

CONNECT WITH NATURE IN WESTER ROSS
REWILDING BAC DUBH
Bac Dubh (Gaelic for 'dark moss') is a 92 acre area of land adjacent to the village of Poolewe in Wester Ross, which was acquired in 2024 for the specific purpose of rewilding. Two-thirds of the land is flat peat bog and one-third is steep hillside. Bac Dubh has a mosaic of habitats, but they are degraded. Over the years the biodiversity of the peat bog has declined due to the peat having been cut for fuel. The hillside was once covered in open woodland but a wildfire in 2013 and overgrazing by deer means that it is not regenerating.
Our vision for Bac Dubh is for the peat bog and woodland to be fully restored to an area of wild nature and flourishing biodiversity, enjoyed and respected by residents and visitors alike.


Peat bog restoration
The peat bog at Bac Dubh has historically been cut for fuel, which has left much of the peat exposed so that it dries out and blows away, releasing CO2 and adding to global warming. Rewilding will mean restoration of the peatlands to re-vegetate and re-wet the peat bog. Healthy peatlands capture CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. Because the plants that grow on peatlands do not fully decompose under wet conditions, they do not release carbon which would otherwise be returned to the atmosphere as CO2.

Woodland regeneration
The steep hillside at Bac Dubh was once covered in native woodland of birch, rowan, juniper, holly and hawthorn, evidenced by the many woodland understorey plants such as primroses, bluebells and wood sage that still survive. A wildfire in 2013 sadly destroyed much of the woodland, and the remaining trees are unable to successfully regenerate because of overgrazing by unsustainable red deer numbers. Rewilding will mean reducing deer numbers, planting native trees where appropriate, and protecting regenerating seedlings so that the woodland on the hillside can recover.

Non-native invasive species
Like many other places in the Scottish Highlands, Bac Dubh suffers from the ingress of non-native invasive plant species, notably Rhododendron Ponticum and Cotoneaster, which spread easily and smother native plants. Removing these non-native invasive species is a vital but labour intensive and time consuming task.
We are also constantly on the look-out for American Mink which can decimate endangered water vole populations.

A place for people and nature
Our ultimate vision is for Bac Dubh to become a place for people to connect with wild nature. Once the nature restoration project is flourishing, we'd love to put in some footpaths across the peatland and on the hillside so that people can enjoy the amazing details of the wetland as well as the stunning views from the hill. We are working with local schools to encourage and inspire our young folk to engage with nature, and we have an ever-increasing band of volunteers who are helping us to rewild Bac Dubh. It's an ambitious but very worthwhile project which will take many years.