The award-winning environmental charity Trees for Life stands at the forefront of rewilding in the Scottish Highlands, and for over 30 years has been working to nurture and expand ancient woodland fragments and reintroduce missing animals. Red squirrels are an iconic Scottish species and a key resident of the Caledonian forest, but habitat loss from deforestation, human persecution, and competition and disease from grey squirrels are putting immense strain on populations of reds.
The Scottish Highlands is the largest remaining stronghold for red squirrels in the UK, free from grey squirrels, and home to around 75% of Scotland’s total red squirrel populations. We hear from Trees for Life on how they are working to expand the distributions of red squirrels in the Highlands, and how you can help in these endeavours.
Supporting reds
Red squirrel conservation in Scotland currently involves both managing greys and creating new populations of reds.
It is vital that grey squirrel populations are monitored and managed to ensure they don’t spread the life-threatening squirrel pox disease and encroach further north. Luckily, there are currently no resident grey squirrels in the Highlands thanks to longstanding SSRS and partner efforts. Large areas of open ground in some areas also help to limit the risks of grey expansion into the reds’ core range.
Populations of red squirrels have traditionally been confined to the central and eastern Highlands. Thanks to the Red Squirrel Reintroduction Project, reds are continuing to be reintroduced to their former range in the northwest Highlands, enabling new populations to thrive and hopefully merge together. Since 2016, over 235 squirrels have been translocated from existing healthy wild populations, enabling the creation of 12 new populations.
We need your help
Registering your squirrel sightings is key to building up an accurate picture of how our tufted and bushy reds are doing, where they are living, and helps to monitor the success of the Red Squirrel Reintroduction Project.
Red squirrels can be found in both coniferous and broadleaved woodlands. Keep your eyes peeled for squirrels by looking for signs of where they have been feeding. Such as the remains of stripped cones and piles of scales at the base of trees, or near logs and stumps. Squirrels eat cones from the base up, using their teeth and paws to remove the scales and access the seed inside.
Release site locations
As part of the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey 30th Sep – 6th Oct 2024, we are calling on local people throughout the Highlands to give reds a helping hand by reporting sightings of squirrels.
We are particularly keen to see sightings recorded from the areas near the red squirrel release sites. Could you help make this happen?
- Arisaig, Lochaber
- Attadale, Wester Ross
- Coulin, Wester Ross
- Drimnin, Morvern Peninsula
- Golspie, Sutherland
- Inverewe, Wester Ross
- Letterewe, Wester Ross
- Lochaline, Morvern Peninsula
- Plockton, Lochalsh, Wester Ross
- Reraig, Wester Ross
- Shieldaig, Wester Ross
- Spinningdale, Sutherland
Every spring and autumn, the Red Squirrel Reintroduction Project welcomes help from local volunteers to assist with baiting and translocations. Visit treesforlife.org.uk/about-us/red-squirrel-reintroduction-project to learn more about the project, and contact sarahw@treesforlife.org.uk to find out about local volunteer opportunities.