Reaching maturity at Dundreggan
15 years ago, Trees for Life bought Dundreggan estate, a 10,000-acre former sporting estate in Glenmoriston. A legacy from the Audrey & JJ Martindale Foundation plus donations from our generous supporters made this significant milestone possible. It was an exciting and rare opportunity for us to rewild at scale, and explore how a different approach to land management could create better outcomes for both nature and people.
In the eyes of some, 15 years can feel like a lifetime. But in the grand scheme of rewilding, it is really a very short time. Which is all the more reason to celebrate what has been achieved.
Our first management plan for Dundreggan was ambitious. We wanted to see 60% of the estate supporting native woodland by 2058. Having now created more than 2,500 acres of new native woodland, made possible by individual donations of trees and government grants, we are well on our way to reaching this target. What’s more, natural regeneration is taking off. Surveys carried out this year found there are almost half a million young regenerating trees across the estate. We are seeing the rapid return of birch, and a slow but steady re-establishment of trees like hazel, oak, and pine, with a uniquely high proliferation of rarer species like aspen and juniper.
One of the key changes enabling this has been the reduction in grazing and browsing pressure. The deer management team at Dundreggan, led by Allan Common, deserve special mention. Their dedication to controlling and reducing deer numbers, spending long, uncomfortable hours in all weathers, has made the re-birth of Dundreggan’s wild trees possible.
Volunteers have been a mainstay of the workforce at Dundreggan throughout the last 15 years. Used to the rigours of the Athnamulloch bothy in Glen Affric, staying at Dundreggan Lodge was a new and comfortable experience for many of our regular volunteers. Hot showers, flushing toilets and plush sofas to relax on - luxury! But the volunteer weeks maintained their inner core values of mindful practical work and communal support, led by our wonderful guides.
The tree nursery here has been at the heart of practical activity at Dundreggan, growing the trees for many of our planting projects, since it moved from Plodda in Glen Cannich in 2012. Although at a modest scale compared to some commercial tree nurseries, Jill, Abbey and the rest of the nursery team have developed it into a national leader in the propagation of native trees, especially montane willows and aspen. From a leaky Portakabin and a couple of small polytunnels to the ground-breaking facility we have today is a testament to the hard work and expertise of the team.
We know there are over 4,000 species of plant and animal at Dundreggan, some never before recorded in Scotland, or the UK. Eagles have bred here for the first time in 40 years. Rare flowering plants have been re-established. Peatlands have been restored. And upwards of 660,000 trees planted. Alongside this, the opening of the Rewilding Centre at Dundreggan is helping change the way we all see and experience the Highland landscape – inspiring new thinking and action in the diverse and engaged visitors we see on a daily basis. It’s a groundbreaking place which is only just getting started.
The next 15 years promise to be every bit as exciting. Rewilding is now firmly established in the mainstream, gaining acceptance from a wide range of people, and Dundreggan is playing a crucial role in the journey towards a better future for our landscapes, communities and climate.