Today, 14 June, we announced that RSPB Scotland is leading on a proposal to move a small number of beavers to the Loch Lomond National Nature Reserve. This blog explains why we want to bring beavers to Loch Lomond, how you can find out more and will hopefully answer any questions you might have. We will be updating it on a regular basis, so bookmark this page to stay informed.
Why we want to bring beavers to Loch Lomond
Last year, beavers in Scotland got some good news when the Scottish Government announced that further beaver translocations would be authorised. Translocations involve moving animals from one area where they are found to another, whereas reintroduction is about putting them back following local extinction/loss.
RSPB Scotland believes that beaver translocations in Scotland should be used to prevent these protected animals being shot in places where their activity might cause issues. So, we strongly welcomed this change in policy, and it was great to see the first translocation of a beaver family (outside of Knapdale) completed by Argaty Red Kites last autumn.
Now, we're excited to announce that we are leading on a proposal to translocate beavers from areas in Tayside to the Loch Lomond National Nature Reserve (NNR) using the RSPB Scotland nature reserve as the release site.
Trail camera photo of a beaver at Loch Lomond in 2019.
RSPB Scotland Loch Lomond is an ideal site for beavers. In 2019 an individual was recorded foraging on the NNR. Since then, we have carried out extensive surveys on the reserve looking at areas where beavers will likely choose to live as well as carrying out a risk assessment to make sure none of the other species that share the reserve will be detrimentally affected. All this information will be used in the application we need to submit to NatureScot for a license which is required before a translocation can take place.
We hope to submit the application later this summer. But before we do, we will be talking with the local community, local stakeholders and local organisations to gain views on the proposed translocation. We’ve already been in touch with many of our neighbours, but also want to involve the wider community. So, we are planning a number of events. The first of these is an online evening talk on Tuesday 21 June, but we will host a variety of other in person and online events and discussions to ensure everyone has their chance to find out more.
Beavers are amazing ecosystem engineers that create habitat such as wet woodland, open water and channels that benefit a whole range of species. Whilst we accept that in certain areas, such as low-lying agricultural land, these activities can be problematic, we believe that, where possible, beavers should be moved rather than resorting to lethal control. So since the Scottish Government announcement last year, we have been looking at our nature reserves as potential translocation areas. RSPB Scotland Loch Lomond is the first of these sites, representing an area within the current range of existing beaver populations.
Beaver close-up. Photo courtesy of Wild Intrigue.
We are hoping, if the application is successful, to release up to eight beavers (likely a single family group or two pairs) into the Loch Lomond NNR, perhaps as early as this autumn. They will then be monitored to see how they settle in.
With over 100,000 hectares of vacant, suitable wetland habitat for beavers away from high conflict areas, we hope that translocation projects like Argaty Red Kites and our proposed one at Loch Lomond can, in the future, offer beavers in Scotland a chance to fully realise their potential across the country.
We will be updating this blog on a regular basis, so bookmark this page to keep up to date with details of upcoming events, progress and more.
Frequently asked questions
You can read the answers to some frequently asked questions here: 8551.8463.2772.RSPB Beaver Translocation FAQs - updated 28 July 2022.pdf .
The report mentioned in the FAQs is available here: 3264.7103.1234.Report_Beaver_suitability_assessment_Loch_Lomond_Sept_2013.pdf
Want to ask us something else? Then you are welcome to email beavers.lomond@rspb.org.uk.
Events
We have hosted a number of events, both in person and online. Don't worry if you couldn't make it. Please read the FAQs and please get in touch with any questions on the email above.
Update - 7 October 2022
We have now submitted our licence application to NatureScot. You can read more about it here: https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/scotland/posts/licence-to-move.
We would like to thank everyone who took the time to engage with us about this proposal. We’ll keep you updated once we know more, but in the meantime if you have any questions about our plans please get in touch by emailing beavers.lomond@rspb.org.uk.
You can read our licence application documents here:
7245.8446.RSPB Beaver translocation licence application.pdf
8272.6012.RSPB Loch Lomond Beaver SCM Risk Assessment 2022.xlsx
Update 15 December
NatureScot have granted our licence to move beavers to Loch Lomond. There is move information here: https://www.nature.scot/beaver-release-new-loch-lomond-site-approved and here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/beavers-to-boost-loch-lomond-biodiversity/
Update 31 January 2023
Seven beavers were successfully moved to Loch Lomond on Friday 27 January. Read more here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/beavers-loch-lomond/
Hi Alex. Sorry we missed this. Our ecological studies have shown that moving beavers to Loch Lomond will have benefits for both the beavers and the NNR. Beaver activities, such as ‘dynamic’ wetland management and coppicing, are well studied as being beneficial to other wildlife, as well as providing other ecosystem services such as carbon capture, and sustainable water management in periods of extreme weather. So we are expecting to see many benefits. The beavers won’t be fitted with trackers but we will be monitoring them and their impacts, including water levels, after release. In the unlikely event that we need to manage certain beaver activity on the reserve, we will follow NatureScot’s mitigation hierarchy, featured in they beaver management framework.
Hi Sean. Sorry we didn't reply sooner. The potential impacts of beavers on 142 notable species (including 67 rare and scarce species) recorded on the reserve are being assessed. We've just got a couple of spider species still to complete. The vast majority of these species are likely to see either no impact or potential positive benefits. There was only one species, a fly, that may be negatively impacted due to its requirement for shade near wet features. A handful of species may be impacted positively or negatively, for example water starwort might be negatively impacted in their current locations but have more suitable areas created in new locations. These species will be included in RSPB Scotland’s monitoring schedule allowing for mitigation to be carried out if deemed necessary. Hope this is interesting/useful.
Still can't find any benefit for beavers on lochlomond ...will rspb be tracking them & be held responsible for any damage caused once they move to other areas surrounding lochlomond
Hi Colin,
Thanks for your comment. Beavers are native but they have been missing from much of Scotland for around 400 years after they were hunted to extinction in the 16th century (for fur, meat and castoreum). We understand your concerns about potential impacts on fish, particularly salmon and want to assure you that this is considered throughout the beaver restoration process. Salmon are unlikely to be impacted on the main part of the River Endrick because wide rivers aren’t suitable for damming and the upper reaches are also not very suitable as beaver habitat due to lack of vegetation, so are also unlikely to be impacted. Our overall assessment is that beavers are unlikely to cause issues for salmon in this location and could increase habitat suitability by increasing shelter, feeding and breeding opportunities. Although they are unlikely to be needed, there are mitigation measures supported by NatureScot for dam management or fish passage that can be used. We appreciate you sharing your feedback with us. If you haven’t already, please make sure that you fill out the questionnaire so we can capture your views.
Beavers are not native to Loch Lomond. Their dams and negative impacts upon burns and rivers will directly impact in a bad way on migratory fish movements in the system, resulting in a reduction of spawning sites and less fish such as salmon and sea trout. These fish are native to the Lomond system. I will never support a proposal to intoduce non native species which impact negatively upon native species. I therefore oppose the proposal to introduce beavers to the Lomond system.