Waters of Life

Once common across most of the country, beavers were hunted to extinction in the sixteenth century, but have gradually been returning to Scottish waters. In this deeply personal account, Argaty’s Tom Bowser tells of his attempts to save these incredible animals, and the gains that beavers ultimately brought to his family farm. 'From the moment that these waters were given back their beavers, I knew that I would never wish to return to the time when they were without them . . .' In November 2021, in a major moment in Scotland’s history, a family of beavers was spared a death sentence and relocated to a Perthshire farm. Their arrival at Argaty, Tom Bowser's home, paved the way for a new era in human–beaver relations. In this deeply personal account, Tom tells of his attempts to save these incredible animals, of the support and opposition received and of the unimaginable gains that beavers ultimately brought to his home. He also explores the wider themes of rewilding and nature conservation in Scotland, meeting some of the leading lights of this exciting movement, highlighting the work they do, the challenges they face and showing why ecological restoration is so important for the future of our planet.