Rewilding Scotland: How can we recover

Empty & Haunting Glencoe

Our hills are bare

How can we  restore, recover our wetlands, our forests,

Our hedgehogs, our eagles , our bears

Our winding rivers to the seas..

The silence… 

- Only 2% of Scotland has trees, it’s the least wooded country in Europe. 37% is Europe’s average. 

- 25% of Scotland’s land is for grouse shooting and open hill deer stalking with little revenue. There is an urgent need for talks with all involved. 

Our hills are bare, with burnt heathers, triangles of unnatural pines with no undergrowth, wild salmon under threat by lice-infected farmed salmon. Victorians tamed our hills to empty glens for grouse shooting. 

Our forests were cut down for the trenches in world war one and sent over to Belgium and France and our land depleted by clearances of people, to prioritise sheep and grouse shooting exploitation. Scotland needs the powers to protect our natural resources and a greener future. Scotland has unnatural, empty landscapes, devoid of people or trees – 

 

I remember my first visit to Glencoe and Rannoch moor, as a young student and I was so struck by the vast emptiness amid the towering, imposing, snow capped mountains. The winds seemed to howl of the past tragedies and violence ..the Glencoe massacre of the MacDonalds.

 In America there are wondrous natural forests, that are multi-coloured, from soft yellows, dark greens, blue greens, in the Fall are such a glorious show of reds, oranges and browns. 

 

Scotland is one of the most nature ruined countries – exploited by polices of grouse shooting, heather burning moors, culling hares, wildlife, removing natural predators and people in favour of sheep and deer herds. Images of Norway show diverse, natural forests and people living on the land – unlike Scotland’s empty glens. 

 

The okra whales of our western waters, are now perhaps infertile. They can live 90 years and only 8 adults now remain. Are those awful nuclear subs that patrol the western seas, confusing  these magnificent animals with their sonar sounds? Most Scots want the removal of these ugly, monstrous subs. 

 

The silence…

 

“….absence of birdsong or wolf howl,. We were persuaded to let the soils wash into the sea, the few remaining predators to be trapped or shot, the land tamed, and the life drained away. 

the taming of the Scottish highlands has not tamed wildlife. “

Wetlands & marsh

***How can we Restore?

Restoration is supported by 75% of Scots

Positives moves – UN Decade of Habitat restoration; re-introduction of natural ecosystems and natural biodiversity; beavers brought back to build dams which restore wetlands and temperate rainforests; osprey and white-tailed eagles brought back. Restoring nature to our quiet glens. 

Re-wilding projects Scotland a re-wilding; mountain hare culls have stopped. And Wildlife bridges for animals rather than small pockets – Perth to Inverness, wetlands, natural forest, habitat re-connectivity. 

Huge costs. Scotland has many alien species, rural economy development, greener habitat, plus money to remove the awful scourge of Rhododendrons.  

Bio-diversity of the future.  

 

‘young forests are on the march for the first time in generations,  peat lands are being restored, natural processes are being allowed to shape and govern our landscapes. “

River restoration systems were allowed burns straightened out a century ago, to meander again,  reconnecting to their floodplains and leading to more trees, more flowers, more insects, more fish, cleaner waters, less flooding. 

 

Scotland’s beautiful landscapes, some of the best in the world, have been exploited, ruined and laid bare by foreigners intent on fast money. Indy Scotland needs the powers to protect our resources – now a theme park for global elites. 

@Peter Cairns

**Scottish Rewilding Alliance

 

**I attended an online 

Talk by wildlife photographer Peter Cairns

Cairns spoke of his motivations with his photography. 

Conservation works, we need more of it. Wanderlust, always looking over the horizon or beyond doorways: asking questions about myself and why I’m motivated to do something. He considered Wildlife management, conservation and ecology. He spoke of our relationship with animals and with predators such as wolves, to reintroduced them and to bring back the natural environment.  

 

Cairns spoke of photography as a language and the power of the visceral image. Its power as a visual communicator, storytelling, informs, inspires and influences change. The human world view – hunters, ranchers, our set of values.  

 - https://www.petercairnsphotography.com

Loch Ardinny &Campsies

 **ISSUES we must urgently address

Economic growth vs well being?

Green bridge Aberdeen. 

Grouse moors are legal, moor burns are a problem, but we must work together to find solutions.

 

**BOOKS

*Tooth and Claw with Mark Hamblin: changing our relationship with wildlife. We have complex, contradictory values. Endangered species. The wildcat – highland tiger.

 

*Wild Wonders of Europe: top 70 nature photographers, explore sustainability. 

*2020 Vision (20 British photographers) he feels more at home in Scotland and to tell the story properly, it needs to be under your skin. Protecting species and nature reserves. Think bigger and longer term.  

 

BOOK Regeneration, Andrew Panting.  

https://www.petercairnsphotography.com

 

Lockdown Images

We live north of Glasgow, close to the Campsie hills, Mugdock country park, Craigmaddie reservoir, Loch Ardinny and only a short drive to the Trossachs and Loch Lomond.. Sometimes perhaps we don’t appreciate the sheer variety and beauty of the landscapes around us. During lockdown for 3 months Mugdock park car parks were all closed, to our dismay, and we weren’t allowed to drive, except for essential trips. The daily walk was a lifeline! (for our dog too).

We are very fortunate to enjoy the Scottish ever-changing and subtle light. During lockdown Scotland enjoyed weeks of the best weather – clear and fresh sunny skies – which was perfect.

For the first time small birds returned and the air seemed to sparkle and I thought, this was how the world used to be before the pollution with our air, road and rail traffic. There was a quiet stillness which was both odd and also reassuring.  

Orkney Sagas

Life on the extremes – Orkney Stories and magical tones, light and colours.

Orkney is supposed to feed the soul and the subtle magical lights and tones here certainly lift hearts and minds. From the softest blues and gentlest greens, there is a pure quality to the light. There are sea bird sanctuaries, many ancient remains, and the islands sing with their Nordic sagas.

Orkney turns upon poles of light and has 70 islands, 20 of them inhabited.

Westray, Eday, Ronaldsay, Sandy, Stronsay, Hoy,...

“A summer midnight, the north is red with the twin lamps of dawn and sunset.” George Mackay Brown (the Holy Places- 1976)

The boat trip over on the Northlink ferry was EPIC!, with 60 mile an hour gusts and the boat lurching. Quite a ride!

We arrived at Stromness, a characterful stone built town, where we visited the museum and read of their history and stories - of the artic explorer John Rae and his statue here; the Earls of Orkney, the Norwegian settlements; Indian moccasins, a necklace made of human teeth collected by traveller John Rankin, Orkney was built on travellers of course.

 “From its central location between England and the Baltic, it became the great port of call for all the ships bound for the western ocean.“ Dairy Isaac Bennes 1789

- The first day we travelled over the north coast, where the strong gusts made powerful waves that crashed on the headlines. We visited the former 15^th century home of Robert Stewart, half brother of Mary Queen of Scots, near the Brough of Birsay. We were surprised, Orkney is richly cultivated and cattle are its biggest export. 

On Wednesday we travelled south across the wild Churchill barriers and stopped to photo the high waves. Strangely too the Scapa flow was the base of the British navy during the great wars.

At the very moving Italian chapel we read of the Italians held as prisoners of war at Camp 60 in 1942, who built the barriers. They built the tiny chapel to offer hope while they suffered great hardships, and so ‘there was still a part of them that was free.’ A place of wonder and of spiritual peace built amid great hardships. Thank you.'

The Italian chapel

- At Robertson’s café at St Margaret’s Hope, we spoke to a very blonde young lady – Scandinavians were the ‘gift never given back’ she told us. Margaret was the granddaughter of the Scottish King Alexander III, who was on her way home to be crowned when she fell ill. Sadly this all led to many years of Wars of Succession. (not Wars of independence or Secession. Scotland is an older nation than England and 'Britain' is a recent invention.)

(Scotland as a nation is older than England - 9th century - by several decades. This matters because after the Maid of Norway died in 1290 leaving no successor to the Scottish throne, it was not "The Wars of Independence" that followed, but aggression by Edward I of England to take over by conquest. At that time Scotland's population was 30% of Britain's and is now 8%, which shows the suppression of Scotland culturally and economically by London) .)

Stromness

- At Kirkwall the Old library has been refurnished and upstairs in the gallery is displayed the art of Sheila Scott and we notice that many had been sold. She also has impressive tapestries displayed at the Kirkwall airport. The shops here sell beautiful delicate jewellery based on Orkney’s natural landscapes. .(Sheila Fleet, Ortak, Aurora, Hume Sweet Hume.)  

  

Thursday at Scarra Brae the winds were howling hard and the seas were full of bright froths. This ancient Neolithic villages is 7,000 years old and is a miracle to behold. As the winds continued to blow, we took a guided tour of the impressive standing stones of the Brodgar of Ness – incredible to visit and quite mind blowing. The Orkney standing stones came from the different tribes of the islands – who brought them here perhaps by water. Did they bring them as symbols of working together? The stones sit on open land beside water with extensive panoramas. 

Ring of Brodgar

This ancient place is beside the Ness of Brodgar where they are busy excavating in the summer months, was discovered in 2003. It is believed that this settlement was an ancient temple that peoples travelled from far and wide to visit, and is older than Stonehenge.

"What a beautiful, spiritual place, where many ancient paths travel and stories meet."

Orkney is a rich source of artistry.

The composer Peter Maxwell Davies – ‘The sights and sounds of the islands, the brightness of mackerel shails, the calling of birds, the strumming and pounding of the wind and sea came to resonate in his music. It urges that we dance in step together to create peace and harmony among ourselves and with the natural world of which we are a part .‘

Scarra Brae

Stenness Standing stones

II   The Orkney islands are fiercely independent and proud of their Nordic stories and British mythologies and if you are looking for Scottish tartans, Gaelic or clans here, you'll not find them!

Scottish Mythology :  

The “Received opinion” – in studies by ancient history experts on our islands ignore Scotland with an emphasis on Irish and British mythology. This discovery at Brodgar has shown that civilization did not start southern Mediterranean, as has been the 'Received Opinion', and in fact travelled northwards. Ancient Greek mythology spoke of a ‘a circular temple at Hyperbores” – the Brodgar is well before Stonehenge. Did the megalith culture spread out from Orkney, or the Hebrides, and travel by skin boats 5,000 years ago, to Greece and even to Africa? - claims historian Stuart McHardy.

There are more Cuilleachs in Scotland than Ireland, ancient Scottish goddess of restoring life a system of belief based this dual goddess who has mountains named after her - her name meant ‘veiled one’; Ben Nevis, Lochnagar, Ben Wigins and Ben Cruachan. There is the Maes Howes cairn tomb at south of the standing stones, 

A Celtic speaking and belief system warrior tribal society lived in Scotland until the 18th century which was "rooted in the landscape and is truly indigenous.'

Woodie Guthrie “Some will rob you with six guns/ Some will rob you with a fountain pen.”

“Every nation has one central theme at it  score. In Canada it ‘survival’.” Margaret Atwood. In Scotland it is extremes and travel.

**BOOKS

“Scotland’s future history”, Stuart McHardy

“If This is your Land, Where are your Stories” J Edward Chamberlin

“Arts and the Nation”, Alan Riach, Alexander Moffat, John Purser

Small personal café

Photos of stormy seas

Ruins of a castle

Magical stones

Indians moccasins

Necklace of teeth

Ancient remains and tombs

Empires collapse the distance separating the west from other places…In the 18^th century we may have needed empires (or the Romans) – but today we have fast travel and fast internet communications –

Do we need huge centralized empires anymore? What we do need is independent nation states in larger trading blocks that co-operate on trade and security. We need a new treaty of union between Scotland and England - the old 1701 treaty is not fit for purpose anymore (if it ever was)