Wild at heart

John Cormack visits Alladale Wilderness Lodge and Reserve, north of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.

Ambitious plans to “rewild” 21,000 acres of remote Scottish countryside are well underway.

Alladale Wilderness Lodge, a Reserve and Eco-Tourism development on the border of Sutherland and Ross-shire, forms the location for Oxford University's “WildCRU” scientific research project designed to provide evidence that will underpin biological conservation in the Highlands.

Alladale's mission statement is straightforward: “The Alladale Reserve's purpose is to restore the balance of nature in a wilderness area of the Scottish Highlands while bringing prosperity to the region and its community through investing in conservation and education.” But, Alladale is not only the location for an exciting environmental experiment but also a destination for special interest groups, corporate gatherings or groups of friends who want to relax in a remote spot in the Scottish Highlands.

The original Alladale Lodge was built in 1877 and rebuilt in 1920, as a sporting lodge.

Today it stands on an elevated plateau surrounded by native woodland and with panoramic views over the Reserve Recently BBC Scotland screened a television serial – The Real Monarch of the Glen featuring estate life, progress as well as future plans.

Well-publicised plans to introduce bear, lynx and wolf to the Estate have inevitably been the centre of some controversy – but before this part of the dream can be realised more land will be required and a perimeter fence completed. Eight miles have been built, ...

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• By : John Cormack
• In : Best of Scotland
• Issue : 42
• Page : 21
• Words : 620