Beavers return to Loch Ness after 500 years in 'emotional' breakthrough for UK conservation

For the first time in five centuries, beavers have returned to the catchment around Loch Ness following the successful reintroduction of a family of six.

The animals were relocated from another part of Scotland under licence from NatureScot and released on Wednesday at a lochan on Dundreggan, a 10,000-acre rewilding estate in Glenmoriston managed by the charity Trees for Life.

Speaking shortly after the event to the Press Association, Steve Micklewright, chief executive of Trees for Life, described watching the animals return to their native habitat as a "very beautiful thing to see".

"I can see them swimming and very calm, which is a really good sign," he said, noting that the family appeared "very settled" right away.

The group comprises a mother, two two-year-old juveniles, and three kits born earlier this year.

They were originally captured in Tayside, where they had been creating difficulties for local farmers, before being taken to a specialist zoo facility for health screening and subsequently released near Loch Ness.

"Now they’re out in the wild, and to see them just being really relaxed is amazing," Mr Micklewright said.

"The little ones have been swimming around, and those are the ones I’ve been watching on the side of the loch grooming each other, which is a real sign that they are settling in."

He added: "Everyone has found this quite emotional. I’m looking at a beaver in a little shrub and it’s having a chew on some bark and things.

"Just to see beavers behaving naturally in the wild in a place where they are welcome, and where they will thrive, has been a very emotional experience."

All six animals entered the water immediately to explore, putting "on a good show" for those present, Mr Micklewright noted.

“I think they’ll be very happy here," he said.

The release marks the beginning of the Ness Beaver Project, a joint initiative between Trees for Life and the Beaver Trust that aims to introduce at least 15 beaver families to the Loch Ness catchment over the next three years.

The charities hailed the initial release as a "major milestone for nature recovery in Britain".

Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, head of restoration at Beaver Trust, said: "It has been profoundly rewarding to release the first beavers at Dundreggan, marking the start of their return to the Loch Ness catchment.

"The extensive woodland and suitable habitat here offer real opportunities for the animals to thrive and bring lasting biodiversity benefits."

Alan McDonnell, Trees for Life’s head of nature restoration, highlighted the species' wider return as one of the country's "biggest rewilding success stories".

He said: "Hunted to extinction centuries ago, beavers are reclaiming their place in our rivers and wetlands – breathing new life into precious landscapes, boosting biodiversity, and bringing eco-tourism opportunities.

"Five hundred years since Loch Ness became the last recorded site of Scotland’s beavers before they were eradicated, they are back with the space and habitat to flourish – bringing with them the potential for new wetlands, more wildlife, and healthier rivers."

Future releases will be announced only after the animals are safely in place, ensuring they can adapt to their surroundings without disturbance.

Prior to reintroduction, all animals are assessed at a dedicated holding unit at Five Sisters Zoo near West Calder.

Gary Curran, collection manager at the zoo, said: "Since Scotland’s first official reintroduction trial in 2009, growing wild populations of beavers have shown what is possible when people work together to restore a lost species.

"The return of beavers to Loch Ness, one of Scotland’s most iconic landscapes, marks a major turning point in this extraordinary national recovery, and we are delighted to be playing a role in this."

Conservationists believe establishing a self-sustaining population around Loch Ness will secure the mammal's future across the Highlands while yielding ecological and community benefits.

Through dam and canal construction, beavers revitalise river and wetland networks, supporting biodiversity while mitigating environmental challenges such as flooding, drought and wildfires.

The project is also expected to enhance local eco-tourism in an economy heavily reliant on natural landscape appeal. Once the family has settled, Trees for Life intends to run guided tours to offer visitors a firsthand look at the animals and their landscape restoration work.