There were in fact remarkably few voices to be heard with anything negative to say about the basic idea which Paul Lister is espousing. The negatives which I heard were mostly to do with the question of the surrounding fence and its effect on access, and the fact that animal welfare legislation may well prevent a prey species, such as red deer, sharing an enclosed area, however large, with its predator, in this case the proposed wolves. That might lead you to suppose that there are no sensible objections on ecological grounds to what is proposed at Alladale. In fact there are, and they matter.

There was much that was good about the programme. The photography was great, Alladale looked beautiful (which it is), and the idea itself, as outlined, sounds interesting and might make Alladale a very exciting place to visit. I have not been able to find out who wrote the text, which was nicely read, and I cannot be sure how far it represents the views of the proponents of the idea; but it represents a very out-of-date understanding of the evolution of the Highland landscape. No serious commentator would write of a "land ravished by man", as if all we now had to do is plant a few thousand trees.

It remains a fact that changes in climate have had at least as much effect on that landscape as man, and if we want to change any landscape we should at least ensure that we understand how it ended up looking the way it does now. The history of the landscape really matters to this project, as they are introducing to our current landscape animals which disappeared perhaps thousands, certainly hundreds of years ago, when things were very different.

The commentary slid rather rapidly and unconvincingly over one or two aspects. There was no real attempt to explain why it may be a good idea to import a large herbivore (moose) into the same landscape where you claim the hills have been "stripped bare" – by large herbivores, in the shape of red deer. And the touching idea that animals will create the landscape they need was never really fully explained. I have to say that I doubt whether Alladale really believe in that particular mantra. If they did, they would presumably not be planting thousands of pine trees and they are: I have seen the trees!

The most exciting thing about the whole project for many people, of course, is the proposal to reintroduce predators like the wolf and lynx, but there was, unfortunately, little attempt to make clear what they think those predators will be feeding on. It seems to be suggested that wolves will simply eat red deer, of which there are undeniably plenty. But those I have asked have made it clear that wolves take deer calves but are unlikely to take adults unless they are particularly weak – and when they are not eating deer, they will be looking around for other things to eat. It so happens that those "other things", the other prey species, are perhaps ground-nesting birds and mountain hares, which have more than enough predators already, and whose populations are already causing concern.

The truth is that our landscapes are rather full of predators and it is the prey species, with the notable exception of deer and rabbits, which are in short supply. If you are interested in "rebalancing nature" in this country (perhaps a more realistic idea than this "rewilding" with its fences and collars) you need to adjust the cull of the deer in the simplest way possible which is, I still maintain, best done by that well-known Highland predator, the gamekeeper. Any look at the rabbit population, and its dynamics, will show you that the idea of a simple equilibrium being achieved between prey and predator (buzzards, for instance, in the case of the rabbit) is an illusion. I very strongly suspect that the estate will end up feeding the wolves, just as I imagine they may keep feeding the moose, and as we saw, they certainly feed the wild boar. Is this really "rewilding"?

The whole film seemed to confirm that Paul Lister is a man in a hurry, and that, if true, represents probably the greatest threat to the whole project. Any serious ecological commentator will tell you that you need first of all to take the time to get the habitat right before you consider making any additions to the creatures which inhabit it. And I would suggest that you would then look first of all at the full range of prey species needed to support any predator before you decide on any reintroductions. You need to work from the ground up, and to take your time in so doing.

That mistakes have been made at Alladale is not a criticism; it is probably inevitable, and they can be learnt from. The Alladale idea, if seen for what it is (which is the next "step-up" from the Highland Safari Park idea), could give us something new and exciting and would be well worth visiting. It might even in the long run, if the proper monitoring is going on, provide us with some interesting new ecological information, which might encourage others to diversify in their management of the Highland landscape. But for that happy outcome, I feel that things need to slow down, and the views of those who aren't fully "signed-up" need to be given due weight.

There is now a great deal of knowledge about the Highland countryside and its history, ranging from those who can tell you how, where and when to plant trees, to those who can discuss in detail the vegetation of the woods from which the moose, the lynx and the wolf all disappeared at different times. And, as I keep saying, we need to learn from the past effects of changes in climate – particularly now, when ours is changing so much.

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