'Most beautiful glen in Scotland' joins UK's largest rewilding effort

Co-ordinated by charity Rewilding Affric Highlands, the project brings together a wide collaboration of landowners, local people, charities and businesses to “boost biodiversity, tackle climate change, and create extensive social and economic opportunities for people”.

According to the charity, Glen Affric is known as "the most beautiful glen in Scotland".

The Glen Affric reserve contains the third largest portion of the Caledonian forest that once covered much of the Highlands, but has now been reduced to less than 2% of its original coverage.

Beavers were recently released at Glen Affric (Image: Alan Watson Featherstone)

The glen is managed by forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), which has signed an agreement bringing the nature reserve and several other land holdings, totalling 17,604 hectares, into the partnership.

Alex Macleod, FLS north region manager, who signed the agreement on behalf of the agency, said: “We’re delighted to join this important coalition to allow nature to connect up and thrive across such a vast area of the Highlands.

“As stewards of Glen Affric on behalf of the nation, we hope our involvement will play a key part in further ensuring the extensive, long-term health of nature, communities, and livelihoods.”

Stephanie Kiel, Rewilding Affric Highlands executive director, said: “This is a huge step forwards for the entire area to become richer in nature, with new opportunities for people, including jobs, re-peopling and health. Glen Affric is at the heart of Affric Highlands, and FLS’s work in this special place is hugely important.”

FLS has undertaken its own conservation work in the glen for the last 75 years, and has worked with charities like Trees for Life to restore parts of the Caledonian forest.

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It estimates that this work has already restored and protected hundreds of acres of pinewoods through planting and natural regeneration, as well as restoration of wetlands and peatlands and a deer management system.

The 5800-hectare Barrisdale Estate also joined the Affric Highlands partnership this month, bringing the collaboration to 21 landowners, covering a combined total of  81,667 hectares.

Rewilding Affric Highlands eventually hopes to restore nature across more than 200,000 hectares of the central Highlands through a linked network of landholdings stretching from Loch Ness to Kintail, including the Affric, Cannich, Moriston, Shiel and Urquhart glens.