Remarkable before-and-after photos capture the scale of Scotland's ecological recovery

A pioneering long-term photographic project has revealed the scale of nature restoration now taking place in some of the Scottish Highlands' most iconic nature reserves.

Using historical photographs which in some cases date back 70 years, NatureScot, the Scottish Government's environment agency has re-taken the same photos at the same location and at the same time of the year at six of its 43 National Nature Reserves.

The result is a unique time-lapse record of how critically endangered habitats including pine and birch forests together with peat bogs are now recovering thanks to the efforts of conservation managers.

Creag Meagaidh in 1994. Credit: D. Balharry/NatureScot

Creag Meagaidh in 2023. Credit: NatureScot

“We wanted to illustrate what managing nature reserves for conservation actually looks like over decades,” explains Ian Sargent, NatureScot’s Nature Reserves Manager for Central Highland.

“We do a lot of scientific monitoring in our reserves which produces spreadsheets and graphs which are very important to us but the general public aren't sometimes as excited by these. However using time-lapse photography is a way that everyone can immediate see the difference.”

Some of the most dramatic changes that the time-lapse photography has revealed can be seen at the Invereshie and Inshriach National Nature Reserve which lies within the Cairngorms National Park and which also forms part of the wider Cairngorms Connect, one of the UK's most ambitious nature restoration projects.

Between 2017 and 2023 the Caledonian pine forest at the reserve increased by around 25%. With no tree planting or deer fences on the reserve, all of the forest expansion has taken place through natural regeneration which was made possible by the management of the deer population by Cairngorms Connect deer stalkers.

“Globally and in Scotland, nature is in decline and we face a climate emergency. Deer are an iconic part of our biodiversity but in high numbers they can have a negative impact on woodland and other habitats,” says NatureScot Chief Executive Francesca Osowska.

“The sustainable management of Scotland’s deer, such as is happening at Invereshie and Inshriach and elsewhere, is vital if we are to meet ambitious and necessary targets to restore nature and reach net zero.”