Hawick, Selkirk and Denholm Red Squirrel Network – One Year Later

…South Scotland became independent, retaining use of the SSRS Community Hub and other resources. We catch up with Bill Ferguson from the Hawick, Selkirk and Denholm network to hear how they have been getting on. Since becoming an independent group in April 2022, HSD Red Squirrel Network has been led by our 5 dedicated committee members: the Chair, Treasurer, Secretary,… […]

Read More…

Cally Gardens Wildlife Hide is now open!

…Cally Woods so many people enjoy visiting. The shortest route to take starts at the car park next to the Horse Trail, about 500m along Cally Drive from the entrance lodge. From there, you should follow the new fingerpost signs until you reach the stone dyke which forms the boundary of the Cally Gardens property. Round the corner to the […]

Read More…

Squirrel Sightings: an inside look

…our control efforts where they are most needed. It also gives us a year on year comparison of red and grey squirrel distribution throughout Scotland so we can measure the progress of the project.   How do you submit your sightings? It’s very easy – just head to our website and on the homepage you can see the sightings information… […]

Read More…

Argaty’s red squirrels are back in full force

…and the wall. This winter another was seen feeding on peanuts beside our visitor centre, several hundred metres from the nearest tree. They are regularly seen in our neighbours’ gardens too, pilfering the nuts left out for the birds. Truly, theirs has been the most remarkable recovery.   Red squirrels on Argaty © Lynn Bowser   Their comeback is not… […]

Read More…

News: Suspected squirrelpox outbreak near Lockerbie threatens local red squirrel population

…outbreak.” The first known squirrelpox outbreak in Scotland occurred in 2007 near Lockerbie and since then the disease has arisen in various red squirrel populations across the south. Pox carrying grey squirrels are now considered to be widespread throughout South Scotland and the disease could therefore be transferred to local red squirrel populations in any area. However, despite outbreaks in… […]

Read More…

News: New research underway to trace the steps of urban squirrels

the wider Aberdeenshire countryside, further threatening important red squirrel populations in Grampian and the Highlands.   Grey Squirrel © Nicola Nuttall   Larger and more productive than their red counterparts, grey squirrels can rapidly out-compete red squirrels for food and living space, making it difficult for the native species to successfully breed and for their young to survive. Because of… […]

Read More…

News: Get involved in Scotland’s fifth annual Great Scottish Squirrel Survey

…Between 2-8 October we are encouraging members of the public to explore the outdoors, get squirrel spotting, and add sightings of red and grey squirrels to scottishsquirrels.org.uk. The annual Great Scottish Squirrel Survey is the most important public event for comparing yearly distributions of red and grey squirrels. Last year we received 10,484 sightings in total with the help of… […]

Read More…

Squirrel Sightings: an inside look

…  Verification Our job is to look at each sighting to make sure that all the details are correct including the grid reference; we have had the occasional sighting seeming to indicate a squirrel swimming in the North Sea! It is a huge job going through the thousands of sightings that come in throughout GSSS week, and we are fortunate… […]

Read More…

Great Scottish Squirrel Survey

…and facebook for the latest Great Scottish Squirrel Survey news.   Get involved There are a variety of outdoor and online events happening throughout the Survey week, check out our events page for more details. If you are a member of a community group, wildlife organisation or visitor attraction in Scotland you could help us spread the word or even… […]

Read More…

New threat to Perthshire’s red squirrels as greys reappear in Aberfeldy

…Chapel Road have raised the alarm once more. Tayside Conservation Officer Ann-Marie MacMaster said: “These recent sightings are a cause for concern because it could suggest that the grey squirrels spotted last year have now bred. If grey squirrels established themselves in the area, this would have devastating consequences for the local red population. “We are asking everyone in the […]

Read More…

This Year's Sightings