Beaver family reintroduced to iconic Scottish loch 500 years after last sighting

The release marks the first step of the Ness Beaver Project, a joint initiative by Trees for Life and Beaver Trust that both organisations have described as a “major milestone for nature recovery in Britain”.

Under the scheme, a minimum of 15 beaver family groups will be brought to the Loch Ness catchment area over the coming three years, with the aim of establishing a thriving population across the Highlands.

The group includes a mother, two juveniles about two years old, and three kits born earlier this year.

They had been captured on Tayside, where they were reportedly causing difficulties for local farmers, before being transported to Five Sisters Zoo near West Calder for health assessments.

Trees for Life Chief Executive Steve Micklewright called it a “very beautiful thing to see” the creatures back in their natural environment.

He 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.”

The project’s organisers have framed the initiative as a pivotal moment for Scotland’s broader rewilding efforts.

Head of Restoration at Beaver Trust, Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, said: “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, described the beaver’s return to Scottish waterways 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.”

Beavers are natural ecosystem engineers, constructing dams and canals that help restore and reconnect rivers, wetlands and floodplains.

These activities bolster freshwater habitats, support a diverse array of wildlife, and can mitigate the effects of climate change, including flooding, droughts and wildfires.

The charities behind the project also highlighted the economic case for reintroduction, noting that tourism revenue around Loch Ness is heavily dependent on the area’s natural and cultural heritage.

Once the newly released animals have had time to acclimatise, Trees for Life intends to launch guided tours that let visitors observe the beavers, see how they are reshaping the landscape, and witness rewilding in action.

The charities said they will announce future reintroductions after the animals have been safely released, allowing them to settle into their new homes without disturbance.

Before release, the animals undergo health checks at the specialist beaver holding facility 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.”

Mr Micklewright continued: “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 beavers went out into the water straight away and began to explore and “put on a good show”, he said.

Mr Micklewright said: “I think they’ll be very happy here.”