Of course, I don’t know what the author didn’t tell us, but the book is full of frank explanations about the tensions of estate management in the current ecological, social and political context in Scotland. But, as best as this reader could tell, it is an honest account of progress to date and the massive challenges ahead. It’s an inside story and is described as a celebration of the acquisition of the estate by the National Trust for Scotland in 1995.

This is illustrated early in the book as the author tells us that it would take a fit person around three days to walk the estate’s boundary, and that boundary encompasses 30,000ha, four of the five highest mountains in Scotland and a total of 15 Munros – Knepp, this isn’t. Here we are dealing with Scots Pines, Red Deer, Golden Eagles, mountains, lochs and a very large area.

It’s the equivalent of Isabella Tree’s excellent Wilding, but for the Scottish uplands. This book is about the very long-term regeneration of habitats and wildlife that are underway, and are planned for the future. Painting works for the National Trust for Scotland at Mar Lodge Estate in the Cairngorms. This is Andrew Painting’s first book and it is a cracker. Regeneration is the story of this success, featuring not only the people who are protecting the land and quietly working to undo the wrongs of the past, but also the myriad creatures which inspire them to do so.This book introduces a strong voice in nature writing to the world. The only problem was that due to centuries of abuse by human hands, the ancient Caledonian pinewoods were dying, and it would take radical measures to save them.Īfter twenty-five years of extremely hard work, the pinewoods, bogs, moors and mountains are returning to their former glory. Home to over 5,000 species, this vast expanse of Caledonian woodlands, subarctic mountains, bogs, moors, roaring burns and frozen lochs could be a place where environmental conservation and Highland field sports would exist in harmony. In 1995 the National Trust for Scotland acquired Mar Lodge Estate in the heart of the Cairngorms.

Regeneration is the story of this success. After twenty-five years of extremely hard work, the pinewoods, bogs, moors and mountains of this Caledonian land are returning to their former glory.

Regeneration by Andrew Painting