Written by: Matthew Grainger
2026
At Silloth on Solway Golf Club, three Belted Galloway cattle have been introduced as part of an ongoing conservation grazing project aimed at restoring biodiversity across the club’s coastal dune system.
Like many links landscapes, sections of the dunes have become increasingly fixed over time, with coarse grasses and dense vegetation reducing the open, dynamic habitats upon which many dune species depend. Conservation grazing reintroduces a natural ecological process that historically played a vital role in maintaining healthy dune systems.
Belted Galloways were specifically chosen for their hardy nature and suitability to exposed coastal environments. Their selective grazing creates variation in vegetation height, suppresses dominant grasses, and encourages areas of bare sand through trampling and movement. This structural diversity is essential for supporting a wider range of wildflowers, invertebrates, and other dune wildlife.
The cattle also help maintain areas that have undergone recent scrub removal and sand restoration, providing a sustainable long-term management solution while reducing the need for intensive mechanical intervention.
