Squirrel sightings map update July 2025

A red squirrel eating a nut on a mossy stump. Text reads "We're working on it!"

  You may be experiencing some problems with the map feature on our sightings page, or have noticed some changes to the way it looks. Don’t panic, you can still submit your sightings as normal, and this is a temporary issue.   Previously, our maps were powered by Bing maps, which has now been discontinued […]

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New staff join the scurry

    We have a few new additions to our scurry here at Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels! Meet the new staff here:   Molly Martin – Communications and Engagement Officer   I’ve worked in communications for conservation organisations in Scotland since 2019, after graduating university with a degree in ecology. Connecting people with nature has […]

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Invasive Non-Native Species Week 2025 – The grey threat

A non-native species is a species that has been introduced to an area where it doesn’t naturally occur. Most of these are harmless but some threaten native species. These are called invasive non-native species (INNS). INNS have been identified as one of the top causes of global biodiversity loss. In Scotland, one of the most prominent […]

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Squirrel Sightings – Your Questions Answered!

  Public squirrel sightings are an invaluable resource for SSRS staff and volunteers, and submitting a sighting is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to crucial citizen science efforts and aid in the fight to save Scotland’s red squirrels. But why are squirrel sightings so important, what exactly does the map show, and how should sightings […]

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Seasonal Squirrels Part 3: Autumn!

As the warmth and brightness of summer give way to the colourful leaves and shorter days of autumn, the Scottish red squirrel is at their most active on the forest floor – caching food for the colder months ahead. The behaviour of red squirrels in autumn offers a window into the natural rhythm of the […]

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Fife Squirrelpox Update

  In April, the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies confirmed the first death of a red squirrel from the squirrelpox virus north of Scotland’s Central Belt, having conducted tests on a dead squirrel found near Dunfermline in Fife. Squirrelpox is a virus carried by grey squirrels which, whilst not affecting them, […]

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Reviewing the Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation

  What would the full recovery of Scotland’s red squirrel population look like? This is the question being tackled by the Scottish Squirrel Group, a multi-disciplinary group convened by NatureScot and made up of key Government agencies, land owners and managers, volunteer groups, researchers and academics, and environmental NGOs in order to revise the Scottish […]

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Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels: the next steps in South Scotland

  Since 2017 SSRS has helped establish 17 dedicated and enthusiastic volunteer Local Network Groups across the south of Scotland, providing them with training and support to control grey squirrels and monitor, promote and protect red squirrels where they live.   As our latest 2022-24 SSRS Transition Phase comes to an end, all volunteer groups […]

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