IT has been dubbed a 'lost world' where rare plants and creatures found nowhere else in Scotland thrive thanks to its unique and ancient environment.

Towering Caledonian Pines counted among the last hold-outs of the primeval forest which once blanketed the land can be found there, along with bizarre and wonderful creepy crawlies which have long-since vanished everywhere else.

And now the forest of the Dundreggan Estate in the Highlands is to be home to the world's first 'rewilding' centre, to help people explore and learn about the region's unique ecology.

Bought for £1.65 million in 2008 by the environmental charity Trees for Life, the estate in Glenmoriston is one of the UK's largest restoration areas and has slowly been transformed in the intervening decade.

The Herald:

The estate is home to rare wildlife 

The former hunting estate was already home to ancient forest fragments, including areas of juniper and dwarf birch, and around half a millions trees have since been planted at the site, creating a rich habitat for returning wildlife, plants and insects.

READ MORE: Groundbreaking bid to save Scotland’s disappearing mountaintop forests

Now Trees for Life is to plough more than £2 million unto building an all-weather visitor centre and events space which it is hoped will act as a gateway for 50,000 visitors a year to access the forest and its trails, and gain and understanding of the charity's rewilding mission.

It is also hoped that the centre will boost the rural economy by providing a new attraction on the journey between Loch Ness and Skye, and benefit the local community through at least 15 new jobs.

Steve Micklewright, Trees for Life’s Chief Executive, said: “Dundreggan Rewilding Centre will showcase how rewilding and nature can give people amazing experiences, create jobs and really benefit local communities. It will celebrate one of the Highlands’ greatest assets – the wild landscapes and unique wildlife being returned through rewilding.”

“Dundreggan has become a beacon of how to rewild a landscape. With this centre, it will become a beacon for rewilding people too.”

The Herald:

The estate is being returned to nature

The core of the centre will  be the establishment of a Gaelic Resource Centre and events space, along with classrooms, a cafe and displays and interpretation.

Outdoor facilities will include fully accessible trails, a 'children’s forest experience' area and more challenging walks for fitness enthusiasts.

READ MORE: Mar Lodge has key role in the survival of the montane willow​

The centre will also provide events and experiences for visitors to the area and families, schools and other groups. It will also cater for groups with specific needs, such as those with physical or learning disabilities.

Dundreggan is home to golden eagles, pine martens, red squirrelsand as rarely-seen invertebrates such as the strawberry spider, azure hawker dragonfly, juniper shield bug and blood-red slave-making ants.

As the name suggestes, these tiny insects maintain their colonies by raiding the nests of other ants for 'slaves', which they take control of and live alongside.

Two rare sawflies, prisiphora borea and monoctenus juniperi, have also been identified and are among the UK's rarest types of this creature.

Nearly 3,000 species of plants and animals have now been identified at the estate in Inverness-shire since the charity began its restoration work.

It has also begun replanting a 700-acre mountaintop woodland of 100,000 trees at Carn na Caorach, which has been grazed down to bare bones over the centuries.

The Rewilding Centre has been developed following extensive consultation with the local community.

READ MORE: Search for young conservation trainees to restore Great Caledonian forest​

Planning permission in principle was granted by Highland Council in April 2019, and Trees for Life will apply for full planning permission this year. Construction should begin in early 2021, with the centre opening in 2022.

The Herald:

Steve Micklewright, Trees for Life’s Chief Executive. (left)

The project has been made possible though a grant from the The Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund, which is led by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), The National Lottery Heritage Fund and others.

SNH Chief Executive Francesca Osowska said: “A key priority for SNH is to help ensure tourism and other sectors benefit from, and invest in, Scotland’s high-quality environment. Nature and culture are closely linked in the Highlands and Islands, and in many places they are central to the local economy, maintaining rural populations, jobs and skills.”