Red squirrels were last seen in the north and west Highlands about 30 years ago. That is all set to change with an experimental re-introduction scheme that has seen 32 of the creatures moved to the Dundonnell Estate near Ullapool. The project has been planned by the estate’s owner, Sir Tim Rice, and is being undertaken through a licence scheme with Scottish Natural Heritage. The estate has permission to move 50 squirrels from number of location in the East Highlands to the Dundonnell estate. Some of the squirrels have been settled immediately in their new wild home, while others have…

The Scottish Government has produced a new map showing where birds of prey have been poisoned over the last five years. The map is the start of a new emphasis folllowing the shake up of the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime in Scotland, made up of the main interest groups including landowners. The map shows 88 poisoning incidents (involving 132 birds of prey) spread over the whole of Scotland except the West Highlands, north Glasgow and the far North. RSPB Scotland explained this by saying that these areas were not major game rearing or grouse shooting areas, where gamekeeping…

One of the 17 beavers due to be re-introduced in the Knapdale Forest in Argyll later this year has made a bid for freedom from his temporary home in Devon. The 40kg male European beaver escaped from his quarantine enclosure after a flood enabled him to swim over the electric fence. The beaver is now believed to have moved at least 20 miles and crossed the county boundary into Cornwall.  He was originally joined in his escapade by two females who were captured fairly quickly. Attempts will be made to trap the male in the next few weeks. The beaver family…

The Scottish Government has given final approval to a 17 turbine windfarm at Lochluichart between Achnasheen and Garve. The Mountaineering Council of Scotland was one of the bodies who objected to the proposal on the grounds that the turbines would be visible over a wide area and therefore spoil a wild but popular area and due to the likely adverse effects on wildlife, biodiversity, and the disturbance of large amounts of peat currently acting as a carbon store. The MCofS said in their submission that, “the proposed wind farm would be visible from a large number of hills, including the…

The National Trust for Scotland, is looking for volunteers with a talent for sewing to make simple bags to help save lost puffin chicks on the Dual World Heritage Site, St Kilda.   Every year, dozens of pufflings become disorientated by lights from the buildings on the isolated island of Hirta and end up inland, instead of out at sea. Ranger staff, who live on the island throughout the summer, regularly rescue pufflings by placing them in small, cotton drawstrings bags to keep them safe, take them to the coast and release them out to sea.   Now, Property Manager…

The Scottish Beaver Trial took one step closer to the UK’s first native mammal reintroduction when four beaver families arrived in Heathrow last night. The beavers, originally from Norway, will now spend six months in quarantine before being released in Knapdale, mid-Argyll on a time-limited trial basis in spring 2009. The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), project partners for the Scottish Beaver Trial, enlisted the help of a specialist team to assist them with the capture of the beaver families from the Telemark region of Norway in September. For the last two months,…

The John Muir Trust has announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive, Stuart Brooks, who will take over on 1st March 2009. Stuart, 39, is presently the Director of Conservation with the Scottish Wildlife Trust a post he has held since 2002. He said, “I am absolutely delighted to take up the post of Chief Executive at the John Muir Trust and am looking forward to working with staff, trustees and volunteers to secure a better future for our most spectacular and important wild land areas. I feel very privileged to be joining a membership organisation that has already…

John Muir Trust volunteer work parties have completed a gruelling five year programme to remove more than 120 unsightly cairns from the summit of Ben Nevis. Now the Trust is asking walkers not to build any news ones. Around twenty cairns have been left along the main path close to the summit. The John Muir Trust – owners of Ben Nevis since 2000 – has cleared these cairns to preserve the wild and remote feeling at the top of Britain’s highest mountain. The cairns were also being used as rubbish bins and their proliferation could give people a false sense…

The John Muir Trust today supported legislation, first introduced by John Swinney in 2006, to extend the boundary of the Cairngorms National Park into Highland Perthshire. The public consultation for the Cairngorms National Park Boundry Bill ends on Friday. “We welcome this proposal to move the Park’s boundary south to take in Blair Atholl and spectacular nearby hills such as Beinn a’Ghlo,” commented Nigel Hawkins, Chief Executive of the John Muir Trust. “The Park currently only includes the Northern Cairngorms. This extension will embrace the Southern Cairngorm mountains as well, truly earning Scotland’s first National Park the title of ‘The…

To mark Red Squirrel week (4 – 12 October) a special real ale is being sold to raise funds to save the red squirrel. Atlas Bewery, based in Kinlochleven, has brewed the Red Squirrel Ale, part of the proceeds of which will go to the Highland Red Squirrel Group. HRSG said it has been estimated that only 160,000 red squirrels are left in the UK. The Highlands is considered a stronghold, but the mammal is under threat from Squirrel Pox which is spread by grey squirrel who are immune. The pox causes open wounds on the red’s eyes, mouth and…