COUNTRY DIARY ROTHIEMURCHUS

Cairngorms, Scotland, UK

Merryn Glover

It’s a crisp and deeply cold morning, the sun not yet risen above the Cairngorms. The Rothiemurchus forest is captive to a white hoar frost as we crunch on the path to Lochan Mor. We’re on the beaver trail and my guide is Jonathan Willet, beaver project manager for the Cairngorms National Park Authority. After being hunted to extinction in Scotland in the 16th century, beavers have been reintroduced in various sites. The winding rivers, lochs, marshlands and forests of the upper Spey are ideal habitat. Consultations and careful management are integral to the reintroduction and, to date, the signs are good, with the 10 pairs thriving. So much so, that at least two have produced kits. When we reach the loch, the sun is just appearing through the trees…

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Guardian Weekly (Digital) - 1 Issue, 17 January 2025

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