Country Walking Magazine (UK)

Return of the wild

-

Almost 400 years since Britain’s last beaver was shot in Scotland, this iron-toothed rodent was reintroduc­ed to Argyll’s Knapdale Forest in 2009. Hunted for fur, castoreum, and food – the Catholic church decreed it a fish so it was fair play for Friday meals – it was also vilified for the destructio­n it looked to be wreaking on the landscape. Walk at its new home, at the neighbouri­ng waters of Dubh Loch and Loch Coille-Bharr, and you’ll see its work in the gnawedthro­ugh trunks, stripped branches, sawdust along the shore, and dams and lodges, but it’s positive. Their wood-gathering coppices the trees to encourage new growth and the dams create wetland habitats that other species like otters and water voles enjoy. Shy by nature, and able to submerge for up to 15 minutes, you’ll need luck and patience to spot one of these Eurasian beavers, but the forest-fringed lochs are mighty scenic anyway. Your best chance is at dusk or dawn; listen out for a splash or telltale gnawing. Other successful wildlife returns to Scotland include the white-tailed eagles on Mull, where Britain’s largest bird spreads its eight-foot wings to wheel over the island, and there’s talk too of bringing lynx and wolves back to the Highlands, as the role these top predators play in the ecosystem becomes apparent. WALK HERE: Trail leaflet at www.scottishbe­avers.org.uk

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom