From Scotland: The Big Picture, 9 March 2026:

New research from sites across the Northwoods Rewilding Network, coordinated by rewilding charity SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, shows that rewilding has led to dramatic increases in biodiversity. On rewilded land, the amount of suitable space and habitat for birds increased more than fivefold, while the numbers of bumblebees and butterflies rose by over tenfold. Separate analysis of the network suggested these rewilded landscapes support an estimated 2.5 million pollinating insects. The findings highlight the critical role that long-term nature recovery can play in reversing biodiversity loss and restoring ecosystem resilience in Scotland.

The Scotland-wide chain of over a hundred landholdings has supported £4.2 million in local investment since its launch in 2021. The latest survey looked at recent and historical rewilding action and found striking gains in both the variety and abundance of species, providing some of the strongest evidence yet that rewilding delivers measurable ecological recovery.

Full report at: https://www.scotlandbigpicture.com/press-releases/rewilding-delivers-dramatic-wildlife-recovery-across-scotland

The funding comes from a variety of sources including from NatureScot, itself funded by the Scottish Government.

This is not the first news on this:

As UK Government fails 7 out of 10 targets for England, Scottish Government initiatives push Scotland well ahead of the rest of the UK in preserving nature

Scottish Government initiatives push Scotland well ahead of the rest of the UK in preserving nature