Imagine a Scotland far removed from today's familiar man-made landscapes
As the last ice retreated, around 10,000 years ago, the first humans arrived, likely by boat, to a land fringed by the Atlantic. This wasn't the Scotland of bare moorland, farms, roads and monotonous conifer plantations we see today. Instead, its shores were cloaked in green, temperate rainforest, bordered by rich coastal ecosystems.
Their arrival would have been a sensory sensation. The scent of damp earth and the cacophony of unfamiliar birds and insects would have filled the air. Towering trees met the shoreline, their branches heavy with moisture, lichens, ferns and mosses. Along the coast, extensive reed beds swayed, and expansive, flat saltmarshes stretched out, merging with the land.
For these early inhabitants, the rainforest offered edible plants and animals, while reed beds and saltmarshes provided shelter, food, and other resources. Their lives became intimately connected to this dynamic landscape, shaping their culture and understanding of the world.
Today, only fragments of this ancient rainforest and these coastal wetlands remain, whispering tales of a time when humanity first encountered a land of wild beauty and abundant natural resources.
Visitors can still experience these incredible habitats at Holy Loch Nature Reserve, offering a glimpse into Scotland's primeval past.