The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

Trees for Life are a registered Scottish charity who are working hard to rewild the Scottish Highlands. The Trees for Life vision is of a revitalised wild forest in the Scottish Highlands, providing space for wildlife to flourish and communities to thrive.

Their mission is to rewild the Scottish Highlands by enabling the restoration of the globally unique Caledonian Forest which once covered much of Scotland. Integral to our success is the involvement of people.  

Trees for Life recognised that the Caledonian Forest is more than trees, but an intricate web of life, that should include the full range of wildlife that originally grew there.  This includes large predators such as wolf and lynx, forest grazers such as wild cattle and special plants such as twinflower. The charity has returned red squirrels to forests in the North West Highlands where the animal had not lived for over 50 years and it has sought to bring back beavers to rivers and lochs that are its natural home.  This is because without the full web of life that make up the forest, it cannot thrive and grow naturally.

Trees for Life is now working to ensure the Caledonian Forest grows from the last patches of the original wild forest that remain so it can grow again in large areas of Scotland. The charity is also seeking to ensure the wild forest can grow at a scale that enables rewilding to happen so nature can look after itself, especially around Glen Affric and Glenmoriston where it has worked for many years.

While human activity has been the cause of the loss of so much forest in Scotland and around the world, people are vital to its future and at Highland Retreats Cannich, we are also doing our bit to help. And you can help too...