Everyone knows that Scotland’s national forests are good places to be – but it’s especially true if you happen to be a capercaillie. Forestry Commission Scotland’s efforts to support and monitor the birds has resulted in the fourth consecutive increase in the number of capercaillie males displaying at ‘lek’ sites on the national forest estate Kenny Kortland, Species Ecologist for the Commission, said, “We’ve put over ten years of work into managing forests in ways that will improve the conditions for capercaillie. “Over the last six years we’ve really focussed on monitoring the results of that effort in forest blocks…

Giant caterpillars and enormous snails will be on show in Lochgilphead town centre in November, the latest results of a nature project between local school pupils and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The larger-than-life pictures of wildlife will be projected on to the side of a building in the town as part of the annual Lantern Procession on Saturday 6 November. Taken by fourth year pupils from Lochgilphead High School, they show the wonderful wildlife found at Moine Mhor National Nature Reserve, an ancient peat bog that lies to the north of the town. The outdoor projection is the latest step…

The Scottish Government has now approved the plans drawn up by power companies to try and miminise the visual impact of the controversial Beauly to Denny powerline. The plans inlcude putting 100km of existing overhead power cables underground. Conservation charity, the John Muir Trust (JMT) said the measures did not go far enough to safeguard Scotland’s landscape. When Scottish ministers granted planning permssion for the 220 km high voltage power line consisting of 600 pylons, some more than 60 metres high, it left it up to the developers to come up with plans to mitigate the effect on the environment.…