There is a unique beauty in the moorland of the eastern T Highlands. Great, bare rounded hills swell up, the dark ground brightened by the purple of flowering heather. Queen Elizabeth II's Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire is at the heart of this landscape, rising up to the craggy 1,155m Lochnagar.
Walking these hills, you smell the essence of our uplands - peat, heather, a hint of charcoal - carried on a brisk south-westerly breeze, clouds sailing by in a wide sky. But if the Wild Card campaign group - backed by celebrity naturalist Chris Packham - has its way, this landscape will change beyond recognition. Caledonian pine and birch will spread high up the hillsides, montane scrub will overtake much of the heather, and bare peat will be covered in vegetation.
The 20,600-hectare Balmoral Estate is the prime target of those trying to persuade the Royal Family to rewild its land. It's the largest single estate owned by the family, bought by Queen Victoria in 1852. Her husband Prince Albert's enthusiasm for grouse shooting and deer stalking at Balmoral started a trend, leading to the creation of many more grouse moors. The result was wildlife devastation, with records from the time showing some large estates had hundreds of birds of prey and other predators killed annually to save grouse for the guns. Moors were burned so fresh heather would feed the game birds. A large deer population for stalking also suppressed tree growth, leading to today's bare hills.
Some big estates in the Cairngorms are already rewilding. In Glen Feshie since 2006, Danish billionaire i Anders Holch Povlsen has caused a stir by drastically reducing deer numbers to boost woodland growth. On Mar Lodge Estate, a near-neighbour of Balmoral, the National Trust for Scotland has an extensive programme of deer culling, tree planting and natural regeneration. Rewilding campaigners believe many more will follow if the royals take a lead.
This story is from the June 2022 edition of BBC Countryfile Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2022 edition of BBC Countryfile Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Guilt-Free Meat? - Should the world stop eating meat to tackle the climate crisis? Chris Baraniuk meets an experimental farmer who says we don't all have to become vegetarians
Should the world stop eating meat to tackle the climate crisis? Chris Baraniuk meets an experimental farmer who says we don't all have to become vegetarians. Livestock farming around the world is facing scrutiny because of its greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, the sector contributes somewhere between 11.1% and 19.6% of total emissions. Meat production is roughly twice as bad as the production of plant-based food, according to some analyses. And beef is the worst of all. Study after study has suggested that, in order to curtail the devastating effects of climate change, we ought to shift to a diet containing less meat - or even go vegetarian or vegan.
Discover Cider Country - Explore mellow golden countryside, pedalling between medieval villages, historic inns and fruitful orchards, on a delightful Herefordshire Cider Circuit adventure with Julie Brominicks
Explore mellow golden countryside, pedalling between medieval villages, historic inns and fruitful orchards, on a delightful Herefordshire Cider Circuit adventure with Julie Brominicks. I'm cycling Porter's Perfection, one of three cider circuits developed for Visit Herefordshire over the past few years. Each showcases a section of this bucolic county's loveliest villages, pubs, orchards and cidermakers via lanes suited to bicycles - e-bikes for hill-averse cyclists like me. The idea is to allow you to appreciate the sights, sounds and smells of cider country while traversing roads never meant for modern cars. If you have dodgy knees, or are keen to indulge in the local adult apple juice as you go (remember, it's illegal to cycle while under the influence), Visit Herefordshire also promotes cider bus routes.
TOP 10 WILD AUTUMN FOODS
Make the most of seasonal abundance with foraging tips and recipe ideas from wild food expert Liz Knight
The taste of England
Amid pastures farmed by her family for more than four centuries, Mary Quicke is reviving forgotten dairy traditions to produce delicious Devon cheeses
How to eat 30 plants a week
As science proves the many health-boosting benefits of eating at least 30 different plants each week, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall shares recipes to help you meet the magic target
RARE RAFT SPIDER MAKES A COMEBACK
Thanks to dedicated conservation work, this impressive but vulnerable arachnid is resurgent in East Anglia
SPECTACULAR STONEHENGE FINDS
Following the latest astonishing revelation about the Stonehenge Altar Stone's Scottish origins, Dixe Wills looks at recent discoveries that have changed the way we view this impressive and enigmatic Neolithic monument
GALLOWAY NATIONAL PARK DEBATE
Would this protected status bring welcome recognition and attention - or overcrowding and problems for farmers?
Farmers are valued, so why do they feel we don't care?
For farmers out in their fields in all seasons, worried about the future as dramatic levels of rainfall blamed on climate change damage their crops, inflation and uncertainty push up their costs and what they see as unfair imports threaten their livelihoods, here's a spot of unexpectedly good news: the rest of us think you are doing a good job.
Pumpkin patches
Find the perfect jack-o'-lantern for Halloween at a pick-your-own pumpkin patch. Some are simple affairs in tranquil countryside; others offer activities ranging from ghost trains to spooky mazes.
