Wee beasties: Incredible macro photographs of Scots insects

IT WAS in an unassuming park in Glasgow during lockdown that David Hamilton tried out macro photography for the first time.  The photographs are typically close-ups of bugs and flowers, and David found Ruchill Park was the perfect place to snap some tiny, colourful creepy-crawlies. David was blown away by what he found in this…

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Beavers could return to Cairngorms in efforts to boost numbers

Beavers could return to the Cairngorms as part of efforts to boost their population. The animals died out in Scotland around 400 years ago but were reintroduced in 2009. The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) is now set to speak to the public about a number of possible release sites. As part of the plans…

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Number of critically-endangered capercaillie increases

Numbers of critically-endangered capercaillie have increased for the first time in eight years. The birds are on the verge of extinction in Scotland with numbers having decreased by more than 50% in the last five years. The latest national survey (2021/2022) estimated there are only 542 capercaillie left in Scotland. But the latest lek count…

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Scots adventurer to attempt record-breaking kayaking voyage in Arctic

The Arctic’s Northwest Passage is steeped in mystery and tragedy. The beguiling sea route, which connects Europe to Asia, has claimed the lives of many of those brave enough to have attempted it. Weaving amongst the hostile Canadian arctic archipelagos over the top of the world, it has captured the imagination of Europe’s foremost explorers…

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Which birds are missing from your area?

THERE are 73 million fewer birds in the UK than there were back in 1970, according to figures released by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to mark today’s International Dawn Chorus Day. Almost 30 million house sparrows, 20 million starlings, four million skylarks, two million blackbirds, and one million chaffinches have vanished from the…

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‘National effort’ needed to save Scottish wildcat

A MAMMALS expert has warned that a “national effort” is needed in order to save the Scottish wildcat from extinction. Roo Campbell, the mammal adviser to government agency NatureScot, used the publication of a report to highlight the threat to the wildcat, which is critically endangered. The report draws together the findings from the Scottish…

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Return of the lynx discussed in parliament

REINTRODUCING lynx to Scotland is being discussed at the Scottish Parliament today. Ariane Burgess, a Green MSP for the Highlands and islands, has sponsored a reception that was organised by conservation charities Scotland: The Big Picture, Trees for Life, and The Lifescape Project. Today’s reception follows a debate last Thursday, during which a motion by…

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Endangered pearl mussels discovered in Scottish lochs

FRESHWATER pearl mussels have been found in two of Scotland’s lochs, according to researchers. Up until now, freshwater pearl mussels were thought to live only in Scotland’s rivers, but researchers – who used remotely-operated underwater drones and snorkelling equipment – discovered a small number of the crticially-endangered mussels in Sutherland and the Trossachs. The survey,…

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Call for action after final Wild Isles episode

THE Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is calling on viewers to take action following tonight’s final episode of the BBC’s Wild Isles programme. The five-part documentary series, which was presented by Sir David Attenborough, has featured wildlife from throughout the UK and Ireland. Tonight’s final show profiled creatures living in the seas surrounding Scotland and the…

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