12th October 1983

John Muir Trust is founded

Scottish conservationist John Muir was known in America as the Father of the National Parks. Born in Dunbar, he moved to the United States with his family at the age of 11 and lived the rest of his life there and in Canada, eventually dying in Los Angeles at the age of 76. However, he never forgot his Scottish roots.

The trust founded in his name in 1983 works to “conserve and protect wild places with their indigenous animals, plants and soils for the benefit of present and future generations”, according to its listing with the Scottish Charity Regulator.

It is the owner of Ben Nevis and the surrounding estate of 1,761 hectares, as well as John Muir’s birthplace in Dunbar, and cares for more than 60,000 acres of wild land.