
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) has applied for a licence to release beavers in Glen Affric, a scenic area in the Highlands featuring ancient Caledonian Forest fragments, rivers, streams, and lochs.
If approved by NatureScot, the release could occur next spring at Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin.
Previous legal releases have taken place in Knapdale, Argyll, and parts of the Cairngorms National Park.
Beavers, extinct in Scotland for about 400 years, were first reintroduced in 2009.
Conservationists highlight the benefits of beaver activity, such as improving water quality, enhancing wetland habitats, and reducing flood risks.
FLS and its partner, conservation charity Trees for Life, conducted two years of consultations with local communities and land managers to prepare for the project.
Euan Wiseman, FLS north region planning manager, said: “Over the years we have built up good working relationships with the local Affric communities so it was important that we took the time to fully engage with everyone on this issue.”
He added: “We have now put appropriate measures in place that have enabled us to make a formal application to NatureScot for a release licence.”
Alan McDonnell, Trees for Life’s head of nature restoration, added: “Should the application be approved, we will be ready to offer practical support to ensure the local community can enjoy and benefit from beavers being brought back to the glen, with any localised issues well-managed.”
However, similar releases in the Cairngorms faced criticism from farmers and crofters, who claimed consultations were inadequate.
The project aims to balance ecological restoration with community concerns, contributing to Scotland’s efforts to reintroduce this keystone species to its natural habitats.
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