ABOUT ARGYLL WILDLIFE

Our origin story, who we are & what we do

OUR BEGINNINGS

Our organisation evolved from the Scottish Beaver Trial, which saw the first licenced reintroduction of beavers to the wild in the UK.

Our founding team worked on this flagship project and recognised a gap left behind in public engagement, education and wildlife advocacy once the project ended. We wanted to create a physical space for the community to continue its legacy and to promote the rich biodiversity of this sometimes overlooked corner of Argyll.

Close-up of a beaver resting in shallow water among branches

ESTABLISHING THE ARGYLL BEAVER CENTRE

In 2017, we set up the Heart of Argyll Wildlife Organisation, a registered charitable social enterprise (SC047167) with the aim of education, community engagement and sustainable development.

We took over the lease of Barrandaimh, a 400 year old farmstead tucked up a forestry track in the heart of the former Beaver Trial area, which became the Argyll Beaver Centre.

Path leading through the woodland to the Argyll Beaver Centre at sunset

GROWTH & IMPACT

Since then, we have grown in size and impact, creating an education programme that has reached schools in every part of Argyll.

In 2023, with the support of the wider landowner Forestry and Land Scotland, we applied for a Community Asset Transfer through the Scottish Land Fund. This enabled us to bring the ownership of the Argyll Beaver Centre under our social enterprise, to invest in its facilities and to secure its future for the community. In 2026 we changed our name to Argyll Wildlife.

Children looking for beavers beside a loch in Knapdale

2025 IN NUMBERS

Visitors learning about local wildlife inside the Argyll Beaver Centre

4567

Visitors to the centre

Pupils measuring oysters during a Seashore Safari

813

Local children at our education sessions

Community group outside the Argyll Beaver Centre

20

Community events attended or hosted

Black guillemot on the water spreading its wings

9

Species of bird recorded breeding again since our mink project began

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THE ARGYLL BEAVER CENTRE TODAY

The Argyll Beaver Centre is now a popular community hub, hosting school groups, Scouts, university field trips, artists, and fellow wildlife conservation charities.

Our weekly beaver walks and other guided activities provide an up-close encounter with Knapdale’s wildlife and inspire a better understanding of the threats it faces. We are the first stop for visitors to the area to learn about local ecology, the story of the beavers and what makes this part of Argyll so unique.