Highland rewilding project helped by National Geographic magazine

WORLD famous periodical National Geographic has helped to shine a light on Highland rewilding projects.

The magazine's website has named the wilds of the Highlands as one of the best places on Earth "to rediscover nature for 2021 and beyond" when life returns to something resembling normality.

Its list includes "Rewilding the Highlands and beyond" in the number one spot – and it name-checks the work of Trees for Life at Dundreggan, west of Loch Ness, and of conservationist Paul Lister at the Alladale Wilderness Reserve near Ardgay.

The piece highlights the planting of close to a million native trees at Alladale, as well as its Scottish wildcat breeding programme and other activities.

And it then flags up other successes like "the first breeding pair of golden eagles at the estate of Dundreggan for 40 years". The Dundreggan site has been central to Trees for Life's efforts to restore the ancient Caledonian Forest in the Highlands. The site, which was bought by the charity in 2008, is home to more than 4000 species of animals and plants and is also the base for the tree nursery from which it is trying to rewild Scottish landscapes. It is also hoping to open its Dundreggan Rewilding Centre in 2022, to further highlight its work restoring the Caledonian Forest in Dundreggan and beyond. The charity has also been involved in projects to boost the under-threat red squirrel through release programmes at Highland sites.

Responding to the remarks in the world-famous periodical, Trees for Life said it was "brilliant to see Dundreggan, along with several of our Scottish Rewildling Alliance partners, listed in National Geographic".

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