Perthshire estate to be rewilded

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust – a rewilding organisation – has taken on a vast estate in Scotland that it aims to leave "pulsing with life".

The trust said its 100-year plan for the 7,500-ha Dalnacardoch Estate in Perthshire includes a recovery programme for Western Capercaillie.

The 7,500-ha Dalnacardoch Estate in Perthshire is to be rewlided as part of a 100-year project (Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust).

Dr Lesley Dickie, Durrell's CEO, said it marked a "transformational moment" for the organisation. Leasing the "degraded" Dalnacradoch estate, which sits within the Cairngorms National Park, was an "incredible opportunity", she added.

She said the work would "transition" the estate to a "nature-positive landscape" to benefit local people and wildlife.

Prof Carl Jones MBE, Durrell's chief scientist, said Durrell would bring with it six decades of experience in saving species from extinction and rebuilding ecosystems. "We look forward to restoring the plant and animal communities of Dalnacardoch so that the glens and moors are vibrant with birdsong and pulsing with life," he added.

The trust would also manage a transition away from the estate's historic use for shooting towards activities to provide "economic, social and environmental benefits". Ecological audits are already under way, it said, with the team's "immediate focus" to engage with neighbouring estates and potential partners.

Grant Moir, Chief Executive of the Cairngorms National Park Authority, said the collaboration would be "vital" in areas including ecological restoration, woodland expansion and achieving net zero.