Scotland wants to rewild its famous wilderness
Photos: The quest to restore Scotland's wilderness
Thousands of years ago, wolves and brown bears roamed the rugged hills of Scotland, and lynx prowled through heather. But these predators are long gone, as is the forest that swept over most of the country's landscape. Today, native woodland covers just 4% of land area, and red deer (pictured) are the country's largest wild land mammal.
Hide Caption
1 of 8
Photos: The quest to restore Scotland's wilderness
Efforts to restore ancient ecosystems are underway, for instance Cairngorms Connect. This land restoration project covers 64,000 hectares within the Cairngorms National Park.
Hide Caption
2 of 8
Photos: The quest to restore Scotland's wilderness
The project aims to expand woodland to its natural limit and restore floodplains and peatland. Peatlands (pictured here in Forsinard, Scotland) make up a fifth of the Scottish landscape and are huge carbon sinks.
Hide Caption
3 of 8
Photos: The quest to restore Scotland's wilderness
Restoring habitats allows wildlife to thrive. Over 5,000 species have been recorded in the Cairngorms Connect area, many of them rare. Here, an osprey is pictured clutching its prey.
Hide Caption
4 of 8
