On a clear September morning, the view from a ridge above Loch Maree takes some beating: the light coming sideways off the water, and the hills stacked up behind each other into the distance. It’s easy to see why people have built their lives here, and why they care so much about what happens to the place.
The Wester Ross Biosphere is a community-led charity, set up by people who live here rather than by a government office in Edinburgh. Most of its work is practical and unglamorous, and a lot of it comes down to balance: the ancient Caledonian pinewoods of Beinn Eighe against the campervans that now pass through them every July, red deer on the open hill against rewilding that would change that hill completely, and the number of visitors against the quiet and space that bring them here. Since 2016 the Biosphere has covered more than 5,200 square kilometres of hill, loch and coast, and there’s plenty still to do.
None of this looks after itself. It takes time, a fair amount of argument, and money. If you’ve enjoyed your time in Wester Ross, please consider making a donation to the Biosphere. It’s a simple way to give something back to the people looking after this part of the world.