Kat Fingland joined SSRS in May 2021 as the new Conservation Officer for South West Scotland. Prior to starting the role, she has spent the past five years researching the red squirrels of Formby, Merseyside, for her PhD at Nottingham Trent University, studying how red squirrels have adapted to live alongside people in urban environments. Approximately two-thirds of… […]
This week is national Invasive Species Week, 13-17 May, which aims to raise awareness across Great Britain about invasive species and their impacts. Being a project all about invasive species, here at the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative, we’re quite excited about having a whole week of lots of people talking about Invasive Species and we’d love everyone to… […]
Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has published the results of its 2018 annual survey, which indicate that while most of Scotland’s red squirrel populations remain stable, populations in southern Scotland remain under threat. Since 2011, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has been monitoring squirrel populations in the parts of the country where red squirrels are most threatened by the spread… […]
Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is appealing for help to stop the spread of grey squirrels into the Mearns region of Aberdeenshire. Recently a number of grey squirrels have been found north of the River North Esk in areas including Marykirk, St Cyrus and Benholm. Without urgent action, local red squirrel populations in the Mearns are at risk. The… […]
Summer is a wonderful time to appreciate Scotland’s charismatic red squirrels! From summer coats, to unusual foods, to well-deserved afternoon siestas. Read on below for our guide to their behaviours during this (sometimes!) sunny season for you to observe and enjoy! Perthshire Summer Red (c) Raymond Leinster Ear Tufts & Summer Coats The fur of red squirrels can vary from… […]
When squirrelpox first arrived in the south of Scotland in 2005, there were fears that the virus would prove devastating to the region’s red squirrels. The project was also concerned that without conservation action the virus would continue to spread north towards Scotland’s core red squirrel populations in the Highlands. Prof Andy White of Heriot-Watt University and Dr Peter… […]
Saving Scotland Red Squirrels: Developing Community Action ran from 2017 – 2022. One of the aims of this phase of the project was to set up and equip a network of volunteer groups in South Scotland capable of independently taking forward red squirrel conservation in the region. As such, in April 2022, 13 of the Red Squirrel Networks in… […]
In this guest blog we hear from Sam Mitchell from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS). Sam is part of the fantastic team working with SSRS to support red squirrel conservation across Scotland. Red squirrels are undoubtedly one of the UK’s most iconic and beloved species, being firmly linked in our collective consciousness to our remaining wild spaces. Despite… […]
It’s halfway through 2025 and we’re celebrating our red squirrel conservation work in Aberdeen. The history of red and grey squirrels in the North East is a slightly different one to the rest of the country. Let’s take a look at the story so far… Up until just over 100 years ago, the only squirrels found in Scotland,… […]
The 2024 Great Scottish Squirrel Survey This Red Squirrel Week we’re calling on people all over Scotland to get outside, explore nature and be on the lookout for tufted ears and bushy tails for sixth annual Great Scottish Squirrel Survey. Report your sightings of both red and grey squirrels between 30 September – 6 October to provide us with a… […]
