According to Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), deer population controls have caused the green lochan in the Cairngorms to have regenerated woodlands.
One of the most well-known lochs in the region is An Lochan Uaine, which is south of Aviemore and is known for its emerald hue.
Deer culls, according to FLS, had allowed the woods in the Ryvoan Pass, which looks out over the lochan, to flourish.
The government agency claimed that images taken in 1984 and now demonstrate the extent of recovery.
The Green Lochan, or An Lochan Uaine, gets its color from the sun reflecting minerals in the rocks within and around the lochan.
Folklore holds that fairies washing their clothes in the tiny loch at night is the cause of the color.
An Lochan Uaine is located in a section of the ancient Caledonian Forest that has survived.
The FLS claimed that images taken in 1984 by a forester named George Dey and one by one of its ecology interns named Rossina Parvanova demonstrated how well the woodland had grown.
Since the early 1990s, woodland restoration has involved more aggressive deer management and the removal of non-native trees.
Wildlife manager for the FLS Tom Cameron stated: "In the 1984 photograph, you can see the trees were sparse with little vegetation growth and regeneration.
"That was caused by deer trampled and grazed on new shoots and vegetation. ".
"Ryvoan Pass has incredibly well recovered itself without deer," he continued.
As well as the associated native broadleaf species like willow, rowan, and birch, the Caledonian pine has grown back up the hillside.
"Nature took care of this on her own once we increased deer management efforts; we didn't add anything or plant anything here.
. "
