Inside the lofty realm of the regal sea-eagles
From the wintery depths of bleakest Siberia, to the secluded seaside coves of north-west Scotland, an iconic bird of prey has been making an incredible comeback. For the two centuries preceding the 1970s, white-tailed eagles had been undergoing dramatic decline and local extinctions across many regions of western, central and southern Europe. But come the 1980s, the … Continued
Relocation and recovery: Pine martens are moving back to Wales
Once upon a time, much of Britain was covered by the wildwood. Amongst the rich diversity of trees and shrubs, arboreal species thrived, including the pine marten (martes martes), which arrived in the country after the last ice age. For more than ten thousand years, this beautiful carnivorous mammal roamed throughout the UK, where it … Continued
The strange history of Britain's 'Anthrax Island'
In a remote part of Scotland’s Inner Hebrides there’s an island, but it’s not much to look at. Just over a mile long and half a mile wide, windswept, the place lies lifeless; ‘dozens of rabbit holes but no rabbits’, remarked visiting journalist David Harrison back in 2001. Originally ‘full of woods’ and a ‘guid for fostering … Continued
Deer were transported to Scotland's islands 5000 years ago by mysterious Stone Age animal traffickers
The sight of a stag tilting his crown of antlers back and splitting the morning mist with a mighty bellow has become an iconic image of Scotland, much depicted on everything from paintings to mousepads in tourist shops, but according to new research, the red deer in the Highland glens are distinct from those on … Continued
Rewilding Britain
Rewilding Britain, a new charity, spearheaded by environmentalist George Monbiot, launched in 2015—its objective to ‘make Britain a wilder place’. We take a look what rewilding could mean for Britain’s uplands and ask if it presents an impossibly romantic vision or a genuine opportunity for people to reconnect with nature, for the benefit of both. … Continued
Following the team filming the animals (Or, a Scottish adventure in the field with Love Nature)
The rain blurs the twin humps of a Bactrian camel, standing motionless at the back of its enclosure; watching our lone car trundle down a muddy road. The downpour, a product of erratic storms breaking over the nearby Cairngorm National Park, is in fact obscuring every detail of the place we’re approaching. It’s eerily quiet … Continued
Incredibly rare deepwater animal found in Scotland
Marine biologists have found a rare deepwater shark off the coast of Scotland, which they have nicknamed a ‘sofa shark’ due to its ‘saggy, chilled out’ appearance. Dr Francis Neat and his team from Marine Scotland were undertaking a routine fish population survey around the remote islands of Barra and St Kilda when the bizarre … Continued