New Project: Ness Beaver Project
Continuing our work to return beavers to the Scottish Highlands, Trees for Life in partnership with the Beaver Trust are inviting the community living in and around the Loch Ness area to help shape what could be the next chapter in this story: the potential reintroduction of beavers to the Loch Ness area.
Scotland is missing so many important species. One is the Eurasian beaver, an animal once native to Britain's waterways, long absent, but now returning to many parts of Scotland.
This project is about more than just wildlife. It’s about people, place, and future generations. It’s about asking: how do we want our landscapes to function, and who benefits from their restoration?
Beavers are often called ecosystem engineers for good reason. Their dam-building and canal-channelling habits can transform ecosystems, creating wetlands that support a wide variety of wildlife, from amphibians and fish to birds and insects. These wetlands can also slow water flow, reduce erosion, and help build resilience against both drought and flooding.
In the Loch Ness area, surveying has shown that beavers could bring significant benefits with limited risk. The landscape’s natural topography with its steep slopes and limited areas of low-lying farmland is great habitat for beavers with low chance of negative impacts from beaver behaviour. However this overview is one we are keen to look at more closely with the benefit of local knowledge, which is why talking with local people is so important.
At the heart of this process is the community. This autumn, we held six in-person drop-in events around the loch to gather views on the opportunities and concerns that might come with the native species coming back to some of the beaver-friendly waterbodies close to the loch between Fort Augustus and Lochend.
These informal, drop-in days were a chance to listen to the views of the local community. The days were staffed with experts from the Beaver Trust, NatureScot and Trees for Life. Members of these communities were able to gain an insight on how living with beavers might look and discuss the project in a relaxed environment. Everyone attending was encouraged to fill out a feedback form, these insights will help inform next steps, including how any potential reintroduction could be supported with practical solutions and ongoing communication.
Tourism is a cornerstone of life around Loch Ness, and the area’s unique natural heritage draws visitors from across the globe. Increasingly, tourists are seeking eco-friendly and wildlife-rich experiences, from birdwatching to guided nature walks. The presence of beavers, already a draw in other parts of Scotland, could offer an additional reason for visitors to explore and stay in the area.
Communities in places like Knapdale and the Cairngorms National Park have seen how wildlife can successfully coexist with people and livelihoods, especially when planning and support are in place. Beaver reintroductions have the potential to enhance not only biodiversity, but also community engagement, education and work opportunities, and sustainable tourism.
Rewilding is about learning from the past and looking ahead, guided by hope, responsibility, and collaboration. From a single beaver dam to a healthier river system, the potential for more nature-rich landscapes is in our hands. Every ripple of change matters.
The Ness Beaver Project is part of our Missing Species Programme. You can support this vital work through our latest appeal here.
The Ness Beaver Project is a partnership project between Trees for Life and Beaver Trust. It has been made possible thanks to our generous donors and supporters, and funding from the Fred Foundation, Forest Peace Foundation and the Rewilding Innovation Fund (Rewilding Britain).
