Beavers will become a legally protected species in May, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has announced. This means that from 1 May 2019 shooting will only be allowed under licence, which will be managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). All licenses will be issued in accordance with the law on European Protected Species. Ms Cunningham said: “The Scottish Government believes in the highest standards of animal welfare – for both wild and domestic animals – and we felt it was high time that beavers enjoyed the same legal protection as other species like bats, dolphins, wildcats and otters.   “There are few…

A number of leading Scottish wildlife charities and individuals with an interest in conservation have signed an open letter to the First Minister, published in The Guardian today calling for a firm date to be set on granting European Protected Species status to beavers in Scotland. This letter comes one year after the announcement that legislation to secure European Protected Species status for beavers would be laid down in the Scottish Parliament in the first half of 2018. Susan Davies, Director of Conservation, Scottish Wildlife Trust said: “In November 2016, through the leadership of the Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham, the Scottish Government…

A sticking plaster approach to conservation is failing Scotlands wildlife – and with species such as red squirrel, wild cat and capercaillie declining or on the edge of extinction, a new era of massive rewilding is needed, says a landmark new book. Scotland has the space and opportunity to take a fresh approach, with people working with nature, not against it, and allowing ecosystems to restore themselves on a large-scale, say the authors of Scotland: A Rewilding Journey, which is being launched in Inverness this evening. “Right now, nature is in steep decline – but Scotland is perfectly placed to…

Controversy over renewable energy projects has raged in the outdoors world for many years, from concerns over the siting of wind farms and protection of wild land to the more recent landscape damage from hydro schemes in some of our most stunning landscapes. Helen caught up with Claire Mack, the Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, the trade body for renewable energy in Scotland, to get the industry view. We understand that you’re a user of Walkhighlands, so I presume you enjoy walking in Scotland’s outdoors yourself. What does getting out in the Scottish landscape mean to you and do you…