and degraded ecosystems.
Challenges and opportunities
Highland Boundary’s overall vision is a place where rural development contributes to environmental protection and regeneration. To do that, the company uses only recyclable materials in bottling and packaging and has renewable energy sources for operations. Highland Boundary works extensively with leafy materials, using longer, gentler processes and treating each plant individually to avoid producing waste. The company determines the optimal method of extracting the best flavour profile, recognising that the ideal technique is different for each plant. In this pursuit of flavour excellence, the plants are subjected to rigorous testing, using scientific methods to determine the most effective approach of flavour extraction.
According to Highland Boundary, sustainable land management in the UK needs to be accelerated through efficient regulation. Highland Boundary supports land-use regulations that improve ecosystem services including carbon emission mitigation and biodiversity conservation. As the company is against the exploitation of biodiversity for profit, it calls for stricter land-use regulations that better balance the distribution of land, water and other environmental resources between the various competing claimers. Examples of relevant regulation include restrictions on deforestation or protected areas, tradeable carbon emissions permits, financial or tax incentives to conserve and enhance biodiversity, or rules and standards for water, soil quality and land management.
Benefits for rural development
Highland Boundary wants to contribute to improving existing land conditions by actively restoring and enhancing biodiversity. The company is committed to support biodiversity on the farm, both in native breeds of animals and native plants and trees. In addition to their business practices, it also see it as their mission to reconnect people with what nature can provide. As part of their business they offer staycations at their farm in Kirklandbank and visits to local markets to promote their products. The company sources and conducts all production processes on-site which stimulates the rural economy. Highland Boundary currently employs 6 people and has an ongoing staff training programme which teaches sustainability principles and practices of how to manage a sustainable business. Hence, Highland Boundary is actively participating in generating local green jobs. Its products are sold on the local farmer’s markets and to local retailers. Through the collaboration with Bioregioning Tayside and Cateran Eco-museum, Highland Boundary is connecting with other businesses in the region to build a network of sustainable businesses and aims at bringing people interested in sustainability to the area to enhance tourism in the region. The overarching goal is to create a sustainable tourism sector in the Perthshire region.
Future vision
Highland Boundary’s model is scalable over a large area, supported by a strong market demand for its products, which underlines the potential for expansion. The company’s aim is to increase the area available for harvesting and farming to enable both restoration of nature and the production of a wider range of products with a focus on strong Scottish provenance. For that, it currently focuses on finding suitable investors to be able to continue and expand its operations. Highland Boundary’s long-term goal is to share its knowledge and methods of sustainable forest management with more people and to continuously raise public awareness about the importance of biodiversity conservation and restoration. Also, Highland Boundary entails transitioning from its current limited company (LTD) structure to a community interest company (CIC), enabling a broader distribution of benefits beyond the company’s workforce and extending to the wider community. This legal change is aimed at maximizing social impact and utilizing profits and assets for the greater public good.
“We are not interested in maximising profits at the expense of the environment. We are here to maximise biodiversity. That is the aim of our business.”
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