Sheep are to graze on Auchtermuchty Common for much of the year as part of a pioneering project to preserve a section of rare grassland.
The project run by the Macduff Trust will begin this autumn, thanks to a £62,000 windfall from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Fife Environment Trust and the Esme Fairbairn Foundation.
The Macduff Trust, which owns and manages the land on behalf of villagers, hopes to start permanent grazing to ensure the common becomes a site of excellence.
It follows a report last year by Scottish Natural Heritage which found the grassland to be in an unfavourable condition.
Although a winter grazing project has been running for some time, SNH advised that the most efficient way to improve the state of the grass would be to graze the site more regularly.
The 12-hectare common was granted a Royal Charter by James V in 1517, and is still home to a significant fragment of the 5% of lowland grassland left in Scotland.
Used by dog walkers, horse riders, bird watchers and photographers, as well as being a peaceful spot for locals, the area also attracts rare flowers and butterflies and was designated a wildlife site in 1997.
The trust said the many uses of the site meant it had been a challenge to come up with a way to save it while still allowing free access for all.
The funding has allowed trust members to establish permanent grazing areas and have a storage container for tools and equipment.
Once grazing areas have been installed, a ”flying flock” belonging to the Scottish Wildlife Trust will graze the common in rotation for most of the year.
A spokesman for the Macduff Trust said: ”The project plan has not been undertaken lightly or without great thought. The success of the project relies on the ongoing support of the community of Auchtermuchty. The trust’s volunteers will still be required to undertake the work that can’t be solved by grazing and the ‘lookers’ who daily check the welfare of the sheep.
”The trust is committed to helping the community feel involved in the heritage of their community and in taking a pride in saving this special place for future generations to enjoy.”
Colin McLean, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Scotland, added: ”We are delighted to see volunteers so fully involved in this project to restore and conserve the biodiversity of this rare expanse of historic unspoiled grassland.
”The community will be helping to monitor, manage and maintain the site, home to so many rare plants and species, while acquiring new skills into the bargain.”