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This doctoral thesis developed and piloted a suite of sustainability indicators for assessing the extent to which upland estate management in Scotland delivers sustainability goals. In Scotland, upland areas have a unique pattern of land ownership, with much of the land divided into ‘estates’ owned by private individuals and organisations, public bodies, and non-governmental and community organisations. Upland estate management objectives and land uses are wide-ranging - agriculture, forestry, nature conservation, property and sporting interests set within discourses of sustainability and multifunctionality and also including new developments in tourism, renewable energy and biodiversity conservation. The complexity of upland estate management presents a great challenge, both theoretically and practically.

To tackle this complexity, indicators were developed using a transdisciplinary research approach, combining academic and non-academic knowledge within a deliberative research process to address a ‘real world’ problem. A conceptual framework guided the adaptation of the Delphi technique so that the indicators were selected in a manner which: (1) increased transdisciplinary capacity; (2) facilitated knowledge integration; and (3) enhanced the potential for social learning. Using the adapted technique, the researcher facilitated an anonymous, iterative research process that took place over four rounds, and involved a mixed panel of individuals who comprised expertise in sustainability, rural and upland land use, and estate management.

A contemporary and consensual definition of‘sustainable upland estate management’ was developed by the panel, through the identification of five ‘sustainable estate principles’ (Adapting Management; Broadening Options; Ecosystem Thinking; Linking into Social Fabric; Thinking beyond the Estate) and 16 corresponding indicators (‘opportunities forsustainable estates’) within a ‘Sustainable Estates Toolkit’. The anonymous nature of the process created a safe environment for open dialogue and the researcher played an active role in stimulating participant motivation, creativity and learning.