Around a hundred protesters gathered on Inverness High Street this afternoon following the deaths of nineteen birds of prey around the Black Isle over recent weeks. Tests already carried out have confirmed that 12 of the birds were victims of illegal poisoning. Many of the dead birds had been tagged as chicks as part of a conservation project. Nineteen white cut-outs of red kites and buzzards were displayed as the protest – which was called by RSPB North Scotland – was led by a lament on the bagpipes from Davie Mitchell. Those attending then heard speeches from the renowned naturalist…

There have been a number of developments in the ingoing scandal of the birds of prey deaths on the Black Isle near Inverness. The number of dead birds found has now risen to 19, with 14 red kites and 5 buzzards; twelve of them now having poisoning as the confirmed cause of death. Police have today raided a number of farms on the Black Isle, with up 10 police vehicles arriving at the farms and officers searching farm houses, outbuildings, barns and bins. “Police are currently conducting searches in the Conon Brae area as part of ongoing enquiries into a…

RSPB Scotland has set up a Justgiving web page after being inundated by calls from members of the public asking to contribute to a reward for information about the deaths of 16 birds of prey. The conservation charity is responding to an outpouring of support from the public, many of whom have expressed a wish to donate money. Police Scotland confirmed earlier this week that 12 red kites and four buzzards were found dead in Ross-shire. At least some of the birds were illegally poisoned. RSPB Scotland is offering a £5,000 reward for information that leads to a successful conviction.…

Conservation projects in the Trossachs and on the Isle of Skye are in the running to win funding from the European Outdoor Conservation Association in a public vote which closes tomorrow. The Skye project is in the running in the Alpine category of the awards, and would see the John Muir Trust win cash to pay for repairs to the path up the iconic mountain, Bla Bheinn. The mountain guards the entrance to the Black Cuillin range on the Isle of Skye, and stands in rugged wild land ringed by coastal villages, sea lochs and native woodland. Chris Goodman, the…

With Holyrood due to debate the new National Planning Framework this week, the John Muir Trust has urged MSPs to resist lobbying pressure from those with a major financial interest in sabotaging the wild land map that has been developed by Scottish Natural Heritage over more than a decade. On Tuesday, parliament will debate the latest draft of the Scottish Government’s new draft National Planning Framework 3. A commitment to ‘strong protection for our wildest landscapes’ in the original draft has been removed from the latest version. But since that new version was published, independent experts have analysed the results…

As Scottish Natural Heritage publishes the independent analysis of the public consultation on its wild land map, the John Muir Trust hailed the findings as further evidence of strong public support for the protection of Scotland’s wild land. A total of 410 submissions were received, with 300 supporting the wild land map, including Walkhighlands. As a comparison, there were 472 responses in total on alcohol minimum pricing; 139 responses on reducing the drink driving limit; and 56 responses on the abolition of corroboration. An analysis of the responses carried out by two independent organisations, Craigforth Consultants and Planning Aid Scotland,…

Public backing is needed to secure funding for an ambitious native woodland conservation project in the heart of the Trossachs. The Great Trossachs Forest is one of six conservation projects from around Europe competing in a poll organised by the European Outdoor Conservation Association. The initiative that receives the most votes by 31 March will receive funding worth £25,000. If the bid is successful the funding will help to expand native woodland in the Trossachs through the planting of thousands of trees, encourage the natural regeneration of existing woods, and allow other habitats including wetlands to recover. Funding will also…