Drivers urged to take caution on rural scenic route over fears mischievous beavers are felling trees on the road

Motorists travelling the popular Trossachs Trail scenic drive have been warned to look out for falling trees caused by beavers gnawing on them.

Visitors following the popular Trossachs Trail scenic drive are being advised to take extra care amid claims beavers are felling trees on the route.

Community activists in the area say beavers are busy chewing their way through tree trunks, felling trees along the roadside and creating temporary and unexpected blockades.

They say the creatures tend to be busy chomping through tree trunks through the night, resulting in road blockages in the early mornings.

This follows on from beavers felling clusters of trees beside Loch Achray car parks and laybys over the last couple of years, opening up scenic views of the loch.

James Fraser, CEO of the Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust at Loch Katrine said: “The growing number of beavers in the Trossachs are becoming more adventurous and are regularly crossing the main road hugging the lochside to increase their tree felling activities.

“Unfortunately, in recent weeks, their handiwork has led to trees falling over the road at blind corners and causing road hazards, so I urge early morning visitors to take great care as they drive through the Trossachs admiring the stunning autumn colours.”

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A Trust spokesperson added: “The Trossachs is known as ‘The Bristly Country’ due to the large number of trees beside winding roads in narrow passes beside lochshores and it is credited with being where Scottish tourism began.

“A new scenic tower has recently been built above Trossachs pier to mark the birthplace of Scottish tourism.

“Beavers are well known as nature’s finest engineers as they change their habitats, such as coppicing trees, damming smaller water courses, and digging ‘beaver canal’ systems.

“These activities create diverse and dynamic wetlands that can bring enormous benefits to other species, such as otters, water shrews, water voles, birds, invertebrates (especially dragonflies) and breeding fish, as well as sequestering carbon.

“The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is native to these shores and was once widespread.”

In May 2009, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, in partnership with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and Forestry and Land Scotland, released the first wild beavers in Scotland in over 400 years.

The Scottish Beaver Trial was one of the largest field trials of its kind in Europe and aimed to help the Scottish Government make an informed decision on the future of the species in Scotland.

An independent scientific monitoring programme was carried out by NatureScot to assess the effect the trial population had on the local environment and how well they settled in Scotland.

This evidence contributed to a comprehensive report, Beavers in Scotland, which was published and presented to the Scottish Government in 2015.

Last year a family of beavers were successfully moved to Loch Lomond – marking a major milestone for the species’ return in Scotland.

RSPB Scotland translocated a family group of seven beavers to the Loch Lomond National Nature Reserve.

The pair of beavers and their five young offspring (two yearlings and three kits) were moved from an area in Tayside as part of plans to speed up the return of beavers to the Loch Lomond National Nature Reserve, which is jointly managed by RSPB Scotland, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority and NatureScot.

However, the move sparked concern from residents and farmers in Gartocharn, as well as anglers on Loch Lomond and the Endrick.

In 2022 anglers outlined their fears that the release of beavers into Loch Lomond would damage riverbanks, harm the Atlantic salmon population and end up costing landowners – as well as the public purse.

RSPB Scotland anticipated the beavers would create and enhance habitats and boost biodiversity in the NNR, helping to address both the climate and nature emergencies.

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