Only a limited number of people were present when beavers were released at Loch Lomond Last week. Here Stephen describes what it was like to have that privilege. 

For the reserve team it was a mix of Christmas morning and your biggest school exams all at once. After almost a year of intense work a family of seven beavers was about to be released into RSPB Scotland’s Loch Lomond nature reserve.  

The animals arrived…

The shift away from fossil fuels and toward renewables is a welcome one if we are to help tackle the climate crisis, however, that must not come at the cost of our species. Jason Rose, Policy Campaigns Manager at RSPB Scotland outlines how we can deploy offshore wind while taking account of nature.

This Squirrel Appreciation Day, Robyn Stewart shares some facts about Scotland's red squirrels.

On RSPB Scotland's Onziebust Farm on Egilsay, work continues apace to expand our Nature Friendly Farming work. Reserve Warden Vicky Anderson tells us more.

An archetypal LBJ (Little Brown Job), wrens could be overlooked in gardens, hedgerows and woodlands. But something about them draws you in. Molly Martin tells us five facts about these charismatic wee birds.

In the run up to this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch, Ian McNab from our communications team looks back at how his experiences of the survey have changed over the years.

A very special eagle has been visiting her very special family over the holidays. RSPB Scotland Mull Officer, Dave Sexton, tells us more.

Giving Nature a Home Glasgow team have been working with pupils and residents in Craigend, Glasgow to improve a greenspace at the centre of the community. Here is an update about what the plans are, since it has been a few months since the consultations finished.

The Scottish Government recently published a revised draft of the Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) which is currently undergoing scrutiny in the Scottish Parliament. Niamh Coyne, Conservation Planner at RSPB Scotland, explains why NPF4 is so important and why this redraft has the potential to deliver transformative change for Scotland’s planning system for nature, climate and people.

Back in March 2022…

The Scottish Government’s Wildlife Management (Grouse) Bill consultation closes tomorrow. Duncan Orr-Ewing, our Head of Species and Land Management explains why we must make sure Scotland’s uplands and the wildlife which rely on them get the protection they need.

Scotland’s mountains, moors, hills and valleys should be full of life but increasingly these places have fallen silent. Centuries of unsustainable…

Our Airds Moss Warden, Tim Lill, tells us about the wetland work currently happening on the nature reserve.

A new report from the Climate Change Committee has outlined glaring holes in the Scottish Governments plans to address climate change in the coming years.

Several recent reports have re-iterated not only how important protected areas are for nature, but also how we can improve them. Isobel Mercer tells us more.

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on the Future of National Parks. Niamh Coyne, Conservation Planner explains a bit more about RSPB Scotland’s response and the exciting opportunity this consultation presents to strengthen the role of National Parks to deliver for nature, climate and people.

We shed some light on what we know about the UK Government’s proposed Investment Zones and what they might mean for nature in Scotland.

The RSPB’s new report ‘A world richer in nature: Where nature and people can thrive’ sets out our vision for a nature positive world by 2030. In this blog Andrew Stark, Land Use Policy Officer in the RSPB Scotland team, outlines what this means for farming and our food system.

‘A world richer in nature: Where nature and people can thrive’ adds to the ever-growing body of evidence about why addressing…

Islay is home to two RSPB Scotland nature reserves - Loch Gruinart and The Oa. In this blog, Louise Muir tells us how the team balance their conservation and farming objectives to achieve the best of both worlds.

The RSPB’s new report ‘A world richer in nature: Where nature and people can thrive’ sets out our vision for a nature positive world by 2030. In this blog Ally Lemon, Marine Policy Officer for RSPB Scotland, outlines what this means for fisheries and our marine environment.  

Scotland’s seas are massively important to us and to nature, they provide food for us, they provide energy through offshore wind and…

As summer passes, our incredible seabirds disappear for another year, right? Well if you're very lucky, you might spot a winter visitor that will brighten up any dark day. Read on for five facts about little auks.

Over the last few weeks we’ve been reacting to the UK Government’s #AttackOnNature and sharing our concerns about what it might mean for nature in Scotland. You’ve asked for some for more information, so we’ll be sharing some explainers on different topics over the coming weeks. This one is about our most prized nature laws – the Habitats Regulations.   

What is the threat to our laws?

One…

A popular visitor to our coasts in winter, let's look at some fun facts about long-tailed ducks.

The natural world is immensely powerful in helping us maintain good mental health. On World Mental Health Day, some of our staff have shared their own stories about getting a wellbeing boost from nature.

We have some exciting news. Today (Friday 7 October) we submitted a licence application to NatureScot to move a family of beavers (2-6 animals) from Tayside to our Loch Lomond nature reserve. This application represents a huge amount of work looking not only at the ecological suitability of the area, but also engaging with the local community, listening and addressing any concerns.

If successful, it could also represent…

The harvest is in for most of Scotland’s farmers. Those of us who enjoy the countryside will have seen the familiar autumn sight of straw bales in the fields and we are starting to hear the familiar sound of winter geese arriving.

At this time of seasonal change, there are also signs of systematic change coming down the track.

Due to the UK’s exit from the EU and its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), all the governments…

The UK Government made a series of announcements last week that, together, represent one of the most significant attacks on nature we’ve seen. Some of these announcements apply only to England, but some have direct and indirect implications for the devolved countries. Aedan Smith, Head of Policy and Advocacy for RSPB Scotland, explains what this could mean for Scotland’s nature and why we will not stand for this.…