Scotland's Deserts are Turning Green - here's why

[@highlandoracle4505]

Being someone who has climbed hundreds of Scottish mountains, I spend a lot of time in nature here. It is strange how often I come across places where the peat has eroded. Wherever the earth has been exposed, you can find the stumps of ancient trees. It is almost ubiquitous with walking in Scotland, its like walking on the graveyard of a forest.

[@Aedony]

Had the same experience in Ireland. It pains me when people say "Oh but Ireland is so green and idyllic." because I know it's just the sad shadow of what it once was.

[@georgeblackley6028]

5000 years ago the climate changed and the trees drowned as it became to wet for them.

[@carelgoodheir692]

@@georgeblackley6028 No. There was a lot of woodland right up to the arrival of cattle. Because there were wolves till the 18th Century cattle were accompanied when grazing the hills and were generally kept out of stands of trees. Then the demand for iron rose. Pine got felled and turned into charcoal for smelting on a huge scale (till it became possible to use coke). The wolves were gone and Southern Upland sheep ranchers moved in, preventing the pine from regenerating. On much on the inland Highlands sheep stocks soon crashed, the ground and climate were unsuitable. That coincided with the growth of a cult of stalking and shooting stags, and improved transport links from the south. Estates that made their income from paying guests who were taken up the hills to shoot deer became a paying proposition and these estates simply wanted there to be a lot of deer. We still haven't figured how to balance that with the continued wet desertification caused by overgrazing.

[@v4skunk739]

The real redpill is knowing that the stumps up on the mountains and such was caused by a cataclysmic tidal wave at one point in history.

[@dodgygoose3054]

It was the man who remove the forests in Scotland & Ireland, not climate its the same in Persia & so many places of the world ... I'm out country Australia where I live its nothing but dry grassland for hundreds of kilometres today, but paintings show from 100 odd years ago there were temperate rainforests & snow drifts 6ft high here.... Don't understate the power of man for thoughtless destruction in the name of progress. @@georgeblackley6028

[@THE_ECONNORGIST]

The people of rural Scotland who are complaining about deer culls are the same people who have helped put us in the mess in the first place. They are the ones who have facilitated these massive increases in deer population so there are more to be shot. We could of course reintroduce native predators but they don’t want that to happen either because it doesn’t suit their agenda. Therefore, large deer culls are necessary. I would say that culls would still be necessary for a time even if predators returned, such is the seriousness of the deer problem. We might as well say it as it is - the Scottish countryside has been under the dominion of shooting estates and sheep crofts for far too long and the vast majority of the Scottish public are in support of an ecologically restored Scotland which thrives with wildlife. The tide is turning but for me it’s not turning quick enough if we are to counter the climate / biodiversity crisis. We simply have to keep stating the facts and keep pushing for change.

[@LeaveCurious]

I agree with you. It really does feel like we aren't moving fast enough to make the changes necessary. But change is happening!!

[@antonleimbach648]

I’m sure wolves could be introduced to keep deer populations in check.

[@clownofthetimes6727]

@@antonleimbach648 With such an abundance of food you would get a large wolf population. Then the deer population goes down and this large wolf population still needs to feed. Looks like sheep is back on the menu boys!

[@georgeblackley6028]

No way wolves comming in. Im not going wild camping with wolves prowling about.

[@rbak]

Too many do-gooders falling for the climate change lie.

[@stonemarten1400]

I’m a rural estate manager up here in Scotland and it’s difficult to make estates pay their way. There are too many deer in the hills and the winter hind cull is a chore for many estates, especially if there isn’t a thriving market for the meat. It’s healthy food and the animals live wild and free with a quick and humane death from a professional stalker. Some of the vegetarians watching and overly sentimental urban types might not like this, but buying and eating wild Scottish venison would make a really positive contribution to the recovery of the Caledonian Pine Forest and other native habitats and the wildlife of Scotland.

[@triple3miller]

Are estates asking people to come and hunt deer on their land?

[@stonemarten1400]

@@triple3miller Sporting estates can usually make a reasonable income from stalking and shooting stags in the late summer and autumn, but to reduce an over-population of Red Deer in the Highlands, you would need to cull the female deer (hinds). This is a winter activity and pretty tough going, so is generally undertaken by professional stalkers, ghillies and gamekeepers employed by the estates themselves. A healthy market for the venison would help estates recover some of the expense that they incur in managing their deer numbers.

[@kimjamesstephenson6975]

@@stonemarten1400 so let me get this straight.....we cull the deer to get the numbers down.....sell the meat so the estates make some profit......then when the numbers are down, the money stops coming in, so I know....lets get MORE deer roaming so we can have a deer industry....lets increase the heards so we can farm them on a large scale....History repeats itself

[@triple3miller]

@@stonemarten1400 These estates should offer locals to hunt hinds for free. That would provide local families with healthy food while reducing the deer population.

[@stonemarten1400]

@@triple3miller It would seem a good idea, but not so many rural folk in the UK have firearms licences, unlike the USA and Canada for example. Responsible deer management actually involves quite a lot of training too. It’s usually wet or snowing, so quite tough conditions up in the Highlands in the wintertime and shooting hinds and bringing down the carcass from the hill is really hard work. Likewise, the processing of the meat. You might not get so many volunteers.

[@Aine197]

Greetings from Southern Germany! We used to have lots of quick-growing monoculture forests here, too, but they have been almost totally discarded for our native mixed forest with beech as the dominant trees. Our foresters decide which trees can be felled and they usually only take a few trees from each area allowing the younger trees space to grow. We don‘t have any natural predators for our deer, either, so each licensed hunter gets a quota of how many deer (and boar) they NEED to shoot each year to make sure they don‘t get completely out of hand.

[@Hihihihihihi147]

Schwarzwald? 😊

[@ChattingApe]

The deer policies in southern germany are absolutely ridiculous.

[@insouciantme6015]

Now that Botswana is sending 20 000 free-range elephants to Germany, how are the Germans going to handle that?

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

@@insouciantme6015 Hollow-points.

[@judithafholland]

@@insouciantme6015 How stupid can we get! I suppose you well know the havoc caused when elephants enter man's domain. There is a good series of videos about the recent escape of a group of 15 rarer Asian elephants from their reserve into the villages of S. China causing devastation of crops, grain stores, turning over cars with ease, & storming shops. Their little excursion caused over £ 1 million in damage.

[@alexguest9937]

I used to live in Galloway (Wigtownshire as was). I can't help thinking the Galloway forest, which is actually quite huge, could certainly do with some restoration of the indigenous woodland. Maybe not everywhere, but in certain areas. And the Lynx would be great to see in it. In fact there is precious little industry in this part of the UK, apart from agriculture and tourism. How great would it be to have a restored piece of the ancient Caledonian forest where people could go 'on safari' and see lynx, capercaillie, red squirrels, wildcats, eagles, ravens and lots of other stunning wildlife. In addition to just the deer.

[@neilford99]

I grew up near Moniaive. Dumfries & Galloway economy needs a boost and nature could be a huge attraction.

[@gabscar1]

Great idea. Awesome part of the country.

[@damionkeeling3103]

How long would it take? You'd be looking at 50 years or more to have a truly restored natural environment due to the slow growth of trees but the wildlife could be restored in much shorter time.

[@Craicfox161]

There’s a new national park proposed there which could help with forest restoration

[@Sco_BmC1x]

Huge respect for speaking so openly and being honest on the true plight of Scotland's failing ecology. I follow you over at mossy earth and appreciate the work you do spreading better awareness. I've enjoyed how beautiful Scotland is fishing over the years growing up and believe it's our duty too make sure that same beauty is our for Scotland's sons and daughters

[@LeaveCurious]

I very often get things wrong, but I try to understand and explain things as they are. You're right, the work we do now is for future generations.

[@htb123]

@@LeaveCurious What like removing comments you dislike? My comments on stalking/hunting to manage the deer populations and on introducing apex predators being a bad idea weren't bad but I suppose if you're some woke snowflake set on silencing opinions that differ from yours they would be. NOT A GOOD WAY TO MANAGE OR SUPPORT YOUR CHANNEL.

[@htb123]

@@LeaveCurious Oh yeah unsubscribed and unliked, well done.

[@johnslavin2270]

On my local river the fishing rights are owned by local estates which host visitors whom they take out fishing from the bank. The estates have removed trees from the banks and strimmer them for their delicate guests. Ironically this lack of shade means an increase in water temperature which kills off the fish. The gamekeepers and water bailiffs employed by the estates are trained to kill anything that eats fish. Herons, otters, cormorants. They also kill water voles and badgers and foxes and crows. This killing is carried out by torchlight and the killers are not always sober!

[@wolfenstein6676]

In Scotland we refer to these 'Scottish deserts' as 'MAMBA country', i.e., 'Miles And Miles of Bugger All', sad but true. I detest the 'rewilding' racket, which is just more elitist, anti-local families tripe where globalist-minded fanatics seem determined to turn the entire country into some kind of nationwide nature reserve and "to hell" with the average family and the local communities in the process. However, the bloke in the video is correct, we need the lynx re-introduced, it should have happened years ago, along with the Eurasian eagle owl. Both of those predators effectively cull red deer, albeit at the loss of some farm animals too. As long as the farmers get fully compensated for this, especially during the lambing season where they can lose many unborn lambs from just one lynx attack, then there won't be many problems.

[@zertrezai]

I'm from Shetland and our land used to be covered in Hazels, Alders, Downy Birches, various Willows, Junipers, Crab Apples and Rowans. It was observed in peat bogs that parts of the trees that were preserved within suddenly disappeared at around 5000 years ago which correlates with when humans first landed and inhabited the isles. Little people who live on the isles actually know about this. There are very few, distant and hard to reach corners of the isles which still display this relic of our past but it is disappearing. We have one last Hazel tree which will be the last of its kind to have 100% shetland-based genetics. Our Crab Apple trees can now only be found at one site. It's found that our Downy Birch trees all have male catkins, making them functionally extinct. That was as of 1987 in a book written by Walter Scott, not sure if that has changed since. It's a shame our habitats are being lost. What is even worse is that the government are giving out grants to people to plant trees. Instead, they should be providing money to save our last remaining trees and rewild. Introducing non natives will likely harm us more than help us, especially since it's not the government that decides what trees are planted. It's the people given the grants. Likely they will be unaware of what trees they should be planting.

[@AntonySkelding-f8x]

I used to live in Shetland and I took part in some conservation activities there, including tree planting. It’s heartbreaking to see native trees dying out. I suggested getting some seeds from the nearest native woodland - Berrydale on Hoy in the Orkney Islands which I visited. That remnant woodland is being left to die out instead of being utilised for seed to spread native trees in the northern islands. Such a shame! Here’s a project for Mossy Earth.

[@gilgameschvonuruk4982]

why don't local governments revive it, educating people an what should be planted

[@AntonySkelding-f8x]

@@gilgameschvonuruk4982 there’s some activity, but not enough will sadly.

[@AnthonyHancock-s7v]

I blame Thatcher and the Tories

[@allthingsmotorized1885]

take some first year hazel cutting just as they are beginning to bring leaves on in their second year, put them in water for a couple of days until they start to root then plant. that way you'll be able to replant some of your land with fully native hazel. theres youtube videos on it aswell

[@akechijubeimitsuhide]

Hungary had also lost most of its big predators but recently wolves and a small number of lynxes moved back to the northern mountains.

[@sziklamester1244]

As a Hungarian I can confirm/approve it.

[@Wee_Langside]

Wolves are naturally making a return in various parts of Europe. Ask Ursula Van Der Leyen. There have been sheep lost to wolf attacks in Limousin in Central France. There's growing concern about bear attacks in Spain, Pyrenees I think Re-introducing large predators has to be handled carefully and they too may have to be culled in the future, populations of prey and predators are closely linked a boom in prey leads to a boom in predators, when the prey population collapses back to normal there's a lot of hungry predators. Always remember that these predators were hunted to extinction, or near extinction for many reasons not least competing with people.

[@Nitka022]

Good on you guys! Preserve, rewild, restore..:-)))))

[@wickedguppy3715]

Maybe they'll swim over to Scotland.

[@AlexanderTheEvenGreater]

They probably just ran out of deer in Slovakia and went Hungary.

[@jonathanrobinson2628]

A really interesting and thought provoking video. We lived in Scotland for 13 years, and now live in SE Sweden, at the same lattitude as Aviemore. I've working in forestry and the timber industry for 15 years. It's very interesting to contrast forestry here in Sweden to that of Scotland. The jewels of native pine forest occasionally found in Scotland are very common here, almost ubiquitous. There are a host of reasons that I believe contribute to this, but in short: * no imported conifer species, which the occasional exception such as European larch. * no invasive foreign plant species. Rhododendron, Himalayan balsam and others have been detrimental to reestablishment of native woodlands. * much broader acceptance of shooting deer, moose and wild boar and that not doing so will result in serious effect on woodlands * more appex predators. Even in the south, lynx are widespread. Occasional wolves, though the Swedes are somewhat paranoid about them and they get shot more than I'd like to see. * much lower population pressure. What I find really interesting is that even woodlands outside of nature reserves and within commercial rotation have incredibly diverse ground flora. Blueberries (blaeberries in Scotland), lingonberries and wild mushrooms flood the forest floor at various times of the year. It's wonderful to see. The low level plant cover allows birch, pine and spruce to regenerate easily without having to fight for light.

[@JohnJones-k9d]

Swedes generally don’t shoot wild boar which is the worst animal, they re too dangerous and difficult to hunt. Swedes are lazy they defend the deer on trails then shoot them from platforms, about as difficult as killing animals in an abattoir.

[@pamdawson8598]

One of the best commentaries I've heard . No emotive judgemental language. Just saying history as it is. Brilliant. Well done. Thankyou.

[@johnslavin2270]

The Scottish Gov issued a consultation last week on deer management. The paper itself is incoherent. I am a crofter in Sutherland. Around me deer stalking is catered for by the estate owners so they need deer to stalk. The sheep farming ctofters do not want deer eating their pastures. I grow fruit trees and I have to erect 9ft fences to protect them from sheep and deer. The government has no plan except to give Nature Scot more arbitrary enforcement powers forgetting that if their rules are obscure and malformed abiding by them is impossible. The job of balancing the conflicting interests and encouraging natural regeneration is government's but the vagaries of our political system distracts from them from their duties

[@LeaveCurious]

Sounds interesting, feel free to send me an email. Might be useful to meet for a future video.

[@johnslavin2270]

Do you have an email address?

[@doubledee8677]

@@johnslavin2270 Check the description.

[@johnslavin2270]

What?

[@doubledee8677]

@@johnslavin2270 It's in the video description mate, have a quick look.

[@jacquescousteau4592]

Great video as always! I am a postgraduate student of Nature Conservation and Animal Ecology in Germany but I have made some presentations on Lynx reintroductions in Ireland and Scotland because this topic really fascinates me. I think the reintroduction of large carnivores is the best solution. Not only because they will lower deer numbers in the long run but also because they change the behaviour of deer in the landscape through their mere presence. This concept is called „landscape of fear“, it sounds grim but it can keep deer out of the trees and on open areas which would protect regenerating forests. Also, as far as I know, increasing the hunting pressure on deer by humans will result in higher reproduction and it is only possible to lower the numbers if you really put a lot of effort in it. As a little side-note: I find the stories of the Caledonian Forests (such as the Black Forest), the Highlands and the Clearances really fascinating. As a German, I first read about them in Robert MacFarlanes „The wild places“. It’s agreat book, I am reading it for the third time at the moment :)

[@triple3miller]

Conservation based regulations for hunting deer have been extremely successful in the US to maintain a healthy deer population. Introducing predators like wolves shouldn't happen unless it's legal to hunt them. They would destroy the deer population and livestock without proper management. Hunting is the most ethical and effective way to achieve the best outcome imo.

[@jonathanward8861]

Thankyou for your worthwhile contribution

[@Collin_The_Red]

I've been a supporter on Mossy Earth for a while now but I really love watching you restore the forests of my ancestors!

[@FiresCollide]

I recently did the North Coast 500 tour and drove through the Highlands. While there were some gorgeous forests, absolutely gorgeous, I was also shocked at how barren so much of it was. The same for the wildlife. I was shocked to not constantly see deer, even smaller animals. It felt...empty somehow? It's why I'm so glad that there's such a strong push to rewild and reforest Scotland. I really wish they'd allow wolves to be introduced to the land, though I know that it's an uphill battle.

[@sil8127]

You shouldn't constantly see deer, they have an excess of deer.

[@blackislepeastoo]

As regards wildlife. I'm a landscape photographer and regularly see deer, feral goats, badgers, foxes, beaver and the smaller species such as squirrels etc, marine sea life seals and birds from Curlew to Eagle via Puffin and others as I go around. BUT you need to get out of the car and walk ! And it does need to be in the right place at the right time of the year - eg : it's no good expecting salmon in December, or road side deer in June.

[@FiresCollide]

@@blackislepeastoo Oh, definitely. We were in the car a lot, but we also got out and did a lot of hiking. Unfortunately, I still thought there were too many people around haha. Granted, my perception is a little skewed. I grew up in a log cabin in the woods in the U.S. so there were animals everywhere.

[@jamesthomas4841]

It is Northern Scotland it ain't going to look like the Cotswolds it is a big open country.

[@FiresCollide]

@@jamesthomas4841 I'm aware! I wasn't expecting it to.

[@decus9544]

I remember when I lived in the U.K., lamenting the lack of natural areas as beautiful as exist in places like Canada. Many times people said, while I was considering moving to Canada, things along the lines of 'but we have beautiful nature in places like Scotland', and I remember thinking 'not really, it's mostly completely barren'. This video sheds light on those woodlands that the Scottish landscape is missing, the natural beauty that I was looking for. The landscape would be so much more beautiful if these woodlands were restored.

[@lukemcaloon5053]

I’m from Australia and when I visited my Scottish relatives they said the same thing!!! The whole time I felt so depressed, like “you call this nature??? It’s literally just pastures with sheep”

[@stevensibbet5869]

I remember when I was 12 and 13 and we went to for two school holidays one year after the other in Scotland and we climbed up the local high point some small mountain in the area, and the most beautiful scene looking down was where the artificial plantation trees were. Trees just make an area like this in Scotland look more beautiful!

[@kalicom2937]

I live in the UK and all I can say is three things: 1) "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"; 2) "I would assume you did not travel very far" and 3) "Canada is both young and huge compared to the UK - wait a few thousand years and let us see what humans have done to the landscape in that time"

[@AndyHullMcPenguin]

You might also enjoy a visit to the millennium forest at Cashel Forest Trust on Loch Lomond side. It may not be very large, but It is a good example of what can be done in terms of replanting native woodland, with a little imagination and not too much money. I've walked there for years, and what is there now is vastly different from what was there in the 1990s (somewhere I may have some photos from then). Back when it was a working sheep farm, the moor was a fairly typical patch of what could best be described as rough grazing. If you have the time to spare, take a walk up through the woods to Beinn Bhreac (579 m). Its worth it for the views alone. A return over rough ground and down through the old oak woods to the west rounds off the walk nicely.

[@LeaveCurious]

I'll add that to the many places I still need to see throughout Scotland! Thanks for the recommendation.

[@AndyHullMcPenguin]

@@LeaveCurious You are welcome. There is also a small visitor centre by the road, and of course if you are in the area, take a quick look by the loch side and see if you can find the "Cashel" that gives the place its name. The oak woods are worth a visit in and of themselves, but the re-planting is probably the most important thing to see. There is also a micro hydro project and a small apple orchard with some traditional Scottish varieties. This area is a bit of a hidden gem, as most of the tourists are busy looking at the loch, or heading to climb Ban Lomond or Conic Hill.

[@alicequayle4625]

I love the woods round Loch Lomond. Esp when the bluebells are out in spring mid May.

[@Ghost-Mama]

Thank you Rob 🙏🏻 for sharing a little bit of Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 with us all today!!

[@90skid97]

You can easily reintroduce the wolf in Scotland. It came back by itself here in Denmark after 250 years. After the initial fear mongerers were done crying no one is bothered by its presence here.

[@jebbo-c1l]

exactly and northern Scotland is much much emptier than Denmark

[@jules-9372]

Do you live in a city?

[@theantagonist2147]

@@jules-9372 Probably, no one with pets or livestock would want wolves back surely? It took our ancestors years to get that situation under control.

[@CollapsedLung]

We don't want the problems that wolves will bring. Farmers already lose enough livestock to foxes, badgers and eagles.

[@loafbreed7246]

@@CollapsedLung maybe we shouldnt be basing the ecology of the entire british isles off that one concern, considering how much else it impacts. whole place is skunnered with crops and grazing fields where old growth used to be.

[@boatsandbits7091]

Excellent video. Thankyou to you and the organisations you mention. Everything you have said is true.

[@DracoDatura]

I'm glad your video popped up in my feed. I've only seen Scotland on screen, and I've always associated it with those tree-less hills that felt so desolate somehow. Good to know there are effort and hope to get the native forests back. Those old pine trees are so beautiful!

[@theindieg]

Great video as always! I think the Lynx theory makes sense, and I have seen quite a lot of research backing it up!

[@LeaveCurious]

Yeah for sure, it be really interesting to see exactly how they impact deer. We won't know for sure until we try!

[@rjung_ch]

Look at how the wolf brought back nature in Wyoming, where the wolf was reintroduced. It helped the nature and healed the rivers, just beautiful. When will more people wake up to maintain nature? This should be a huge part of education, then within a generation we could have a way better place for all life. Thanks guys for what you do, your projects and making the viewers aware of the situation. 👍💪✌

[@daniellarson3068]

I could tell from the video there was a touch of fear of the wolf. They typically avoid people.

[@mariellouise1]

Wolves have helped to reestablish an abundant number of different animals and plants. Really shows how nature strives for balance.

[@aa-xg3ct]

Wyoming is three times the size of Scotland and only has half a million people living in it.

[@daniellarson3068]

@@aa-xg3ct I guess it ain't ruined yet.

[@aa-xg3ct]

what isn't ?@@daniellarson3068

[@brodyalden]

This is the best channel I’ve discovered for a while. Thanks for the excellent video essay.

[@LeaveCurious]

Thanks a lot! Appreciate the support.

[@_negentropy_]

I’m new to your channel but so glad it popped up in my feed! Wonderfully researched and thoughtfully written content. Thanks so much for the work you’re doing!

[@neilford99]

Are there any downsides to reintroducing lynx? I know another bit of pine forest south of Aviemore. A magical place that I was lucky enough to spend a few summer in.

[@keestoft250]

I love the idea of reintroducing the Lynx to begin with. Why not wolves later? It makes me genuinely happy to imagine these rewilding projects in a generations time for our kids. It's time for people in the UK to have some wilderness back, we've existed in industrially wrecked landscapes for so long.

[@takeoischi4156]

Because there are very good reasons to why we got rid of wolves.

[@quillo2747]

Scotland is small. Wolves migrate and farm animals make for easy picking. Scotland has no real wilderness and is full of hikers in the summer. The likelihood of bad interactions with wolves is far to high.

[@KindredBrujah]

@@quillo2747 People wander around Yellowstone as well. Number of human deaths to wolves since they were reintroduced there: 0. Number of humans attacked by wolves since they were reintroduced there: 0. Please provide some evidence this would happen.

[@mikeoglen6848]

Why? What's wrong with Wolves?@@takeoischi4156

[@keestoft250]

@@takeoischi4156 didn't we just slaughter them all?

[@MikeMakesUK]

I love the Abernethy Forest. The native woodland is such a peaceful and incredible place. The moss and blaeberry covering on the forest floor can be amazingly comfortable and I have spent nights out under just a tarp. It is a magical experience. Just make sure you've got a good mozzie net.

[@wickedguppy3715]

mozzie? mosquito or black flies? Sorry, I don't know the term mozzie. I'm guessing mosquitos.

[@MikeMakesUK]

@@wickedguppy3715 Yes. Mozzie is British slang for mosquito. We also use very fine weave mosquito nets to keep out the dreaded Scottish midge. Which is another annoying bloodsucker. Though thankfully not a dangerous one, it can ruin a trip if you're not prepared.

[@erukkthedragon]

thank you for making these videos, I love my home, i love Scotland, both as a hiker, and as an artist who heavily takes inspiration from the natural world, but it could be so much better

[@LeaveCurious]

Theres just so much potential, for even more beauty and its no a million years away, with meaningful actions now we could see positive change in our lifetimes!

[@willmuirr]

Love this video mate! Looking forward to seeing more and more Scottish ecological history and information from the channel :) Keep up the good work

[@adamwildwoods]

Great video exploring some issues that can be tricky to discuss sometimes. I am working on temperate rainforest restoration in Wales and you bring inspiration to that.

[@lisadolan689]

I’m always shocked by the mass deforestations of the UK and IRE 😢 All the trees are gone 😳

[@claireskrine4837]

Largely for the British Navy, and then for industry

[@charlesloukas1946]

I found out London is classified as a Forest please Goggle

[@alicequayle4625]

I think Ireland was partly cleared so rebels couldn't hide in them.

[@hattmarvey1989]

Now they are cutting down millions more trees to make way for unnecessary Wind Farms, and to burn in the insane Drax power plant. Trees are the lungs of the planet, do not burn them!

[@composedlight6850]

And most think the landscape of today is natural 😂

[@markduncan2217]

I agree with everything in this video. I live in Scotland and have walked a lot of the countryside. Although it is beautiful it is fairly barren in comparison of what it should be. I love the work Leave curious, Mossy earth and Trees for life sre doing .

[@sandersson2813]

Question is, so what? Land use changes, environments change.

[@shamicentertainment1262]

@@sandersson2813but it looks like crap. Why would you want a deserted wasteland devoid of life when you could have a thriving forest? I’ve never been interested in visiting the UK specifically because they lack nice scenery. I’m sure most people would appreciate forests instead of everything being barren

[@sandersson2813]

@@shamicentertainment1262 Why do you care about the looks of something that for 99.999999% of your life you aren't seeing? Have you ever been to Finland? Let me tell you seeing trees for hundreds of kilometres is BORING. Also, to say the UK lacks nice scenery shows a spectacular lack of knowledge and ignorance.

[@Thatturtlee]

@@sandersson2813 It’s actually much better to have forests and fields full of healthy grass, moss ,bushes and flowers than to have a DESERT. Considering all of the benefits of healthy land, soil and forests, Environmentally, economically, for the wildlife and even for UR OWN HEALTH. It’s pretty selfish and ignorant of you to say that it’s boring 🥱, maybe it is for YOU but its not for EVERYONE specifically people who like to walk in nature. Don’t go to Finland if u find it that boring 🤷‍♀ I agree the uk has a lot of beautiful scenery but if people keep destroying nature then it wont anymore 😐 Also yes environments change , it’s normal… At this rate? No it’s not normal… science has proven over and over that human activities ARE INFACT making environments / climates change faster. Indigenous people are actually LOSING THEIR HOMES because of it. 🌳 But people are to selfish to realise, because they don’t care unless if it effects THEM.😑

[@sandersson2813]

@@Thatturtlee You have clearly misunderstood me. First of all there aren't any areas of desert in Scotland, or indeed the UK, secondly I don't deny the importance of forests and other vegetation. My point was that if your entire country is covered in trees, it is boring, this is why I mentioned Finland because if you've ever been anywhere where all you can see is trees, it IS boring. You need a variety of landscapes and types of (and lack of ) vegetation . I'm not for a moment saying trees are boring, just that nothing but trees is boring.

[@BattleDrunk]

Love your videos buddy very not often do we see our own lands in so much detail with so much history also. Thank you

[@RCSVirginia]

Educating the public on how to properly prepare and cook venison would be a smart tactic for conservationists and environmentalists to pursue. Most hunters prefer first to soak venison in a liquid solution: salt water, ice water, vinegar & water, buttermilk or milk. After that, it will ofttimes be marinated, then grilled or cooked in a sauce. Venison is perfectly suited for curries and chilis. It, also, can be used for Middle Eastern, Caribbean and African dishes that call for lamb or goat. Turning deer into a protein resource that people will use will benefit both cooks and the British landscape.

[@rodcurrieclassics8102]

Venison make fantastic casserole. No special prep needed

[@RCSVirginia]

@@rodcurrieclassics8102 Without proper preparation and cooking, many people are going to find venison to be too gamey. Then, they will be turned off by it and will never try it again. The idea is to get people to eat it on a regular basis. One can just search on YT and find all sorts of ways that people prepare venison in order that it will taste good to most people.

[@RCSVirginia]

@@rodcurrieclassics8102 Without proper preparation and cooking, many people are going to find venison to be too gamey. Then, they will be turned off by it and will never try it again. The idea is to get people to eat it on a regular basis.

[@holli3716]

​@RCSVirginia Is it not cost effective? For context, here in the US my family would get 1-2 elk every year for meat. An elk tag is like $40 ish, so $80 for 2 Whereas half a beef is like $2,000 Is price not a motivation over there?

[@kesselrunner]

When wilderness becomes a part of human culture, the conservation of it becomes our duty. A healthy garden requires tending.

[@maryhairy1]

The lynx introduction is a better idea than fences. I’m sure the deer are great high jumpers & the expensive fences aren’t going to restrict their movement.

[@Kivikesku]

Fences do restrict deer movement. Here in Finland, we have a lot of fences that prevent deer and moose from running across high speed roads. And no, deer do not jump over those fences. Also, we do have lynxes, wolves and bears but deer are still numerous.

[@HootMaRoot]

In the western Isles we had an estate put up an 8 foot fence to stop red deer but what they didn't realise was they trapped deer which in turn ruined the land and over 1 year later spent even more money having to remove the fence. But this is what happens when ppl that don't understand the land own it and try control it

[@Times_Ticking]

Long ranges of fences have significant impacts on the environment and ecology, and Australia provides a particularly noteworthy example.

[@MikeJones-mf2fw]

It would be cool to see a lynx subspecies that grew rapidly because they have to hunt deer. Like 60-70 lbs lynx would look nuts.

[@jonlobello7151]

I know that when wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone (what?...30 years ago now) it was discovered that by introducing the main predator of elk and bison it caused a cascade affect that changed the ecological dynamic condition of the park in a good way by benefiting many more species of animals, allowing streams banks and flood planes to be revegatated and making better habitat for smaller mammals (beaver), birds and fish. This in affect dramatically cut down overgrasing by re-establishing the fear of predators to the elk and bison population making them not linger too long on any particular piece of ground. Wolves are a "keystone" species that really need to be put back into the Scottish highlands if you want you pine forest to come back (if you can get the public to agree).

[@zwrks]

This is the only youtube channel that i have been excited for every upload. as i am a photographer and we both have a love for nature its always amazing to see even more than what i already have. I am excited what is next and thank you for speaking so openly and not caring about the upper in power.

[@Freesavh1776]

You're doing great work. Having Scott's ancestry, but being a red blooded American I love seeing the work done to restore the ancient lands.

[@tedtimmis8135]

As an American from Michigan, I’ve always been puzzled by the deforestation all over Great Britain. In eastern North America, clear cut areas quickly reforest even without intervention.

[@tedtimmis8135]

In 2023, Michigan had roughly 500,000 deer hunters and a deer kill of 274,000. Perhaps this explains the difference in reforestation. However, even with this hunt, deer populations are stable and growing.

[@TheIRISHredhead]

Best Dear Fences are round - the deer will constantly run around the circular fence and never finding a corner to jump, they just get tired and give up! Andrew St. Ledger (now passed away) from the Woodland League Ireland discovered this amazing fact after decades of dealing with deer saturated land where he grows native trees (which deers lovez) very successfully!!!

[@LeaveCurious]

hmmm very interesting, I'll have to look up A.Ledger. Cheers!

[@johannesspies]

Wolfs. Bring them back. Restore nature. Learn how to farm along them. It is absolutely possible.

[@Aethuviel]

Lynx is the first step. People are extremely hostile towards wolves, and lynx cause less problems, while getting People used to the idea of having large predators in the landscape again.

[@VickyJacobs]

In Belgium hunting certain animals is allowed during hunting season and considered part of nature preservation & wildlife control. Also, the wolf has made a comeback in 2011 and it's estimated that right now there are about 24 wolves inhabiting Belgium.

[@deinsilverdrac8695]

lynxes too had been seen in our country my grand-father think he saw one, and there's even, they came back during the confinement, in 2020-2021 unfortunately it's only a lone male, we can only hope some female can cross from germany or france to our country or that reintroduction is made same for bison, there's apparently some sort of reintroduction project for the eurasian wisent in southern of Wallonia, but nothing concrete for now

[@debbiegilmour6171]

Land use in Scotland has been systemically very badly managed for hundreds of years. The conspiracist in me would say that it was a very deliberate decision to drive the contrapopulation of the Highlands (which in actuality can account for as much as 80% of Scotland's land area) because it historically was a source of great resistance to English rule and the Jacobites recruited heavily from there. Part of me does bristle at these rewilding projects since they are ignoring the history of the settled peoples there, a people that had lived throughout Scotland since the end of the last ice age and it makes these areas cultural deserts even if it fixes them ecologically. In Europe one does find that large wild areas can coexist quite happily interspersed with human civilisation than has been common in Scotland for the last few centuries.

[@nickryan3417]

@@debbiegilmour6171 The clearances were financially motivated - sheep were more valuable than peasants and therefore the peasants were "relocated". Usually to ridiculously inhospitable places. There have been various peoples calling Scotland home, there are not one "people that had lived throughout Scotland since the end of the last ice age". Over thousands of years the land has seen many invasions and migrations from pretty much all directions (e.g. everything except for the North West) the most recent were the Picts and Gaels, but before that it was a real assortment of invaders which tends to be where the Nordic rather than Irish cultural inputs come from but the Bretons also held a sway of Scotland too.

[@debbiegilmour6171]

@@nickryan3417 Sheep aren't worth much more than a couple of thousand pounds over their rather short lifetimes. They can't be taught anything of value and they get themselves killed in all manner of stupid fashions. Compare that to a human who can live up to eighty years and contribute decades worth of work to the economy. No sheep is ever going to paint a great work of art, discover a cure for cancer, stand for election, and most pertinently no sheep will ever take part in a political uprising. A human sure as well can however. The whole idea that sheep are somehow more valuable than people is risible. The people were relocated because the English didn't like the idea of facing another Jacobite uprising after the 1745. While it was defeated, the loss to victory ratio was not favourable to the English and it wouldn't have been sustainable to the UK in the long term. The vast majority of people living in Scotland today are by and large the same as those who lived in those areas 10,000 years ago. It is well documented.

[@Foxtrottangoabc]

@@debbiegilmour6171 DNA esearch shows that the locals who lived around the last ice asge no longer exist and have been replaced by people from the east thousands of years ago . Its easy to blame the past ,but really the past of more than 50 yrs ago does not come into it. Its modern day Scots and the new devolved Scottish government that need changing their mindset. From what i understand its Foreign Billionaires who are buying up Scottish land and rewilding it that are doing the most good

[@kris2fari]

Here in New Zealand/Aotearoa from mans hands pre and post colonial times the removal and changes to the once heavily forested landscapes has been astounding. As we have become slowly but surely become much more aware of cause and effect there's an increasing desire to redress imbalances and reserve and restore natural areas. Good tidings Scotland, a innovative sincere peoples from my experience, you've got this ❤

[@Telthecelt]

Subscribing to this intelligent channel. I love our highlands (and other areas) and have hiked there around 5 times per month for around 10 years now. The natural areas are ...magical. Looking forward to viewing more.

[@MM-mq5uj]

I always enjoy watching your videos! love your work guys!

[@RobertB168]

I remember seeing stumps with the marks of the axe, weathering out of eroded peat on Rannoch Moor.

[@PropTM]

Loved this video so much we need more people like you sharing some light on the situation with the failing ecology in scotland, I also have massive respect for explaining clearly the huge benefit of deer management in just the area of scotland, people forget that we live on an island which lost the "Wild" countryside many moons ago and as you mentioned there is no longer any apex predators in scotland which allows the deer free roam to strive in a scottish "desert" eating any/all new springs of life. There is 6 species of deer in the UK and there is roughly about 2 million deer in total and there is about 67 million of us living along side them so we have to share it with them and jump into the food chain to conserve the countryside, help it regenerate like you say. It can be so fustrating when people fixsate over the culling of deer when it is something we have brought on our selfs, but the arrogant, incompetent and dimwitted people often found in cities have a weird understanding of how our forests and countryside functions and needs us to do so. I would agree with you as well on the idea of bring lynx back into our ecology but think that wolves would be a step to far as they can be far more destructive within human domains.

[@Floxflow]

Wow. The visuals are spectacular. The backing track and voice over is also fantastic. Great video. Thanks 🙏👍

[@Ksu_]

I love Mossy Earth and Tree for life's work

[@BenJamin-rt7ui]

Waitrose sources all its venison from farms in England. Why can't I buy a wild venison burger from a supermarket? This would surely be a win-win? I don't buy farmed meat because I think it's cruel. I've got no problem eating sustainably harvested meat and fish. I can't be the only one.

[@LeaveCurious]

Yeah thats a good argument!!

[@HootMaRoot]

Because wild venison is sold at such a premium supermarkets couldn't sell it, so many of the estates that do culls end up having to dispose of them instead of lowering the price

[@lindasemple4687]

Wild venison not for the likes of us.

[@georgelane6350]

If you harvest so much venison that you have to throw it away, then you can just sell it cheaper. That is literally the underpinning of economics.

[@kurojester4513]

@@georgelane6350 It’s not so much that it would be worth lowering the price because that lower price wouldn’t cover the costs. There’s not that much demand and getting smaller local things made to larger chains is expensive.

[@DGT73]

Excellent video. Agree on all points.

[@benmcreynolds8581]

I live in Oregon and it's such a shame the forest wilderness has been really impacted there. It's nice to see those few places with lichen covered tree's & more biodiversity other than just open bland grass land

[@JenniBrown]

you have a beautiful, brilliant channel. Please keep it going, I love it, so informative, so empathetic to our natural world, so well presented.

[@babysisdolls3336]

curious American, i can only think of Yellostone Park intro of the wolf back into the ecology..how it help fix river erosion.

[@babysisdolls3336]

the deer overgrazing caused flooding and decreased absorption of rain as it flows toward the rivers.

[@IanPhillipsWildlife]

I hate the need for the deer cull but for now its the only option. We need to work out a way to overcome the resistance to Lynx and Wolf reintroduction and as long as half of private land in the highlands is currently covered by hunting estates that is going to be tough.

[@gregarmstrong2500]

Hit the nail on the head. The issue is the pattern of land ownership. Until we have proper land reform, it will be very difficult to make any change for the public good over the private good.

[@Elfrida-ls2mo]

Spot on They Want To Wipe out the Wildlife Trust Me Most Areas in England have Already Lost Over 90 Percent of their Wildlife and More River Life in 30 Years the English will have to Go To Holiday Areas to See What's Left Of Some their Wild Life Part of Agenda Total Control of Humanity This Part Is Food Price Quality Control The Also Plan To Over Populate Scotland Protect All Farm Land Your Green Belt Hedgerows and Wildlife Scotland Better Grow a Spine Fast The Irish Are

[@Elfrida-ls2mo]

The Viking then the Germans Brought Wolves to The UK They Dont Belong Here and Large Cats are insane This Is Planned Dont Let it Happen

[@adamson4net]

Look at the wildlife management in any publicly owned land, ie parks. No investment into wildlife management allows invasive and destructive species to flourish while things like song birds diminish.

[@gregarmstrong2500]

@@adamson4net Spend a couple of hours walking around privately owned deer stalking land then spend a couple of hours walking around one of our publicly owned, protected forests. They certainly aren't perfect, but if you can't see the difference between those two places, I don't know what to say...

[@williamnelson2228]

The Yorkshire Moors are quite similar. A barren, stripped landscape that doesn't seem to be used for anything, except I suppose for London toffs to play with guns from time to time, there aren't even sheep on most of it. What a waste.

[@Para2normal]

Several years ago I was a Taxi Driver in North Lancashire, I was given a job to take a young man to Skipton. All the way along the journey he was pointing out which member of the Aristocracy owned which bits of land and how he had been invited to go on Pheasant shoots there. I got fairly annoyed with him and asked if he had ever seen a Hen Harrier and how he could be fine with the gamekeepers wantonly killing them. The rest of the journey passed in mutual silence.

[@10hawell]

I want some "deserts" kept, both are beautiful and worth protecting or restoring

[@bpetey5970]

I agree. I think just trying unilaterally cover all of Scotland with trees isn’t the way. There’s a compromise. Scotland’s grassy heathered, glens, moors and hills are some of the most beautiful places on earth. Nurturing the return of some of Scotland’s natural forests should be an important goal, but also nurturing crofting and larger farms is also very important. Also helping all understand the importance of hunting and management of deer populations. Stalking deer is a wonderful practice that has deep roots in our human history. And Scotland’s history. Lovely lovely Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@10hawell]

I would love to see Wolf, lynx, boar, bear, and european bison reintroduced to Scotland. There are even reports of accidental introduction of panthers with is unexpected return to Pleistocene. Hinting is good, and having more species to hunt, same or resembling ones our ancestors hunted thousands of years ago is even better. People got to soft, there's no wilderness in the UK, it's all a safe garden and that empowers for weakness, can you truly feel magic of the place and presence of your ancestors when you took out raw power of nature from the landscape?

[@Christina-ql2mh]

This is a really thoughtful and informative video. Thank you for making and sharing it :)

[@kamlee4010]

We live close to Thunder Bay ,Ontario Canada and few years ago we seen this man with a dog walking east. I later found out he was a Scottish fella walking across the Canada to raise awareness of Scotland’s lack of trees and some donations would help. Grateful to see him doing this and hope he was successful in helping Scotland . Any trees that he raised would be greatly appreciated by Canadians

[@liamfinch4129]

Sheep have devastated tens of thousands of acres of woodland and other vegetation across these British Isles.

[@LeaveCurious]

We sure love sheep.

[@jazy13u]

Seems like we eat more chicken and beef tho LOL @@LeaveCurious

[@aidanthomson6022]

No people have its there sheep

[@HootMaRoot]

Think you will find it is now the uncontrolled red deer that is ruining the Scottish Highlands and islands moorland

[@spiral-m]

@@HootMaRoot Nope, plenty of areas with no deer, plenty of sheep and cattle with denuded soils and vegetation in Scotland. E.g many Hebridean islands. Fencing off conservation projects boosted health for ecosystems there. I've seen these changes with my own eyes.

[@nurmihusa7780]

The Black Wood of Rannoch. A beautiful name for a stunningly beautiful place.

[@PROMETHEUS20890]

Deer fences kill capercaillie, which are in danger of becoming extinct in Scotland 😊

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

So... effectively, deer kill capercaillie, because the need for deer fences which you say kill capercaillie is caused by deer overpopulation.

[@chrisrasku2261]

How do the fences kill the bird? It can fly.

[@BambiTrout]

@@chrisrasku2261 That's part of the problem. When they're flying fast, they can't always see the netting of the fences - it looks like open space to them, so they collide and get stuck, becoming easy prey. Even marked fences can cause problems, because any gap in the marking creates what looks like an opening, and so the birds all fly straight at that spot.

[@chrisrasku2261]

@BambiTrout I see. That makes sense.sense. I live in brooktrails ca. I have 16 acres. I fensed about 3 acres off with 6 ft. No clime fense. It is 4 times as dense as normal fencing. The holes are only about 1, and half inches wide and 3 inches tall. So nothing can get a foot in to clime. Sounds like it would be good for these areas. The fense is strong enough that it has kept a black bear out twice. You can see where she pushed the fence down at the top but could not get in. You can even see where her paws were.

[@TheCutiePatrol]

​@@chrisrasku2261 we have an issue with deer because we have wiped out all predators in the UK, we used to have wolves and lynx, which would hunt deer.

[@vernonhedge4530]

I clicked on this whimsically. It is a really good video. Thank you for creating and posting it. I'm wary of forrests, but I really see what you mean by the open canopy of the native woodland. Beautiful. I think more human hunting of deers is fine and I'll go as far as the lynx. No wolves and bears for reintroduction, I'd say. I can't understand why there is not a larger tourist hunting industry. Beautiful country with great whisky and the best IPA anywhere. I do like a lot of the vast open glens too. Scotland is my favourite country to visit. Anyway, great video, and I am so grateful you only asked for like/ subscription at the end. Lots of vloggers waste our time with doing that at the start, thus wasting our time and being totally presumptious that we approve of the video. I was happy to like and subrscribe

[@hydorah]

It's quite similar to Dartmoor. It's kept from reforesting. Gorse is cleared and the land is free grazing for farmers. This lack of vegetation allows for chronic erosion

[@michaelsnelling3338]

AIUI Charles will not allow reforesting too much money from rentals?

[@robplazzman6049]

How much of my native South Downs are golf courses. All that artificial landscape to keep a handful of people happy.

[@valkyriedd5849]

Bring the predators back, tried in the 1990's but the farming lobby was against it.

[@OzzieMozzie777]

In terms of controlling the deer population, I think both reintroducting native predators like bears, wolves etc and human culling would be effective

[@gothicgolem2947]

I sadly think it’s gonna be a long time if ever that wolves and bears are introduced. There’s just too much fear by humans let alone livestock issues. Lynx are a much better idea at least in the near term to reintroduce as they pose zero threat to humans.

[@OzzieMozzie777]

@@gothicgolem2947 I certainly wouldn't be opposed to introducing lynx, but as a singular predatory animal, nothing but humans would be capable of being a predator that could keep them in check also. The way I see it if you're going to have some of it, you got to have all of it. Here in North America we have lots of predatory animals that can indeed be a threat to humans, but most people have enough common sense to take certain precautions when in an area that has said predatory animals. They compete with each other for food sources, so in other words they keep the other's population in check, with less intervention from humans being necessary. Nice username btw lol

[@theotheseaeagle]

Personally I don’t think the UK could support bears. Wolves and Lynx maybe. But bears? Definitely not in its current state

[@gothicgolem2947]

@@OzzieMozzie777 idk if we’d need to keep them in check for a long time. There’s only so much land in Scotland that they can live in so the numbers can only increase so much until more land is reworded to support them. I really don’t think that’s a good idea. Too many would be scared of wolves and farmers would be terrified so it just would not work. It’s hard enough just getting the lynx to come back getting wolves or bears might make it impossible. Thanks lol like yours too

[@OzzieMozzie777]

@@gothicgolem2947 fair points, perhaps you're right. But people like farmers would be less terrified of them if they wouldn't get in massive trouble for just shooting them or trapping them. The fact that this is such a real concern for them is insane frankly, especially if the animal poses a threat to livestock and or people. I guess I have more traditional views on how nature should be

[@edwardmiessner6502]

Nationalize or reregulate the shooting, forestry, and sheep grazing estates. Continue reintroducing lynx but also introduce wolves and bears. People cannot be the only apex predators.

[@DrTofutybeast]

Thank 🕊️ you. I love the sound scape. Magnificent production.

[@stars_pov]

I really appreciate you bringing attention to this. It's probably the subject I've been most passionate about for my entire adult life. It makes me sad to think about the need for a deer cull, but I think there needs to be a much bigger focus and campaign over this from the government. I don't think rewilding the barren areas of Scotland is a politically polarising, and we have campaigns for littering and recycling - there's no reason why we can't have one for rewilding our beautiful landscape. Initiatives like this help the public opinion in regards to the reintroduction of natural predators, and we should look to Canada, Norway for examples of how people can enjoy walking, climbing, and various other outdoor activities safely while sharing the land with predators.

[@Gibbonologist]

Thank you so much for this video, I am impressed on how much information you were able to pack in in 12 minutes! I think that the only real solution to saving Scotland's natural ecosystems is a predator and apex predator reintroduction. When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone national park, the ecosystem turned into a thriving one once again, and I think the same could be done in Scotland. I understand that there is a lot of fear of apex predators like Wolves and bears in the UK but as someone who comes from Canada where there are literally Bears, Coyotes and Cougars roaming the neighbourhoods, I can assure that they don't pose much of a threat, as attacks are quite rare. Wolves are generally secretive and avoid any encounters with humans, and brown bears behave similarly. Neither creatures like venturing into human territory, and so if we give them enough space, they can do their jobs as predators in an ecosystem, all while rarely ever harming humans.

[@kathrynbowers3189]

As a Montanan (USA), I think that apex predator reintro, inc. wolves along side lynx, & culling, are all viable goals. After all, the culled meat can/could/should be used ... Food banks & the like. And even tho' many people here decry the reintro. of wolves to Yellowstone, *I* think "it's about damn time!" But I suppose I'm in the minority. And even tho' these major changes are likely to happen slowly, I wish Scotland "Godspeed!" in her endeavors! 😁💖

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

have you ever heard of chronic wasting disease

[@gordonshon9854]

Lovely Cinematography. Have noticed exactly what you are talking about. As a boy I used to be a grouse beater in one spot in particular spot "Sma Glen" & I see the trees creeping up the hills on my tours when I stop there. A lot of farms are selling the land off as the children defiantly don't want to work as hard as their grandparents.

[@myliminalelement7835]

I love that you provide us with both historical background here snd the solutions on Mossy Earth❤

[@JAMamation]

Unfortunately in England we have grouse shooting to thank for a lot of the 'deserts' that still exist. I hope we can reverse it one day down here too and bring back the lush forests.

[@HakunaMaPumbaa]

Thank you so much for your very important work to inform about the current state and the possibilities to get these native forest back in Scotland ❤ Cheers from Germany

[@CountProsper]

Hunting isn't the problem, it's lack of hunting, sheep are the main culprits. These trees disappeared thousands of years ago. Only sheep farming could have caused this back then.

[@DesertTOON]

I lived in Eastern Oregon high desert, and it is full of trees (Ponderosas). So, if it can happen there it can happen in Scotland.

[@dinkohrvat344]

The farmers in the high land of all parts of the UK have stripped all vegetation from the hill sides . Sheep farming is a catastrophe . Scotland is paying a very serious ecological price in subsidising rural lifestyle for a a few farmers and estate owners

[@johnkelly3886]

Land use and ownership in Scotland, needs radical reform.

[@vonsprague7913]

The Highlands and islands of Scotland are living and working communities not a theme park or conservation area. Any project needs to be beneficial to the indigenous people rather than just educated English and lowland people telling us how it needs to be. There are real benefits in ecological projects for Scotland and it's people in tourism, land management and animal management including the reintroduction of species such as the Beaver, Lynx and even Wolves. Education of local people is essential, retraining and a clear understanding of the long term benefits to the struggling population would ensure co-operation (ye'll never get it fram all mind). Plus a buy back of land from the large estates putting the huge areas of forest into the hands of the nation rather than a few rich individuals many of whom don't even live in Scotia. There's no money in sheep anymore and precious little in shooting rights but if schemes can be integrated alongside the indigenous people of the Highlands and Islands then they will and must work. 💙🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@sweettrak4221]

❤

[@aa-xg3ct]

👍👏

[@stonemarten1400]

Well said and I agree with almost all your points. I would love to see more people living and working in the Highlands and Islands too, perhaps reviving some of the communities from times before the clearances, although folks would need to temper their expectations. As an estate manager in Scotland, I would caution the blanket break-up of large estates however, as economies of scale often allow employment opportunities that smaller, owner-occupied crofts may not be able to afford, especially if these are sold-on as second or holiday homes. Definitely agree that there are opportunities and benefits in re-wilding, eco-tourism and suchlike, sensitive to the interests of local people.

[@snowstrobe]

We need to return at least 50% of the land to be utterly wild, without us in it at all. We also need to remove our roads and rail-lines from the areas. What is called 'Clearances' in Scotland, was called 'Enclosure' in England/Cymru. It urgently needs to be reversed.

[@scottruthven9282]

Yes,let's turn Scotland into a Disney nature park,some of us actually live and work here,you try living without roads and railways.🙄

[@snowstrobe]

@@scottruthven9282 It's so revealing that you think wild-life equates to disneyfication, when it really is the opposite. You don't NEED the roads and rail, you just want them so you can carry on your destructive lifestyle.

[@scottruthven9282]

I will take my donkey to work shall I, mabe carry my wife or kids the 10 miles to the doctors on my back, its Scotland not Alaska,get back to reality.

[@evancrews2973]

Reintroducing Lynx seems like a no-brainer to me.

[@buckieloon]

An excellent video, Loch Rannoch is my family’s favourite place - thank you ! 🌳

[@ocirontariocryptidinvestig8010]

I grew up here in Ontario Canada in a artificial planted scots pine forest. the tree is so common now they are invasive and rapidly expanding their range everywhere in the oak ridge highlands. the thing is though we have mountain lions black bears and wolves that insure that deer populations remain at a reasonable level. lions bears and wolves are miss understood by you guys they really are timid creatures and know to avoid humans. only time I ever came close to any of them was when I heard a stick break behind me when I was checking my weed plants and had 2 wolves come out of the trees and just trot past me. they never even acknowledged I was there just walked by me 6 feet away back into the trees. keep in mind I have lived in the woods for 34 years and that's it one close run in with no aggression shown.

[@davidsivills3599]

I can't believe how barren and lifeless the land looks,trees are so important to bring back biodiversity to the land.I thought Scotland was more forested than it is,sadly not.

[@johnnychapman5623]

A "desert" is a place that gets less than 10 inches of rain annually, I don't think there is anywhere in Scotland that qualifies as a desert

[@little_old_brit7113]

I say lets bring back the Apex predaters better that throwing millions ast projects to protect only to be out donr by nature so let nature take care of nature bring back the Apex Predaters.

[@stefanlosinski5238]

Similar problems here in Ireland. May I ask where that wonderful Oak is that's shown in your video ?. Thanks for your work. I think it would be good to put the balance of the land back in natures favour in Scotland, what a wonderful opportunity to return the wilderness..

[@NorthernWayfarer-Alice]

if you think they're deserts with just grass, then you are not looking closely enough. Many of these areas are ecological goldmines of rare plant, insect, and bird species. The areas that are covered by peatbog need leaving alone and protecting. Glad to see native forests recovering, but they shouldn't be planted at the expense of peat.

[@alanjones4622]

I remember many years ago now being in the Derry lodge area, the glen south of Ben Macdui. Some parts of the glen had been fenced off to keep out deer and sheep. Those fenced areas were full of new naturally seeded trees and bushes, all growing well. Outside of the fences was just brown grass and heather. The difference was quite stark.

[@MrZnarffy]

Hunting the deer is a first step, but then you need to add the predators too. The apex predators make the deer change their behaviour, and not graze in the same spot so long.. I think introducing lynxes are a top notch idea. But to get it accepted I think you would need to select an island outside the scottish mainland to start it on. It would show how well it works and make people more accepting.. The main ones you need to convince are the locals though, so in some ways they need to benefit from the change. Here in Sweden the best example of how that worked is the brown bear. For many years it was protected, and still struggling. Then they decided to allow a few individuals to be shot each year, which the local hunters all loved. Suddenly you went from the situation a bear in the forest near you was just bad, to being great. From having a bear near you only threathening your livestock, to the possibility to shoot a bear, be able to brag to your neighbours, and get economical benefit from the skin/meat. All illegal poaching, which still happens if the locals dont want the animals around, stopped overnight.. And the bear population took off. And the bears keep their fear of humans, which means they don't come near anyone making noise out walking in the woods... This too needs to happen in scotland, with any predator introduced. If the locals benefit, the nature benefit...

[@ellieban]

Humans *are* a natural predator of deer. I would choose wild hunted venison over industrially farmed meat every day of my life. I’m all for finding a way to work with hunters to improve the ecosystem for everyone. And the artificial propping up of unsustainable numbers of deer together with wholesale ecocide committed in the name of the economically minuscule hunting industry has to stop.

[@ellieban]

Bring on the Lynx! ❤️🐅

[@gregarmstrong2500]

The issue is what it has always been. Scotland is seen as a playground for the rich. Vast swathes of land are owned and deliberately kept in an ecologically unviable state so that the landowners can bring their pals up to play at being hunters and feel special at the expense of the country. The only way to resolve this is land reform and redistribution. A land tax that increases per acre owned to make it financially unviable for a few multi-millionaires to own half the country would be a good start. A move to eating hunted venison would only increase the financial viability of keeping the land in this state and keeping absurdly high levels of deer. It would only encourage more misuse and consolidation of land. (Just to clarify, I'm all for deer culling and making use of that meat. I just think it needs to be done in a way that doesn't encourage the use of land for raising more deer in the long term.)

[@deinsilverdrac8695]

no human are opportunistic hunter, but no natural predators. Look at us, we're primate not wolves or feline, we are not natural born killer, we are not strict carnivore, and our lineage is that of frugivorous opportunistic apes. Our natural diet is mainly composed of fruits, roots, nuts, vegetables, tubers, mushroom, and maybe some fishes and insects and other invertebrate. With some scavenging and small game on occasion. Regular hunting is actually really recent in our History. Also it,'s not natural predation especially with fucking manufactured guns, or when you kill 10 time more than you need, or feed and farm the deers to maintain the overpopulation to continue your business for money. and also, human are non-native, a species that did not belong to any ecosystem in Scotland, so no we do not count as natural predators there, we're invasive species. wild game meat is not more ethical than pork, chicken and beef, more ecological maybe, (depend on the species hunted) and lot of "wild" game meat came from farmed animals that are kept under condition similar to that of industrial intensive farming, then released in the wild or in large enclosure to be hunted and killed. deers, boar, pheasan, partridge etc. For exemple, where hundreds of thousands of them are farmed, bred in horrible condition then released to be hunted. Which is a major sanitary risk, like bird flu, african procine pest etc. And very immoral, and ecological destruction as it introduce exotic animals or degrade the genetics of the local wild populations and if you think this is rare and anecdotic, well think again, this is 50 millions birds per years www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/18/release-of-non-native-game-birds-to-be-challenged-in-court

[@triple3miller]

​@deinsilverdrac8695 Humans are natural predators and have been hunting for survival our entire existence. Apes hunt monkeys to survive. Humans have used arrowheads and spears dating back 100,000 years for hunting. We couldn't have survived the winters without meat. That's why we were called 'hunter gatherers' before we started cultivating crops. Native Americans and Eskimos survived almost solely by hunting.

[@jamesgoode9246]

At 3:42, the volume of this video went much lower. WHY ?

[@stevemiller7949]

I know at close range that deer are overwhelming my city in America. It stands to reason the problem is nationwide. And we have opposition to culling here as well. I don't see an alternative . Salt lick sterilization has been tried and apparently failed. We have seen large groups of turkeys arrive also, but I have not heard of damage (except, to gardens.)💚💚

[@mikemyers7721]

Bring back the Lynx and the wolf, the best way to look after nature is, let nature look after it's self. You need the apex predators to do this. Yellowstone park in the USA is a beacon of how beautifully this works. I know farmers and land owners will complain about it but they deal with theses predators in Europe and all over the world. Talk to them and see how they handle it. We have let nature be nature and work with it not against it for the better of everything.

[@chriswarburtonbrown1566]

'Desert' also applies to much of Northern England, Wales, Exmoor and Dartmoor. There is some valley woodland but the tops are grazed bare across hundreds of thousands of acres.

[@rhiannonayley8159]

I spend my childhood in forests that were full of coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, bears, and even the occasional wolf. That was normal. And people made it work, farmers, ranchers, hikers etc... I understand why people in Scotland are concerned about predator re-introductions. However, I think people here underestimate their own ability to adapt to new circumstances and handle new challenges successfully. If Americans can do it, I know the Scots can.

[@dawert2667]

Right! The predators don’t target humans but you have to suppose that thousands of years of mythologizing locally extinct predators instilled a lot of fear in the people. Especially with wolves; the world used to be chock full of wolves, and the people who exterminated them from the english isles and almost all of europe did so with spears and clubs- there’s literally no reason to be afraid of them anymore

[@johnkelly3886]

The USA is a very much larger country than Scotland. It can afford large wilderness areas.

[@robbieshand6139]

I think one of the other big issues in relation to why Scotland's estates are so barren is the impact of grouse moors. These come from wealthy landowners covering the land in heather that is then burned to cultivate grouse, so they can be shot for sport by other wealthy landowners. Grouse moors are ecologically dire and the burning is of course very bad for air pollution and CO2 emissions.

[@julien1]

natural predation accelerates renewal beyond what science has previously even imagined.