Scotland’s rewilding movement is paying off

Scotland’s rewilding movement is paying off, with a new survey revealing the impressive impact of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture’s Northwoods Rewilding Network.

Since its launch in 2021, the network has driven significant ecological recovery across 10,500 hectares of land –  more than half the size of Glasgow – whilst creating over 100 jobs and more than £3 million in local investment.

Coordinated by SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, the expanding Northwoods network consists of 91 landholdings up and down the country all committed to nature recovery. Highlights from the 2024 survey include:

• Making rewilding pay: Over £3 million spent with local suppliers, supporting 101 full-time jobs in 26 nature-related businesses.
• Rewilding people: Nearly half a million paying visitors attending rewilding sites since 2021.
• Woodland expansion: Over 327,000 trees planted and 1,368 hectares set aside for natural regeneration.
• More space for water: 289 ponds installed, over 2km of watercourses re-naturalised, and 38,839 riverside trees planted.
• Boosting biodiversity: 20 beavers released, wildcats recorded at multiple locations, and rare species like the purple hairstreak butterfly, grey partridge and osprey returning at specific sites.

‘This is rewilding in action – delivering real benefits for people, nature and the climate,’ says Aidan McCormick, Rewilding Officer with SCOTLAND: The Big Picture. ‘These results show that nature restoration and rural regeneration go hand in hand. We’re seeing landscapes recover, businesses thrive and communities reconnect with nature. Scotland has a chance to be a world leader in rewilding, and these findings show we’re heading in the right direction.’

Against the backdrop of nature loss, climate breakdown and Scotland’s ranking as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries, the Northwoods Rewilding Network provides a powerful and uplifting blueprint for how nature recovery can drive economic and social prosperity across the country. With continued investment and support, the potential for a wilder Scotland is only growing. 

Established in 2021, following an enquiry from two farmers looking for help to rewild their land, the Northwoods Rewilding Network is based on nine core principles, and has expanded year on year, attracting interest from across Scotland. With 20% of its partners now made up of local community groups, the network supports and enables rewilding at varying scales and across different settings.

‘Our network is made up of farmers, crofters, community groups and other landowners, who are the custodians of relatively small plots of land – under 1,000 acres – but who have come together to create something much bigger,’ said James Nairne, who leads the Northwoods Rewilding Network. ‘By harnessing the appetite for rewilding from individual land managers, Northwoods is emerging as a model for how working collaboratively can deliver significant collective impact.’