share
A new study has revealed the most beautiful rewilding projects in the UK according to visitor reviews, and Mar Lodge, situated in the Cairngorms National Park, takes the top spot!
The team at Utility Bidder have analysed Tripadvisor reviews for words such as beautiful, stunning, and amazing to reveal the most beautiful rewilding projects in the UK, as well as providing expert tips on how UK residents can rewild their garden in 2024.
The 10 most beautiful rewilding projects in the UK
| Rank | Rewilding Project | Area | Percentage of Reviews Containing ‘Beautiful’ ‘Amazing’ ‘Stunning’ |
| 1 | Mar Lodge | Cairngorms National Park | 72.45% |
| 2 | Gilfach | Wales | 60.63% |
| 3 | Mapperton Estate | Dorset | 55.36% |
| 4 | Lowther Estate | Cumbria | 54.82% |
| 5 | Bamff Estate | Perthshire | 54.05% |
| 6 | Creag Meagaidh | Scotland | 50.00% |
| 7 | Wild Nephin | North County Mayo | 48.15% |
| 8 | Dundreggan | Glenmoriston near Loch Ness | 46.67% |
| 9 | Wallasea Island | Essex | 42.11% |
| 10 | Wilder Doddington | Lincolnshire | 36.76% |
Mar Lodge takes the top spot, with almost three-quarters of reviews containing the words beautiful, amazing, or stunning. Long-distance walking is one of the most common reasons people visit Mar Lodge Estate. The 25km circular trail takes almost seven hours to complete and can be quite challenging. However, the gorgeous scenery certainly makes the effort worthwhile.
In second place is Gilfach, with just over 60% of Tripadvisor reviews containing the words beautiful, amazing, or stunning. This Welsh nature reserve is another popular hiking spot, with visitors particularly enjoying the rivers and waterfalls.
Further findings from the study:
- The rewilding capital of the UK is Scotland, with 17 rewilding projects. The areas with the most rewilding projects, all with two, are Dumfries and Galloway, Argyll, and the Scottish Highlands.
- Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, is the most searched rewilding project, with over 350,000 searches between October 2019 and September 2023. This wetland is also the most Instagrammable rewilding hotpot; more than 13,000 posts have referred to the project.
- Keystone species are organisms that help their environment to thrive, and the Eurasian Beaver, European Bison, Golden Eagle, and White-Tailed Eaglehave all been reintroduced to the UK as a result of rewilding.
————————————-
