A Wild Week in Glen Affric

Trees for Life has been doing practical restoration work in Glen Affric for over 35 years. To understand why we were spending seven days out there, you have to look at what they are trying to achieve. It is an ambitious vision: restore the ancient Caledonian Forest across the glen, bring native trees back to the higher slopes, and create a connected, living woodland where wildlife can thrive.

Less than 2% of Scotland’s original Caledonian Forest remains today – much of the land is dominated by cleared hillsides, non-native conifer plantations and overgrazing.

Through the staff volunteering programme and the Wilderness Conservation and Community Fund (WCCF), Wilderness Scotland has provided direct support to Trees for Life. This funding and hands-on time helps the broader Affric Highlands project, an initiative working to connect habitats across the country from east to west.

Rewilding is about restoring natural processes, creating ecological connectivity, and supporting keystone species. Across this open landscape, rare montane species and native pioneer trees have been missing for centuries due to deer pressure and a lack of natural seed sources.

Without human intervention, the forest simply cannot walk back up the hills on its own. It’s about giving nature the boost it needs to kick-start its own long-term recovery, and this is what makes the work of Trees for Life so important.

Basecamp was Athnamulloch Bothy, tucked deep in the glen. With no signal, electricity or running water, it was a true chance to get back to basics.

Washing meant a quick cold plunge in the river, drinking water was taken from the burn to be boiled, and heat came from the wood-burning stoves.

Stepping away from everyday comforts and digital distractions forced a total reset, allowing the group to be fully present and adapt to the new environment.

Communal living brought us together quickly. Our evenings were spent cooking vegetarian meals, playing board games, reading, sharing stories and singing along to the guitar together. That sense of community and camaraderie carried us through the toughest days on the hill.

Beaver activity in the glen.

On our final day, we traded spades for paddles to go canoeing on Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin. Learning about the return of beavers to Glen Affric and seeing how they are actively reshaping the wetland ecosystems was an uplifting finish to our week.

A full week off-grid was an unforgettable reset, but what struck me most, professionally, was the thread connecting this remote glen to our everyday work at Wilderness Scotland.

Knowing that those 1,303 saplings were raised at Dundreggan – a place so familiar to us at Wilderness – before being carried up Càrnach Mòr brought the whole journey full circle. Pushing those roots into the soil gave all that hard work a satisfying purpose. It was a practical way to connect with Trees for Life’s work and see firsthand how our support translates into real impact on the ground.

It is a privilege to play a part in restoring these landscapes and give back to the wild places we love by helping them thrive once again.

You can read more about our Big Project Partners and the work supported by the Wilderness Conservation and Community Fund (WCCF) here.