A proposal with Forestry and Land Scotland to return beavers to Glen Affric
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) and Trees for Life have been working together on a proposal to reintroduce beavers to Glen Affric. Under the proposal, beavers would be relocated from lower Tayside to a suitable beaver habitat on the banks of Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin, on land owned by FLS.
Work on this proposal began in 2022 when Trees for Life led a consultation in partnership with FLS and four private landowners on bringing beavers back to Glen Affric and Strathglass. Thank you to everyone who contributed their views during this consultation, which have directly shaped and adjusted the proposal.
The responses to the consultation led to a change in the area being considered for translocation and to some additional measures for beaver monitoring and management:
- The proposal now going forward is to release beavers to Glen Affric only on FLS land, upstream of a large hydro dam;
- A plan for monitoring the proposed beaver release is being developed with community input;
- A Beaver Community Group will be established to provide a communication channel for information about the beavers and allow people to raise concerns or discuss beaver management;
- Trees for Life will employ a Species Management Officer to complement the work of NatureScot in managing beaver impacts where this is needed.
> The Community Consultation Report is available to read here.
> Its annexes are available to read here.
> NatureScot’s Environmental Report on the likely effects of beaver translocation to the Beauly Catchment is available here.
Scotland’s Beaver Strategy can be read here.
In collaboration with FLS.
Involving the local community
Trees for Life led a community consultation with FLS support from late July to October 2022. This included face-to-face meetings, a series of drop-in events, and wide-ranging discussions with the local community and stakeholders. This was followed by three workshops with the community to develop a beaver monitoring plan to track the progress of the population if a release goes ahead. Thank you to everyone who shared their views and thoughts with us.
What happens next
A beaver release could only go ahead following licence approval from NatureScot. FLS will work towards making a licence application which, if granted by NatureScot, will allow beavers to be released to Glen Affric in the spring of 2024. Whilst working towards the licence application, FLS and Trees for Life will take the opportunity to communicate further with the community and take time to engage further with people who have raised concerns.
Frequently asked questions
How many beavers might be released here?
Up to three groups of beavers could be released to the area above Beinn a’ Mheadhoin dam in Glen Affric. These groups may be a mix of adult pairs, or pairs with dependent young.
What effects could this have on the local environment and on people?
Beavers are true ecosystem architects and their activities can affect nature and people in both positive and negative ways. The proposed release area in Glen Affric has limited land use sensitivity to beaver impacts and our report outlines the extent to which the Beinn a’ Mheadhoin dam is likely to be a significant barrier to dispersal downstream. However, downstream dispersal may happen in time and this could result in beaver impacts in Strathglass. This possibility is a key reason why ongoing monitoring to track any dispersal and inform any need for management is an essential element of our recommendations.
On what research is the proposal built?
The library of research concerning beaver reintroduction to Europe is now a large one. Key reference material relating to Scotland can be found here.
The feasibility of relocating beavers to Glen Affric and Strathglass has been reported on specifically by Dr Roisin Campbell Palmer and Rob Needham from the Beaver Trust. Roisin and Rob are two of the most prominent scientists working on beaver reintroduction in the UK, and Roisin has been heavily involved in beaver issues in Tayside and Knapdale. The full Beaver Trust report can be found here.
Are beavers already present here?
A small beaver population has been present in Strathglass for at least twelve years. Evidence of breeding was detected and reported to the Scottish Government in 2017, while Trees for Life sought the views of local land managers and communities. Under government policy at the time, NatureScot were tasked with trapping and relocating the beavers to Knapdale in Argyll. However, not all of the beavers were caught and a small population remains in Strathglass.
