Skye’s Rewilded Garden : An Enchanting Haven At Kinlochfollart.

The Isle of Skye, a land of rugged beauty and landscapes, has become a haven for rewilding projects. Among these are part of the lands of Kinlochfollart which stand out as a unique example of ecological restoration.

Unlike many rewilded areas of Skye, which often focus on restoring moorland or grassland habits, Kinlochfollart boasts a native birch woodland. This woodland, once grazed by sheep as a historical part of the parochial glebe lands (lands which were established to help support a Church of Scotland manse through farming income) has been completely fenced off allowing it to regenerate naturally over a period of twenty years. The absence of a grazing pasture has allowed the mosses and lichens to thrive on the trees in an enchanting environment.

Unfortunately the ancient deeds of the house prevent the owners from fencing off the land all the way to the foreshore to protect it from the depredations of local sheep, but a walk along here provides unprecedented views of almost the entirety of Dunvegan as well as an opportunity to see the famous Dunvegan crabs scuttle for safety at the approach of humans.

The renewal of the land around Kinlochfollart is a testament of the power of nature to heal itself when given a chance.