A Perthshire estate is aiming to help tackle the nature and climate crises with a pioneering rewilding project – the first of its kind in Scotland.

Led by a mother and daughter team, the family-run Bamff Estate aims to create Bamff Wildland by rewilding of 450 acres – with 12 fields, six woods and some of the UK’s most impressive beaver territories transformed into a nature-rich connected area of land.

Sheep have been removed from the fields, and after a fallow year this land will be linked to the woods and beaver wetlands to form a single rewilding zone.

A crowdfunder to make Bamff Wildland a reality aims to raise at least £24,000 by 2 May.

Funds are needed to kickstart the project, including by creating a perimeter fence so the estate’s internal fencing can eventually be removed.

“As our climate destabilises and threatens human survival, and with heart-breaking accounts of wildlife numbers crashing internationally, farmers and landowners have a responsibility to respond to these twin crises,” said Sophie Ramsay of Bamff Wildland.

“Rewilding is a powerful way of restoring nature to boost wildlife, soak up carbon dioxide and tackle climate breakdown impacts such as flooding and drought. More ambition for large-scale rewilding on less productive farmland is needed now, across the countryside.”

Bamff Wildland’s Crowdfunder, launched on April 1, has already met over 80 per cent of the initial target with two more weeks to go – attracting donations of all sizes and many supportive comments and shares on social media. Rewards for donations include the chance to ‘Adopt a Copse’ or ‘Become a Founding Bamff Rewilder’. 

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“Through a programme of careful monitoring, Bamff Wildland will show what rewilding can do for our diminishing wildlife and for climate action on a Scottish upland sheep farm. Bamff is an averaged sized landholding and could be an example for many similar farms,” said Sophie.

“We will still grow food on other parts of the farm. We believe in more land given over for rewilding, and for connectivity of habitat but also in the importance of local food production.”

“Our Crowdfunder is also helping to demonstrate how public support for rewilding is growing. We hope this will encourage the Scottish Government to support widespread rewilding on marginal land across Scotland, to help meet our climate and biodiversity targets in a cost-effective way.

“Every single donation will make a difference. It’s an opportunity for people to be part of a ground-breaking project to benefit nature, climate and people.”

Future plans for Bamff Wildland include the creation of ponds, planting of native woodlands and wildflower areas, and erection of osprey platforms. The family is also interested in eventually reintroducing rare or locally extinct amphibian species such as the agile frog, pool frog, moor frog and great crested newt. New walking trails across the estate are being created this summer to add to existing access.

To support the appeal, click here.

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