Nice to see a trickle of trees out to the Lairig Ghru and while raking around Coire Odhar came across numerous pines some at 850m and a rowan at 900m. The trees are on the march.

Out today looking at next years montane willow planting sites. So uplifting to see the scale of the regeneration at Mar Lodge now and the forest coming back to life. @ScotlandTBP #rewilding #ecologicalrestoration

The purple heather alongside the colours of the natural regeneration are making Mar Lodge somewhat spectacular just now. Great to see the layers of regeneration and variability in species and density across the site. #ecologicalrestoration #rewilding @ScotlandTBP #pinewood

*should be Fionn

My first visit to Coire Cath nam Fiona in upper Glen Guisachan today. No willows to be found or any particular botanical finds but the spectacular backdrop made up for that ! #mountainwoodlands #cairngorms

5. A walk out in evening light through regenerating pinewood. 6. A flourishing flowering willow alive with insects.

3. @treesurv busy planting 4500 downy willows in Coire Sputan Dearg in our efforts to restore montane willow habitat. 4. A splash of colour from a patch of marsh marigold at the Lochan Uaine outflow.

1/4 Highlights of a great day 1. Pollinators awash with pollen on catkins of montane willows we planted in Coire Etchachan in 2021. 2. Pines establishing above the Hutchison hut at >800m and one at 969m in Coire Sputan Dearg. @ScotlandTBP #rewilding #montanewoodlands

2/2 In this area patches of heather are dying back, falling over and exposing the ground below. Interested to see if these areas give a new improved opportunity for tree regeneration to establish. Or the cause could be a heather pathogen !

1/2 I'm always looking for heather reaching its degeneration phase at Mar Lodge. I've never really observed this anywhere as heather has usually been cropped continually short by grazers or burned. However yesterday I walked through an area where degeneration may be underway ?

Little things ! I spend my day job working on the 30,000ha Mar Lodge Estate but sometimes it is the little things that make your week. Delighted to see the yellow rattle seeds I collected locally and spread on my wildflower bank germinating successfully.

Stunning Glen Derry today. #rewilding @visitabdn #munros #pinewood

Encountered otter tracks quite high up on Beinn Bhrotain today. Interesting that they are raking around in this weather right up there ! @Mammal_Society #otters @N_T_S

Cairngorms at their best today and good to see our planted montane willows will be protected under snow just now. #winter #montanewoodlands #landscapephotography @ScotlandTBP @visitabdn

Magical scenes yesterday and the hoar #frost really highlighting the young regeneration. Breathtaking winter wonderland. @ScotlandTBP @Rewilding #WinterWonderland

While the landforms are stunning in the west, the habitats are degraded. A six hour walk and didn't pass one tree or shrub and very little woodland visible from the summit. @ScotlandTBP #munros @walkhighlands #ecologicalrestoration

A wander off the beaten track today. Great to see scattered but good sized regeneration high on a slope I hadn't walked across before. The trees are advancing ! Also nice that the developing regeneration is visible from a good distance these days. @RewildingB @ScotlandTBP

Stumbled upon another possible Issler's clubmoss site this week. Bit atypical compared to other sites at Mar Lodge and lower altitude 524m. Sample off to Dan Watson for verification ! @BSBIbotany @BSBIScotland #clubmoss #plants

Glen Quoich regeneration really coming through nicely now and simply looking stunning in the autumn colours and light. @CNPnature @N_T_S #rewilding @ScotlandTBP #ecologicalrestoration #Autumn

Although tree planting is required in some situations and can produce a healthy functioning woodland, I'm convinced that where possible and for many reasons, natural regeneration is the best option. @ScotlandTBP