Wildlife & Conservation
Galloway chosen as preferred location of Scotland’s third national park
By Izzy Alexander Galloway has been chosen as the preferred location for Scotland’s newest national park. There are currently two national parks north of the border – the Cairngorms, and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs. The Scottish government has pledged ‘at least one’ new park will be designated by spring 2026. Officials confirmed the winning…
Read MoreTwo rare humpback whales spotted off Scottish coast
Two humpback whales, including one never seen before in Scottish waters, were filmed during a rare encounter with a tour boat. On a cruise which was sailing up Gunna Sound guests aboard a Hebrides Cruises vessel experienced the once-in-a-lifetime double discovery with the majestic beasts. The two whales, including Sinclair – a whale who has…
Read MoreWhite-tailed Eagles on Isle of Mull continue to care for injured offspring into its second year of life
A pair of White-tailed Eagles on the Isle of Mull have amazed experts by continuing to care for their injured offspring into its second year of life, going so far as to skip breeding this year to focus on tending to the youngster. The chick injured its left wing in July last year after its…
Read MoreScotland’s whales: Two orcas spotted off coast of Ardnamurchan
A rare sighting of two killer whales off the coast of Ardnamurchan has been captured on video. The orcas John Coe and Aquarius belong to Scotland’s only known resident pod of killer whales. The duo was spotted by Rob Barlow, Owner of Hebrides Cruises who was skippering one of the company’s three vessels, Elizabeth G…
Read MoreThe great egg caper that could save the rare capercaillie from dying out
Researchers made fake nests and filled them with chicken eggs as part of a trial designed to help save the capercaillie, one of the UK’s rarest birds. The capercaillie is a ground-nesting bird that, with just over 500 left in the wild, is in danger of extinction in the UK. One contributor to its decline…
Read MoreFour wildcat kittens born outside captivity in Cairngorms National Park marks major milestone
Four wildcat kittens have been born in the Cairngorms National Park and are thought to be the first to be born outside captivity in Scotland for more than five years Following the release of 19 wildcats last summer, at least two females have given birth in the wild. The species was determined to be on…
Read MoreIsle of May: Numbers of puffins at one of UK’s largest colonies increase by a third
Numbers of puffins at one of the UK’s largest colonies on the Isle of May have increased by around a third since 2017, experts have revealed. Scientists estimate there are around 52,000 occupied puffin burrows on the Isle of May nature reserve, compared to 39,000 in the last survey in 2017 – a 33% increase.…
Read MoreCorrimony Nature Reserve: Signs of recovery at wildfire hit nature reserve a year on
It was destroyed by a devastating wildfire last year, but now there are signs of recovery at Corrimony Nature Reserve. Flames burned in woodland and moor near Cannich, south of Inverness, for two weeks decimating important moorland and woodland habitat, home to species including Black Grouse and Scottish Crossbill. An exceptional dry spell with hot…
Read MoreRed squirrel: bid to increase west Scotland’s population numbers
There are around 120,000 of them in Scotland, but habitat loss is one of the biggest threats to the survival of red squirrels. In a bid to boost the species’ population on the West Coast of the country, six red squirrels have been released in Morvern peninsula. Rewilding charity Trees for Life introduced the squirrels…
Read MoreOsprey YouTube star Laddie found dead
He became Scotland’s most famous bird of prey after delighting birdwatchers on YouTube. But now conservationists have revealed osprey Laddie has been found dead in Perthshire. Police Scotland said the remains of an osprey were found near Dunkeld on Friday. The protected species is believed to have been nesting at Loch of the Lowes nature…
Read More