Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), which manages the 17,604-hectare NNR, has been working in partnership with Trees for Life on the initiative in Glen Affric since 2022, supported by the Beaver Trust.
Alan McDonnell, Trees for Life’s head of nature restoration, said: “The return of beavers to Glen Affric is a wildlife success story four centuries in the making – a project with strong local community volunteer involvement, offering hope for tackling the nature and climate emergencies, and a better future for biodiversity and people.”
The project has included three phases of extensive consultations with local communities and land managers.
Experts said that beavers create wetlands that benefit other wildlife, purify water and reduce flooding.
While the animals can sometimes create localised problems, the Glen Affric project partners said they have put measures in place to address these quickly should they emerge.
The Scottish Government announced in 2016 that beavers would be allowed to remain in Scotland, and in 2019, they were recognised as a protected species.