highlands

For centuries, Britain’s woodlands and waterways sat strangely quiet. Missing from our native ecosystems were the essential “eco-engineers” and top predators that once shaped the landscape – the tree-climbing pine marten, the elusive Scottish wildcat and the industrious Eurasian beaver. Driven to near or total regional extinction by historical hunting, trapping and habitat fragmentation, these iconic species were lost from much of our countryside.

However, across England, Scotland, and Wales, a quiet revolution is underway. Through pioneering rewilding projects, strategic conservation partnerships and community support, these three key species are returning home – and transforming the British landscape in the process.