News

The current landscape 

From any angle, the landscape is breathtaking, but it also bears clues to its past. This land is shaped by even-aged habitats, uniform edges and a noticeable absence of trees in areas open to grazing. High above the estate, golden eagles soar, while scattered clumps of montane willows cling to the crags and steep-sided gullies, in places like the enchanting Cama Choire. These fragile remnants survive only in sheltered refuges, safe from browsing and are unable to spread beyond them. 

Heading down the glen, the Edendon Water meanders across the floodplain. Here, single mature Rowan and Birch stand in isolation and defiance.  

As the river flows through Dalnacardoch, it becomes framed by a steep gorge and pockets of native woodland comprising of Aspen, Birch, Hazel, Willow and Scots Pine, which cast shadows on the water’s surface, helping cool the river.   

These fragmented pockets of semi-natural woodland account for only 0.02% of the 75 km2 Estate. Including the Scots Pine plantations, woodland cover increases to 1%. Yet these trees hold the key to Dalnacardoch’s future, their seeds dispersed by wind, birds and deer. 
 

For decades, natural expansion of woodland and shrub has been supressed by herbivores: both sheep grazing and pressure from the high numbers of deer. Red deer are an important part of the estate’s ecosystems, shaping habitats and maintaining open ground. But when their numbers grow too high, their browsing prevents trees and shrubs from regenerating. By carefully reducing deer densities, the balance is shifting, and the vegetation is beginning to recover naturally. With fewer deer, seedlings of Rowan, Birch and Willow are finally growing beyond heather height, free from browsing.  

Summer survey 

This summer, we surveyed the Edendon Glen through a network of transects spaced 100m apart, recording tree species, size, browsing levels and vegetation. This data shows the extent of the suppressed trees on Dalnacardoch, with their roots and stems growing but their height and spread restricted.
  

Having covered 123km so far, we’re building up a clear picture of where the trees are regenerating and where they are absent. We know which species are present, how browsing pressure varies, and the distance from existing seed sources. We are witness to solitary trees standing brave and defiant, that have beaten the odds to survive.  

Our findings 

Astonishingly, some trees are growing more than 1km from the nearest seed sources. That’s an extraordinary sign and gives us hope that natural processes will allow woodland to regenerate without having to rely on planting seedlings and putting up protective fencing.  

We’re already seeing the early stages of native woodland extending up the hillsides, forming a riparian corridor that connects the River Tay and River Spey catchments. Ribbons of young woodland are beginning to link the banks of the Edendon Water to its mountain tributaries, revealing how the landscape, and the species within it, are changing over time. 

What’s next 

Monitoring our woodland regeneration and its potential expansion takes effort, but it’s vital to properly understand where nature is leading, and where we might need to give it a helping hand, perhaps introducing missing species or planting seed islands in areas where we can see that there’s no natural regeneration. To reduce the time and resources required, we’re deploying new technologies, including high resolution drones and remote sensing. 

Next spring, we’ll be walking another 60km of transects, this time up Glen Garry, a south-facing hillside with rich soils and extensive bracken, a clear sign of where woodland wants to return. Once the surveys are complete, we’ll share an update on what we find and how the landscape is responding.