Highlands Rewilding

Meet the machine cutting through dense gorse above Loch Ness. Gorse this dense doesn't give way to woodland on its own. We step in with the mulching machine and this is how the South Bunloit New Wood begins. But why did we microwave the gorse we removed? Find out in part two - coming soon. #WoodlandCreation #Rewilding #Scotland

Healthy - ethical - locally sourced. A new larder at Tayvallich will value deer beyond the cull An improved, on-site facility will allow us to process venison directly on the estate. This will enable us to supply healthy, ethical, locally sourced meat to our community, local businesses, and potentially schools. On Tayvallich estate we have around 20 deer per km² @naturescot guidance suggests that deer densities should be around 2 deer per km² in woodlands where regeneration is a priority. Reducing numbers is difficult but essential ecological stewardship. It will mean: * Woodland regeneration accelerates * Biodiversity increases across habitats * Native deer populations become healthier * Rural economies can diversify and strengthen Developing an improved larder means we can ensure that necessary population control provides wider community benefit by producing high-quality local venison that: * reduces food miles * supports rural economies * creates a responsible, local alternative to imported meat, meeting Scottish Quality Wild Venison (SQWV) standards 🎥 Watch the film to learn more about how ethical deer management supports nature recovery and community prosperity at Tayvallich. Our thanks to scottishforestry, @naturescot , John and Sue Macfadyen, James and Victoria Fraser and Barrahormid Trust for their support #deermanagement #venison

Work is underway at Bunloit Estate to make the Great Glen Way safer and more enjoyable. We’re delighted to be working with @highlandcouncil on this project which will see more than 3km of the Great Glen Way, removed from the public road, and into Bunloit estate’s natural woodland and diverse habitats. The Great Glen Way is one of Scotland’s most important long-distance paths, stretching 118km from Fort William to Inverness. Bringing the route off the road and into this rewilding landscape will make a tangible difference for walkers and local communities. As this film shows, the new path is already taking shape. Once complete, it will: •⁠ ⁠improve safety by removing walkers from a busy road •⁠ ⁠open up access through woodland and restoring habitats at Bunloit •⁠ ⁠allow people to experience nature recovery first-hand on a working estate •⁠ ⁠demonstrate how rewilding and public access can go hand in hand Scheduled completion is the end of March 2026. Read more on the Highland Council website /news/article/17130/great_glen_way_set_for_major_upgrade_with_new_off_road_route and in this article from Project Scotland /2026/02/great-glen-way-set-for-upgrade-with-new-off-road-route/ #GreatGlenWay #community @forestryandlandscot @scottishcanals

Why did we microwave the gorse? When you clear land for new woodland, you release the carbon stored in what you removed. But how much? Almost no UK measurements of gorse had been made, until now. Clearance here was planned carefully, outside the bird breeding season, and balanced against the full range of ecological benefits the project is delivering. Calum collected samples, weighed them, microwaved them until dry, and worked out the carbon stored in every square metre of this site. That number sits alongside around 8,000 tonnes of CO₂ the new woodland will sequester over 100 years. With the other emissions from the work itself, that gives us the full carbon story. Film three coming soon - The first of 33,000 trees go in the ground. #WoodlandCreation #CarbonCredits #Rewilding #Scotland

Sheep at Tayvallich are playing their role in nature recovery, helping wintering geese find the food they need to thrive. By grazing the grass to just the right height, they keep the land perfect for these migratory visitors. 🎬 On #WorldMigratoryBirdDay watch the full story with Erik Riddell, farmer and ranger at Tayvallich. #Rewilding #Tayvallich #NatureRecovery #Sheep #Geese #Biodiversity @naturescot Film first shown in Oct 2025

‘Our native oysters say “No” to hand gathering’ These new signs are now in place and the children from the Tayvallich wildlife club, helped install them. It’s a simple message, but an important one. Now, visitors to Loch Sween can clearly see that these oysters are protected and why they need to be left undisturbed. By taking part, the children have not only helped put these protections in place, but have also learned first-hand about the importance of caring for the marine environment on their doorstep. Because protecting species like native oysters doesn’t just rely on rules. It relies on awareness, understanding, and people taking ownership. @naturescot @friendsofthesoundofjura #NativeOysters #MarineLife #Scotland #NatureRecovery #rewilding

Action to protect Loch Sween’s native oysters With the help of @naturescot and the local community new signage is helping raise awareness that collecting oysters here is illegal. 🦪 A small step – but an important one for a fragile population. Read more about native oysters from our self professed ‘oyster nerd’ Dr David Smyth’s blog: /blog/our-native-oysters-say-no-to-hand-gathering Tomorrow: the community behind the action. #NativeOysters #MarineLife #Scotland #NatureRecovery #Rewilding @friendsofthesoundofjura

What better moment to celebrate trees than Arbor Day? From ancient woodland to new growth, trees shape our landscapes, support biodiversity, and store carbon for generations to come. We’ll soon be sharing a series of films from Bunloit, following a woodland creation project where dense gorse has been carefully cleared to make way for thousands of native trees. 🌱 A landscape in transition.� 🌳 A story just beginning. 🎥 Coming soon #ArborDay #Woodland #TreePlanting #NatureRecovery #Rewilding

🌲 A brilliant day at Bunloit Estate for our latest Inside Stories event — and a powerful reminder of what’s possible when innovation, nature and business come together. 🌿 Hosted by Dr Jeremy Leggett, Chief Executive and Chair of Highlands Rewilding, members experienced rewilding in action — from native woodland creation and habitat restoration to a developing food forest with over 70 fruit varieties. Led by Jeremy and his passionate team, including Dr Calum Brown, Daniel Holm and Alex Davies, the tour brought to life the scale of ambition at Bunloit Estate - from Scotland’s first charismatic carbon credits and a world-first insured woodland model, to building investor confidence in nature-based solutions. Alongside bold environmental innovation, we explored the wider social and economic impact of rewilding through community allotments, food growing projects, mindfulness groups and more. With 818 shareholders contributing £1.2 million through crowdfunding, discussions also turned to the commercial viability of rewilding - and what that could mean for businesses across the region. As Jeremy Leggett shared, “It is possible for a committed team to hold the fort and position well for eventual takeoff of the market.” And as attendee John Housego of Aquascot Limited reflected, the day offered not only valuable business conversations, but fresh thinking around nature, food supply and the commercialisation of rewilding. A huge thank you to the team at Bunloit for their openness, insight and hospitality — and to all our members who contributed to such a valuable discussion. 🎥 Take a look at some highlights from the day. Find out more about Highlands Rewilding by visiting #ICevents #ICsupporting #ICconnecting #HighlandsRewilding #CarbonCapture Biodiversity Rewilding NatureBasedSolutions InvernessChamber

Happy Bat Appreciation Day Many thanks to the 18 members (adults and children) of the Tayvallich Wildlife Club who helped put up bat boxes for pipistrelle bats (both common and soprano), recently. Here are a few amazing facts about these bats: 🦇 A pipistrelle weighs about the same as a 20p coin�🦇 They can eat up to 3,000 midges in a single night – which is very helpful in this part of Scotland 🙂 Bats are a key sign of a healthy natural environment – which is why the Tayvallich Wildlife Club and Highlands Rewilding are big bat fans and are happy to celebrate #BatAppreciationDay #Bats #Wildlife #NatureRecovery #Scotland #Rewilding #Community

We’re delighted that an otter has been spotted on camera – twice – the first sighting in more than 3 years at Bunloit Estate. This male otter could be out looking for a mate – males have big territories and travel far. Otters eat fish (when they can find them) but also frogs, toads and newts. #otters #biodiversity #cameratrap

🌱 Growing more than food Food growing is powerful in more ways than one. Working together, being outdoors, and sharing a common purpose can bring real benefits for wellbeing. Through the Let Us Grow project, people are not just producing food for the community – they’re building connections. @naturescot @heritagefunduk #Community #LocalFood #FoodSecurity #Rewilding #NatureRecovey This project is part of the Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland (FIRNS) scheme, co-funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with the Scottish Government and NatureScot.