Waters of Life: Fighting for Scotland’s Beavers

Once common across most of the country, beavers were hunted to extinction in the sixteenth century, but returned to Scottish waters in the early 2000s both through authorised and accidental releases. The deadwood wetlands they create benefit a huge numbers of species, but their activities can also cause havoc with land management, and for this reason their reintroduction is a controversial topic. In November 2021 a family of beavers was relocated to Argaty, Perthshire. Never before had beavers in conflict sites been relocated to new areas of Scotland instead of being culled. It paved the way for a new era in human/beaver relations. In this deeply personal account, Argaty’s Tom Bowser tells of his attempts to save these incredible animals, of the support and opposition received and of the unimaginable gains that beavers ultimately brought to his family farm. Tom also traces the history of these animals and tells the stories of the people who brought them back and fought for their right to remain. In doing so he also explores the wider themes of rewilding and nature conservation in Scotland, meeting some of the leading lights of this exciting and movement, highlighting the work that they do and showing why ecological restoration is so important for the future of our planet.