BY CALUM CAMPBELL Why the Lynx Reintroduction Fantasy Deserves to Stay Extinct The High Court has finally done what common sense should have done years ago: it has stopped the Lynx UK Trust’s quixotic campaign to dump wild predators into the English countryside dead in its tracks. Ms Justice Obi dismissed the Trust’s challenge over Natural England’s refusal to grant a licence for a three-year … Continue reading Leave the Lynx Out
BY CALUM CAMPBELL Let’s cut straight to it. The Cairngorms National Park is shouting from the rooftops about a 30% increase in capercaillie numbers this year. They’re claiming their £12-13m Emergency Plan is working. But scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find something rather inconvenient. Kinveachy Estate – which is part of Seafield and Strathspey estates – saw their capercaillie numbers leap from 25 to … Continue reading Greenwashing Lek Counts?
BY CALUM CAMPBELL Last week, we examined the RSPB’s catastrophic mismanagement of the Abernethy reserve and their shameful treatment of experienced gamekeepers who turned up to help fight the wildfires ravaging the Cairngorms. In the interests of balance, the RSPB were given the opportunity to air their response through their official channels. They have since published an article titled “Wildfires and Conservation”, promising to “separate … Continue reading The Welcome That Says it All
BY CALUM CAMPBELL It is a scene that has become all too familiar. The Cairngorms, one of Scotland’s most cherished landscapes, is ablaze. As firefighters spend another night on the hill near Ryvoan Bothy, and as families are evacuated from their homes in Glenmore, a difficult question hangs in the smoke: how did we get here? The answer, for many, lies not in the weather, … Continue reading Arrogance Fuels the Flames
BY CALUM CAMPBELL Let’s be honest—if you’ve been following the latest rewilding headlines, you’ve probably had that sinking feeling in your gut. The one that says: here we go again. Right now, there’s a huge push to release pine martens into parts of the country where they haven’t set foot for centuries—if they ever even lived there at all. And while the PR machine is working overtime, … Continue reading Have We Learnt Absolutely Nothing?
BY CALUM CAMPBELL The Scottish Government has made peatland restoration a cornerstone of its climate change strategy. Through the NatureScot Peatland ACTION team, and in close partnership with the Cairngorms National Park and the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park, a major programme of landscape-scale intervention is underway. With over 20% of Scotland’s land area covered by peat, the stated goals are ambitious: improve water … Continue reading The Peatland Paradox: When Restoration Becomes Destruction
BY CALUM CAMPBELL A recent article by Jamie Mann in The Ferret—titled “Deer are damaging hundreds of protected areas across Scotland. Experts can’t agree how to stop them”—has sparked controversy among those familiar with Scotland’s deer management and conservation landscape. While the piece presents a dire picture of “rampant deer” causing widespread ecological harm, a closer examination of available data and official assessments reveals a narrative that … Continue reading Reverse, Ferret?
BY CALUM CAMPBELL The recent wildfires in Moray have left a trail of destruction, with stories circulating and facts still emerging. What’s clear is that lessons must be learned—and acted upon—to better handle such disasters in the future. While many are more qualified to speak on this, here are my thoughts. How the Fires Started The Coastguard, during an exercise near Carrbridge, fired a flare … Continue reading Wildfires in Moray: Lessons Learnt?
BY CALUM CAMPBELL Scotland’s forestry and woodland creation schemes are coming under scrutiny, with growing concerns about the harmful impact they are having on already endangered wildlife. This is your chance to push for change in the way these schemes are regulated and implemented, to protect our natural heritage for future generations. A case in point is the Muckrach Estate near Grantown-on-Spey, which recently received … Continue reading Forestry and Woodland Creation Regulation
BY CALUM CAMPBELL I photographed this magnificent cock capercaillie (below) a couple of years ago. I had mixed emotions: excitement and thrill but also sadness at their plight. Currently, the capercaillie population is so low it is hardly sustainable. Their numbers are alarmingly declining due to several reasons. Capercaillie chicks need June to be dry. About three-quarters of their energy is used for rapid growth, … Continue reading Capercaillie in Scotland
BY CALUM CAMPBELL On moving back to the Grantown area in 2020, I made it a priority to try and photograph Blackcock the following Spring. I got the chance on a sporting estate near the headwaters of the River Spey. On doing a little research, I discovered all is not well with the Blackcock population in the UK. Hence the reason they have been put … Continue reading Blackgame Dewilding
