Highland Cow & the Horse of the Woods

by Roy Dennis

The Highland Cow & the Horse of the Woods by Roy Dennis is a powerful conservation and environmental science book addressing the urgent decline of Scotland’s capercaillie, an iconic woodland bird now reduced to around 400 individuals in native Scottish pine forests. Once widespread across the Highlands, capercaillie populations have collapsed due to degraded forest habitats and ecological imbalance.

Drawing on decades of wildlife conservation expertise, Dennis explores how restoring Scotland’s woodland ecosystems is essential to preventing extinction. The book argues that the solution lies in reintroducing traditional land management practices, particularly the use of Highland cattle, to recreate the ecological role once played by ancient woodland grazers.

Historically known in Gaelic as capallcoille — the ‘horse of the woods’ — the capercaillie has declined from around 20,000 birds in the 1960s to just a few hundred today. Dennis highlights how dysfunctional forest structure, limited biodiversity, and loss of natural grazing have contributed to this crisis.

By reintroducing Highland cows into woodland environments, the book proposes a nature-based solution that restores habitat complexity, increases invertebrate populations and improves biodiversity. These changes not only benefit the capercaillie but strengthen the wider Scottish forest ecosystem.

The Highland Cow & the Horse of the Woods is an essential read for those interested in Scottish wildlife conservation, biodiversity restoration, capercaillie recovery, and sustainable forest management. It offers a hopeful and practical vision for the future of Scotland’s native woodland habitats.

Reviews of Highland Cow & the Horse of the Woods

'This book is a delight to read, with a clear writing style and supported lavishly with stunning photographs. The eleven case studies make the case for Roy Dennis’ proposals….' – Mary Pattison, Reforesting Scotland Journal