Birdcall pierces the silence of the morning as I make my way through the towering Scots pines and ancient oaks of Dundreggan, the rewilded estate of the charity Trees for Life in Glenmoriston, Scottish Highlands. Woodpeckers drum and cuckoos call from above, while finches and thrushes flutter from tree to tree, avoiding the beard lichens hanging from the branches.
I am the first person to venture into the forest this morning, thanks to spending the night here. The Dundreggan Rewilding Centre, the world’s first of its kind, opened in April and includes An Spiris, an L-shaped accommodation block with 20 double/twin rooms and a spacious communal area.
Laurelin Cummins-Fraser, the director of the rewilding centre, explained to me over a cup of tea the day before, “Nature shouldn’t be exclusive. This is a gateway to the landscape.”
Dundreggan is Trees for Life’s 4,047-hectare (10,000-acre) example of “rewilding” in action. The tree nursery cultivates thousands of saplings for planting, from rare aspen to montane tree species. Since Trees for Life purchased the estate in 2008, the landscape has undergone significant changes, with thriving nature and restored ecosystems. Previously, like many parts of the Highlands, it was heavily overgrazed by deer, which are artificially maintained at high numbers on many Scottish estates for sport shooting, a practice dating back to Victorian times.
After 15 years of rewilding at Dundreggan, and a reduction in deer numbers from approximately 16 per square kilometer to five (the ideal number for natural woodland regeneration is two to five per square kilometer, but in some parts of Scotland it exceeds 60), there are now over 4,000 species of plants and animals on the estate, including rare globeflowers and red squirrels. Golden eagles even returned for the first time in 40 years in 2020 after an eyrie was constructed by ecologist Roy Dennis, and chicks followed.
The back door of An Spiris opens onto the walking trails. I leisurely stroll along the Heather Path, known as “Ceum a Fhraoich,” learning from informative signs about the interconnection between Scots pine and Scottish crossbills, and how wild boars, reintroduced in 2009, help dig up soil, allowing new life to take root.
By the time I return from my walk, the rewilding centre has opened. It presents the story of a past where we coexisted with lynx, eagles, and aurochs (extinct giant wild cattle) amidst a lush landscape of trees and salmon-filled rivers, where elk grazed in meadows created by beaver dams.
It also tells the story of the modern-day degraded Highland landscape, which has suffered significant damage over the centuries, particularly during the Highland Clearances in the 1700s and 1800s. Vast areas that were once Gaelic-speaking subsistence farming communities became sparsely populated regions for large-scale sheep farming, devastating wildlife and people. By the 1950s, only fragments of the Caledonian pinewood forests remained, and Scotland currently ranks 212th out of 240 countries and territories in the Biodiversity Intactness Index.
“The Caledonian forest and the Gaelic culture and language used to be widespread,” says Cummins-Fraser. “Now they only exist in remnants – but they can be brought back.” As a result, all signage at Dundreggan is printed in both English and Gaelic.
In addition to restoring fully functioning ecosystems and bringing back trees, plants, and animals in sufficient numbers, rewilding also presents an opportunity to reconnect people with nature. Last year, Trees for Life hosted approximately 1,000 visitors at Dundreggan, mostly volunteers. With the completion of the infrastructure, they hope to welcome 30,000 visitors in their first year. The centre will host storytelling events, as well as workshops on bushcraft, foraging, and photography.
Trees for Life has expanded significantly since its establishment by ecologist Alan Watson Featherstone in 1986 with the goal of restoring the Caledonian forest in Glen Affric, one of Scotland’s most beautiful glens, located about 15 miles north of Dundreggan. Nearly 2 million trees have been planted since then, and Trees for Life continues its work in Glen Affric. Today, it is at the heart of the Affric Highlands, a larger collaborative project with Rewilding Europe launched in 2021, aiming to rewild a vast area stretching from Loch Ness in the central Highlands to Kintail in the west over a 30-year period.
Working with landowners and local communities, the project aims to boost livelihoods alongside nature regeneration, incorporating “slow tourism” as part of the plan. The Affric Kintail Way, a 44-mile route that opened in 2015, already provides a marked path through the heart of the Affric Highlands, running from Drumnadrochit on Loch Ness to Morvich in Kintail.
For four days, I follow the restoration work in action by walking the route. Starting on the forest trails near Drumnadrochit, it is on the second day, after climbing to a hidden viewpoint overlooking Glen Affric, where the scenery truly comes alive. Behind a diverse woodland, Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin sparkles, framed by Munros. I am struck by the untamed beauty of the rewilded forests, with their mix of sizes, shapes, and species – ancient pines intermingled with young birch trees, showcasing the unique quirks absent in monoculture plantations.
Under the merciful sunshine, I walk the 17 miles to Glen Affric youth hostel, one of the UK’s most remote hostels, reachable by a three-hour walk. It is located beside Loch Affric, where a line of Scots pines stretches beneath An Tudair Beag, creating a mirror image on the water’s surface.
Golden sand beaches lead me to the River Affric, and as I turn a corner, a golden eagle with its 2-meter wingspan soars into view. The hostel is idyllic, devoid of internet or phone signal, but with a welcoming log fire. “You’re brought back to nature,” says hostel manager Marc Phipps. “It’s like time stands still in the most beautiful way.”
The final day takes me past towering mountains with barren slopes and around the powerful Allt Grannda waterfall. Deer gracefully observe from a ridgeline as I descend to the picturesque Glen Lichd. From there, it’s a short walk to Morvich.
I witnessed the theory of rewilding at Dundreggan and the complexities of modern land use on the Affric-Kintail Way, observing everything from pastures and plantations to wet deserts and vibrant, regenerating forests.
“In 30 years, I hope to amble through a regenerated area,” says Stephanie Kiel, Affric Highlands team leader. “The beautiful views and mountains will remain, but with a more complex and diverse nature, more animals and birdsong, and more people in the landscape enjoying it all. That would be my vision.”
I was accommodated at An Spiris, where double rooms begin at £125 (with a two-night minimum stay), including breakfast in the rewilding centre and £10 toward an activity or tour. Glen Affric youth hostel offers beds at £26 per night.