Large Woody Structures in the Girnock Burn, E of Lochnagar © Chris Soulsby CC BY-SA 2.0
In May 2024, the University of Aberdeen Interdisciplinary Institute held a small conference entitled "Wild Scotland: interdisciplinary perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of rewilding", with participants from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Oxford, Copenhagen, Antwerp and Seville. The following summarises presentations on three topics that are likely to interest MV readers:
Prof. Chris Soulsby, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen
Chris is concerned over some of the actions being taken in Cairngorm salmon rivers like the Dee funded by the Nature Restoration Fund administered by NatureScot. A particular issue is the placing of large woody structures (LWSs), wind-blown trees with intact tree root plates, in river channels to create hydromorphological change. According to Chris, this has involved intensive re-engineering of Cairngorm rivers such as the upper Muick, Callater and Clunie, seemingly with limited independent environmental assessment or planning control. For example, 97 structures from wind-blown trees at Scolty Woods and Invercauld Estate were placed in the River Clunie in 2023, and more is planned elsewhere, e.g. the Girnock and Geldie.
Large Woody Structures in the Girnock Burn, E of Lochnagar © Chris Soulsby CC BY-SA 2.0
Because wood is being used, it is being claimed that this is somehow "natural", but the installation techniques involve heavy plant, often extensive excavation of river gravel, and scavenging of larger boulders to fix the LWSs in place. Consequently, the result is anything but "natural". Chris suggested such actions relate to (a) the pressure on fisheries managers to be seen to "do something" about the salmon crisis (over the past 5 decades, Dee spring catches have fallen from ~10,000 to only a few 100s); (b) post-Brexit uncertainty over what EU-derived designations now mean in terms of how NatureScot delivers river/species protection; and (c) loopholes in SEPA Guidance that allow large numbers of LWSs to be installed without any licensing. From a geomorphological perspective, this is more "de-wilding", than "re-wilding".
Dr Calum Brown
Calum described work being undertaken at HRL´s three estates, Bunloit above Loch Ness, Beldorney on the River Deveron, and Tayvallich in Knapdale, Argyll. HRL´s "purpose is to enable nature recovery and community prosperity
Beldorney from Ridge towards Pict Fort © Highlands Rewilding Ltd.
through rewilding, as a mass ownership company", accompanied by Natural Capital Reports of monitoring, measuring and openly publishing progress. Being grassland-dominated, the 349-ha Beldorney estate, bought in 2021, is a rewilding "blank canvas", with regenerative agriculture and the expansion of biodiverse woodland being explored as the main approaches. Community involvement in rewilding is also a priority, along with access to the estates' improving environments and cultural heritage, including the Craig Dorney hill fort at Beldorney.
Prof. Terence Dawson, University of Oxford and Kings College London
With colleagues from the Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society based in Reading, Terry has supervised work with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust on future impacts of prescribed fires and woodland restoration in the Cairngorms National Park, to assess the effects of five land cover and land use change scenarios. This investigated different levels of muirburn regulation and woodland expansion, to evaluate their benefits and costs on biodiversity and carbon sequestration. The results (see centreforwildfires.org) show that changing the extent and management of habitats will result in different carbon sequestration pathways, as well as biodiversity winners and losers. Hence, trade-offs will be necessary to achieve optimal carbon sequestration and biodiversity gains, with a potential role played by the continuation of prescribed fires and associated predator control.
In spring 2024, the Cairngorms National Park Authority carried out a wide-ranging consultation covering three potential byelaws: (i) none, (ii) a high-fire risk and (iii) year-round. A total of 1,664 online responses and 18 written responses were received. 79% of all respondents supported the introduction of a byelaw, a majority the year-round option. However, given the low fire risk during winter months, and the difficulties of communicating and enforcing a high-risk byelaw, the CNPA Board was asked in June to support the development of a seasonal fire management byelaw, with fixed penalties, from 1 April to 30 September each year, with a formal consultation this autumn. This will not cover muirburn as individual licences will cover muirburn during periods of high fire risk. Given the need to work with the Scottish Government and others, a new bye-law will take some time to emerge.
A volume edited by the conference organisers - Michael Stratigos and Flurina Wartmann - is planned, to appear after peer review in 2026.
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