Trees Return to Skiddaw as England’s Highest Nature Reserve Takes Shape
A major nature restoration project is underway in the Lake District, where trees are being planted on Skiddaw for the first time in centuries. The initiative marks the creation of England’s highest nature reserve and signals a hopeful new chapter for one of the country’s most iconic upland landscapes.
Cumbria Wildlife Trust purchased more than 3,000 acres on Skiddaw in 2024 with the aim of restoring habitats that once formed part of an ancient “Atlantic rainforest”. Historical evidence suggests that around 620 acres of the mountain previously supported native woodland and peat-rich soils that stored large amounts of carbon. Today, after centuries of grazing and land management, most of that woodland has vanished.
Now, that story is beginning to reverse.
Inspired by a Scottish Success Story
The project takes inspiration from Carrifran Wildwood in southern Scotland — widely regarded as one of the UK’s most successful rewilding efforts. Twenty-five years ago, Carrifran was a treeless valley of rough grass. Since then, volunteers have planted around 750,000 native trees, transforming it into a vibrant young forest alive with wildlife.
One early volunteer, Fi Martynoga, describes Carrifran as “an oasis of optimism”, proving that upland restoration on a large scale is possible. Where only two woodland bird species were recorded at the start, more than 100 are now found in the glen, including birds of prey.
Science-Led Restoration
Cumbria Wildlife Trust aims to plant around 300,000 native trees on Skiddaw, using seeds collected from trees already thriving at similar altitudes. This approach was key to success in Carrifran, where species adapted to local conditions were far more resilient.
Carrifran’s restoration was guided by remarkable historical evidence. A hillwalker discovered what turned out to be Britain’s oldest hunting bow, around 6,000 years old, prompting soil core sampling that revealed 10,000 years of pollen. This helped identify which trees once grew in the valley — an approach now being mirrored in the Lake District.
Planting the Right Species in the Right Places
Upland restoration is more complex than simply planting trees. At Carrifran, grazing animals such as sheep and deer first had to be excluded so saplings could survive. Soil, exhausted after centuries without woodland, was gradually regenerated using pioneer species like downy birch, which enrich the ground and support later growth.
Borders Forest Trust site manager Andy Wilson, who oversees Carrifran, stresses the importance of planting sensitively: willows in areas where snow settles, dwarf birch on exposed slopes, and no planting at all on fragile peatlands.
Skiddaw’s restoration will follow the same principles. Not all land will be planted — peat areas, which store twice as much carbon as woodland, must be protected. Higher up the mountain, restoration will focus on montane scrub, hardy shrubs that once covered Britain’s peaks and provide essential habitat for wildlife.
A Hopeful Future for Skiddaw
Carrifran’s transformation shows what Skiddaw could become in the decades ahead — a landscape where young woodland, montane scrub and rich biodiversity return to a mountain long stripped of its natural forest.
The planting of Skiddaw’s first saplings marks a historic and positive moment for nature recovery in England. If the Scottish model is any guide, the slopes of this famous Lake District peak could one day be alive again with woodland species not seen there for generations.
England’s highest nature reserve is now taking shape — and every new tree is a step towards restoring a lost upland ecosystem.
