The wildlife of Scotland and where to see it.
White 'leucistic' Red deer stag seen in Scotland. Details. There are many spectacular sights and opportunities in Scotland for wildlife watching. The Golden eagles at Ardnamurchan and Loch Shiel, Sea eagles on Mull, ospreys at Loch of the Loewes and Boat of Garten, the vast sea bird colonies of the coasts and islands, the whales and dolphins of the Western Isles and the Cromarty Firth, the Red deer, the forests and many of the UK's finest and rarest birds.
County by county
Recent Scotland news
- Scotland’s farmers praised for supporting wildlife this winter
- Record-breaking numbers of pink-footed geese on Solway Firth
- Birds really do need some help in this weather
- 20 Feral beavers to be trapped in Scotland
- Survey of 20 years of Cetacean strandings around Britain
- How hill farming is saving the hen harrier
- Still time to get in the frame for Scottish Photography Competition
- The waxwings are coming
- Gamekeeper on Scottish estate convicted of placing poison bait
- Mass stranding of 33 long-finned pilot whales in Ireland
- Capercaillie makes a comeback in Scottish forests
- Great time to see starling 'swarms'
- Sea eagle numbers reach new levels in Scotland
- Scotland to make employers responsible for employees’ illegal poisonings
- Geese flocking to Scotland in record numbers
More Scotland news
- Will 2010 be a Waxwing year in UK?
- Red kites boost for Scottish business
- Nesting crisis in UK’s coastal north
- Crofters put corncrake recovery back on track
- Otter recovery has reached every UK county – Except Kent
- Loophole that allows anyone to ‘trap and kill wild birds’ in Scotland
- Europe’s smallest marine fish found off Shetland coast
- Scottish first as Northern Parula spotted on Tiree and glossy ibis in Dumfries
- Revealed: The UK’s 40 birds most in need of help
- Live trapping underway as Orkney stoat search intensifies
- Regional differences in UK butterfly count
- World’s largest salmon farmer joins fight to stop seal killing
- Oldest whimbrel defies the odds to rewrite record books
- University chief renounces doctorate in protest to Trump golf course
- Another beaver released in Scotland
Sea eagle numbers reach new levels in ScotlandThe Scottish population passed the 50 breeding pairs milestone and produced more young per pair than in any other year since their reintroduction 35 years ago.
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Birdcrime still on the rise in the UK – 384 reported incidents in 20092009 was another shocking year for the persecution of birds of prey with incidents of shooting, trapping and poisoning, according to the RSPB's 20th annual Birdcrime report.
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First wild beavers born in Scotland for 400+ yearsThe first beaver kits to be born in the wild as part of the Scottish Beaver Trial have been seen in Knapdale Forest, Mid-Argyll.
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Worst year on record for bird poisoning in Scotland – 20092009 marked the highest number of confirmed poisoning incidents discovered in a single year in Scotland in the past two decades, according to an annual report by RSPB Scotland.
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Six eagles and nine buzzards amongst twenty one raptors poisoned across Britain & IrelandA horrific total of 6 eagles, 10 buzzards, 3 red kites, a Peregrine falcon and a sparrowhawk have all been poisoned in recent weeks across Ireland, England and Scotland. And these are just the ones that we know about and have been discovered.
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Two more beavers released in ScotlandTwo more beavers have been released in Scotland, replacements for the missing beavers from the 2009 release.
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Osprey update 2010 - First ospreys arrive back in the UKThe bird thought to be oldest breeding female of its kind ever recorded in the UK returned for the 20th consecutive year to the Loch of the Lowes wildlife reserve, astonishing wildlife experts.
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Are Sea eagles coming back to Suffolk? Vote on what you think should happenIn any debate about conservation, it is always important to discount 10% of the arguments at either end of the range, as some people will support all conservation, no matter what the cost or practicalities, and others would complain about spending 5 Euros to save the last elephant. Somewhere in the middle is a rational debate and, usually, the right answer.
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Britain’s only resident orca pod – No breeding for 20 yearsThe conservation status of the group is thought to be critical since no live calves have been sighted since research began almost two decades ago.
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418 species of bird recorded in Britain in 2008With up to 418 species of bird spotted in Britain, 2008 is looking likely to smash records for the number of bird species seen within a single year.
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Scottish beaver trial – Beaver disappears after shots heardAfter the first week, one adult female disappeared; the time of her disappearance coincided with unauthorized shooting heard in the same area. There has been no sign of the animal since and the matter has been reported to the local police for further investigation.
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Golden eagle poisoned in West ScotlandStrathclyde Police officers have carried out an extensive search of Beinn Udlaidh in the Glen Orchy area of Argyll following the discovery of a dead golden eagle.
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Scotland welcomes back the beaver – Wildlife Extra questions the costMarking the first formal reintroduction of a native mammal species into the wild in the UK, three beaver families have now been released at carefully selected sites in Knapdale Forest, Mid-Argyll.
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Satellite tagged Loch Garten osprey ditches in AtlanticOne of two young ospreys from the famous Loch Garten nest has died during his first migration.
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Thousands of seals shot in Scotland every year – Marine bill must actMany people are unaware that thousands of seals are needlessly shot in Scotland every year.
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Spoonbills breed in Scotland for the first timeA pair of spoonbills have successfully bred for the first time in Scotland and only the second time in the UK. An adult pair have raised and fledged three chicks on Kirkcudbright Bay in Dumfries and Galloway.
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Scotland's wildcats down to the last 400Research shows that probably only 400 true wildcats are left in Scotland. Persecution used to be the main problem, but now hybridisation with domestic cats threatens the future of Scottish wildcats.
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First wild beavers in Scotland for 250 years to be caught.A pair of beavers has been found living in the wild in a remote Scottish Loch near the Bridge of Earn.
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Water vole research at Loch Leven
Extensive research at Loch Leven has shown how otters are good for water voles.
See the full report.
