13/06/2013 Newsnight Scotland

an unusual coalition. The Tonight on Newsnight Scotland.

If you go down to the woods today you probably won't be in for a big

surprise. But, who knows, maybe at some point in the future you might

run into one of these. Or even this chap. They're native to this

country, so should we try to bring them back?

And time hasn't softened this big beast. Tam Dalyell - arch opponent

of Devolution - tells us how he would resolve the independence

debate. Good evening.

A scheme to reintroduce the white-tailed eagle to the East of

Scotland has suffered a setback after the tree in which the area's

only breeding pair was nesting was destroyed. The white-tailed eagle

disappeared from that part of the country 150 years ago. It joined the

elk, lynx, wolf and brown bear in vanishing from our natural

environment. But calls to "rewild" Scotland by reintroducing some of

these creatures, as well as long-gone native plants, have been

getting louder in recent years. Laura Maxwell's been examining the

domestication of the landscape? Although Scotland is the least

populated race in Britain, just 1% of the once great Caledonian forest

remains. Now there are efforts to turn this into deaths. It is known

as re-wilding and the issue is the same all over the UK. -- to turn

this around. It gets cleared and then it ends up like this, a barren

landscape. This is typical of the vegetation here, the heather. We

have low, scrappy registration -- vegetation. We think this is what we

want to preserve. It is not just about trees. Under European law we

have to consider indigenous species. In some cases the process is already

under way. After 400 years the beaver is back in the wilds of the

West Coast. Released just over four years ago, the family seemed to have

settled in well and are busy doing what they do best, building. The

Beavers and the only species making themselves at home. The

reintroduction of the white tailed sea eagle, the biggest bird of prey

in Europe, seems to be successful. But tonight investigations are

mentored to find out more about whether the habitat has been

destroyed. But if there is resistance to the destruction -- to

the introduction of birds, not what would be their thoughts on winning

back brown bear is, elk, borders and others. -- more pics. Most of the

top links in the great web of life are only just been discovered in

terms of their importance. They help to change the world around them.

Waleed Wills and on the cards just yet. But applications have been made

to bring two pairs of cats to our West Coast forest. This man has been

a gamekeeper and stock or for many years, he says it all rests on

heavier animals are managed. Scotland has an expanding human

population, you can suddenly put in a major predator in amongst the

human population, there will be ongoing problems. It would have to

be something we were really sure that we had an understanding of how

we were doing it and how we would operate. I'd also how we would take

action to remove them again if it became a serious problem. Even in an

urban, rural place like this, one small change can have a big impact

on the economy and ecology. Everyone who lives and works in the

countryside wanted to be healthy and vibrant. So should all this nature

be nurtured or should we allowed to I'm joined now from Inverness by

Alan Watson Featherstone. He's the executive director of Trees for Life

who supports many "rewilding" initiatives. And with me in Glasgow

is Davy McCracken, who is an upland ecologist with Scotland's Rural

College. Let us not get into the details of

this particular case sea eagles, they are currently investigating

it, but is it your impression that there is a general hostility amongst

landowners to the B integer chin -- to the reintroduction of these

raptors? Adding there is a variety of response. Some people are

enthusiastic and others are concerned. I think over the populace

as a whole, there has been a movement in a very popular -- in a

very positive direction. We're also looking now at the spree on the red

kite they need a successful comeback and have had one. You have ambitions

to reintroduce Elks and Wills and even bears. What is the point of all

of this? We think that all these species have a crucial role to pray

-- to play and we as an organisation want that but it has to be a

decision at a national level. why should we want to do this?

Adding the main reason is seeing that they have a crucial role to

play as your clip indicated early. -- earlier. Most of the forest cover

is now gone, predators are gone, and the ecosystem is not able to recover

at the moment. Large areas, particularly in the North West

Highlands are a state of depression. Other areas are not in a state of

health. If you imagine what would happen in East Africa if you take

away the lions, cheetahs and lepers, -- leopards, things are

going to decline. All right. Davy McCracken, do you buy that? Yes, as

you said in the peace and as he said the period of two rationales as to

why we should consider bringing back some native species. One is a moral

one, they were persecuted by humans. But also as was being said they are,

they are a part of the normal ecosystem functioning. Something

like predator, Opel Flora Brown bear, could increase the resilience

of the habitat. But you can understand why the people that own

the biggest dates in the Highlands are as saying, hang on a minute, you

want wolves? Suppose would be they are no natural predators. --

supposedly. But they have made our multi-million pound industry by

replacing the things that held dear. I can understand that point I can

understand concerns from the farming community as well. Those able have

livestock out there and would be concerned about how the impact would

work on their livelihoods. That is why before we have introduction of

these all species we have to see what the impact would be in existing

habitats and existing species. Essentially all this task about

going back to nature, there is no such thing as nature, not anywhere.

It is about choices made by humans about how we fancy our landscape.

The partial skull enable a sense anyway that the North of America has

been. I was reading one of your papers. You say you cannot go back

to what the forest used to be like, simply because we do not know

exactly what the forest used to be like and simply because it is a

simply different context node when BB introduce even the likes of

plants. This is largely mystical, isn't it? No, it is not the case at

all. But it is right that it is about choice. As humans, we have the

heated that piece of the planet. Do we want to continue to do that in a

way that exerts human values and human domination over every other

aspect of the world or are we willing to step back from some

places where we could let the rest of nature continue its path. But we

would not be doing that. If we were to be introduced Beers, they would

have to be fenced in and Saudi strict did, surely this is the

fantasy sense about nature. I do not think it has to be that way.

Obviously, the beer would maybe be most problematic of the mammals that

we are missing. But when you come to the likes of the links, other

countries have reintroduced in there is no reason why could not do that.

We believe we could have up to 600 links in Scotland without any

changes to the landscape. If it is a big human choices, you can

understand that people saying I would love to introduce a new

flower, but when you say, we are going to put them rules a few mails

from you, it is going to cause alarm? Yes, obviously when it comes

to these large predators, it would have to be done in consultation with

the local community so the understand the implications. Some

people say that the type of farming you have an alias affected by this

would not be economically viable. It is entirely subsidised and it is a

social choice. That is a good point to come in on. A large part of the

debate has been driven by the fact that the lowland landscapes are very

intensively managed. We have today recognise that a large part of the

farming in the uplands and Highlands support a large amount of wildlife

and plant life. We would need to make sure that the implication of

the introducing of any where wives does not affect that sort of

resource. Very briefly, Alan, you believe the in your lifetime we will

have beers in Scotland? As I said, I think beers are the most

problematic. I would certainly like to see the links cat coming back in.

Things about the Wolf, I am not so sure about. I think there has to be

a sea change in public opinion about that. We are still brought up with

fairytales about Little red Riding at which paint the rules any totally

false picture as an evil malicious creature, which is it is not.

Wolves are cuddly! We are sticking with big beasts, of

sorts, now. Because if you thought Tam Dalyell's opposition to

devolution, never mind independence, might have softened in retirement,

you are in for a shock. The long-standing arch-opponent of

devolution has been speaking to our Westminster correspondent. Like the

peacocks that pervades in the garden of his ancestral home near

Linlithgow, Tam Dalyell has never been afraid to ruffle a few

feathers. In his 40 years in the Commons, he was an advocate of

sometimes unfashionable causes. He famously clashed with Margaret

Thatcher over the Falklands war. The sinking of the general bill Colonel

cruiser. He also fell out with his own party leader over military

action. He lump as did Tony Blair over his commitment to troops in

Kosovo and Iraq. He is best-known for his opposition Scottish

devolution. We are only motorway to a separate state. It is the journey

many others do not want to embark on. The Scottish Parliament is no

reality. But time has not diminished as opposition to the institution.

would bring to an end the Edinburgh Parliament. With the referendum just

15 months ago on independence, he remains opposed to the idea of

putting the issue to a popular vote. Referendums are really about

what they purport to be about. A lot depends on the popularity of the

Government of the time. And who is seeing what and who is more popular.

I am against referendums. On the contrary, he said the referendum

will settle nothing. There are people here, Alex Salmond is one of

them, who will go on and on and on. We are both citizens of Linlithgow.

I have known him a very long time. But I have no doubt that he wants a

separate Scottish state. If he doesn't, many of his colleagues do.

They are not going to give up. are saying that the referendum on

Scottish independence will settle nothing? Yes, it will go on and on

and on. We will have only run in the next decade. If we have this

conversation in two years time, what you think the situation in Scotland

will be? I will be 83 years old then. Ice doublethink, thankfully,

we will still be in the United Kingdom. I think that good sense

will prevail. If we having conversation in two years time and

Scots have voted for independence, what will the consequences of that

be? Dire. Dire. Now a quick look at tomorrow's front

pages. Starting with the Scotsman, Osborne under fire for the sacking

of the Royal Bank of Scotland chief. And that is all from me. Just