Carrifran Wildwood began life in the mid 1990s when a group of 40 individuals united to rewild one single catchment to create the 1500 acre (607 ha) forest. The idea was so singular and appealing that it was funded by donations from around 600 supporters buying the land on the first day of the new millennium. Neighbouring land is recently clear-felled commercial forestry, the majority of the forests in Scotland. Only 4% of the land cover is native woodland with 15% used for commercial plantations.

The UK rewilding movement draws together diverse groups with a long term vision for wilder cities and landscapes.

Scotland's forests cover 19% of it land surface, the highest of the four nations that comprise the United Kingdom, but as a whole the U.K. is one of the least forested in Europe at 13% compared to an average of 38% across the E.U. The Scottish Rewilding Alliance has called for the Scottish Government to declare the world's first Rewilding Nation before the COP26 Summit in Glasgow in November 2021 with the aim to set aside 30% of land for rewilding by 2030.