A leading conservation body has voiced its support for the reintroduction of wolves to the Highlands.
The John Muir Trust (JMT) has argued that the predators could boost tourism in the region.
The idea of reintroducing the wolf to the Highlands, where it was hunted to extinction in the 1700s, has been debated for years.
The subject has re-emerged more recently because of Highland landowner Paul Lister and his plans to introduce up to a dozen wolves on his estate in Sutherland.
Mike Daniels, the trust’s head of land and science, said: “There is no ecological reason why wolves couldn’t come back – we have the climate, habitat and food.
“The weight of evidence suggests that the absence of the wolf has had a profound effect, impoverishing our ecosystems.”
He added that society had demonised the animal, despite evidence that people are more likely to be harmed by dogs.
The trust’s chief executive, Stuart Brooks, said that it wanted to develop a practical vision on “rewilding”, which would involve controlled grazing by domestic and wild animals to allow native trees and plants to thrive.
The organisation has also pointed to a study published earlier this year involving researchers in Europe, the US and Australia, which claimed that the food chain could be affected by the loss of predators.
Mr Lister, who owns Alladale estate, proposes to build a 49,000 acre enclosed reserve.
He planned to commission a feasibility study, with hopes that the animals could be reintroduced to the Highlands by 2016.
Mr Lister has also spoken of a desire to introduce bears to the area.
However, his plans have been opposed by mountaineer and broadcaster Cameron McNeish as well as Rob Gibson MSP, who is the convener of the Scottish Parliament’s environment and rural affairs committee.