90,000 homes across Highland and Moray asked views on return of lynx
It is thought the Highlands and Moray could support the reintroduction of 250 lynx over time.
Almost 90,000 homes in Highland and Moray are to be directly contacted about the potential for the reintrodcution of lynx in the surrounding countryside.
The Lynx to Scotland partnership of various conservation and rewilding groups is embarking on a widespread consultation on whether the public would support the reintroduction of the apex predator.
A total of 42 public meetings are planned from the end of the month and details of the information sessions are being mailed to some 89,000 households across 37 postcodes.
The public meetings will be held in 21 different locations across the areas where it believed Lynx could “thrive”, help naturally control deer numbers and inprove biodiversity of the landscape.
Steve Micklewright, chief executive of Trees for Life, said: “Northern Scotland can support a thriving population of lynx, but social acceptance is just as important – so we are exploring in detail how people feel about bringing back this important missing native species.”
The partnership said a reintroduction needed to be broadly accepted, scientifically monitored and carefully planned, with an effective management framework.
A licence would be required from NatureScot, following habitat assessments and thorough public engagement.
Details of all the public events are being mailed to 89,000 households across 37 postcodes, ahead of the first public information sessions on 26 January 2026.
Lynx to Scotland is a partnership between charities SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, Trees for Life, and The Lifescape Project.
It said Highland and Moray contained some of Scotland’s “best lynx habitat”, with enough woodland and wilde prey to support up to 250 of the cats.
Lynx to Scotland descreibed the creature as “elusive and no threat to people”.
The labrador-sized, forest-dwelling lynx preys on deer, and is a key species which plays a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.
The charities say a reintroduction could bring significant benefits for biodiversity, landscapes, communities and businesses – including by helping to manage deer numbers, and through tourism – and potential unwanted impacts that could be carefully managed.
However, the reintroduction of the species is opposed by NFU Scotland given the perceived risk to livestock, with Scottish Land and Estates, which represents landowners and landowners, “cautious” about any proposal.
The issue is also politically divisive. Last year, First Minister John Swinney told delegates at the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Scotland conference that he had “no intention” of introducing the lynx to the Scottish countryside.
Discussions around the reintroduction of lynx have intensified after the illegal release of four of the wildcats in the Cairngorms early last year. A poll then carried out by Lynx to Scotland showed support for legal reintroduction rose to 61 per cent - up nine percentage points since a survey in 2020.
In November last year, Green MSPs said they would try and force a vote on legalising the reintroduction of lynx to Scotland by lodging an amedment to an upcoming Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill.
Any reintroduction would begin with a small number of lynx, with up to 20 in total being released gradually over several years. Long-term monitoring via tracking collars and camera traps would be key, to track any negative impacts such as sheep predation, alongside benefits such as gains for biodiversity and tourism revenue.
Lisa Chilton, chief executive of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, a rewilding group and member of Lynx to Scotland, said: "Scotland has lost more of its native wildlife than almost any other country. Reintroducing lynx could help restore balance and breathe new life into Highland and Moray landscapes, but it would be essential to do this in a considered, responsible way that addresses questions and concerns.”
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