Rewilding is indeed the way to go. Many of the great estates are man made deserts, artificially maintained by the huntin' shootin'' fishin' brigade, and bring minimum employment to local areas. However, when an area is stripped of its' grouse moors, pheasant shoots, etc, and returned, with a bit of help to a mixed native woodland and crofting environment, not only do native and re-introduced species flourish, but the trees protect the environment from flooding, enrich the soil, and allow the crofts to flourish. One such estate, near Sanquhar, Dumfrieshire, abandoned the hunting ethos, and the resultant increase in eco-tourism,lowland crofting,and sustainable forestry has meant an increase in employment in a depressed area. As for rewilding? I'm all for it. My town's slap bang between two estates - the Boswell, and Dumfries estates - the latter part owned by Charlie Windsor's trust- and we're completely fed up with damn pheasant jam on the roads every Autumn, as the birds try to leave their shotgun infested home range. Also,like Highland estates, a number of raptors have been found poisoned here - mainly red kite and buzzard, but a few hen harriers as well. The estates claim it's pure coincidence that the birds die on their property....though strangely enough, none have been found in nearby farmland. Funny that, isn't it?
