Latest news in the Northern Isles and North Highland

Get the most out of Shetland's nature this summer

There's still time to get out and enjoy the best of Shetland this summer by visiting one of our three fantastic National Nature Reserves.

The seasonal ferry service that we run to the Isle of Noss will be stopping at the end of August, though at the moment the cliffs are still alive with tens of thousands of seabirds. There's also the chance to see cetaceans and otters as you make your way round around the island.

Hermaness on Unst is open all year round for breathtaking walks and spectacular scenery but the large gannet colony that nests here will only remain until September.

Last but not least is the Keen of Hamar, a mosaic of botanical wonders, best seen in the summer months when the carpet of rare plants is in flower.

Ospreys return to Loch Fleet

A pair of ospreys who have chosen to nest at a site of national importance for its wildlife and habitats are being monitored to see if they can successfully breed and rear young.

The ospreys migrated to Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve (NNR)  near Golspie, Sutherland, last year, but failed to produce offspring. A reason for that failure is believed to have been their choice of a nest close to a well-used path on the reserve.

This year the ospreys have migrated from west Africa to try again and staff from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and local ornithologist Kenny Graham have built a new nesting platform in a suitable tree well away from the paths and trails which cross the reserve. Even though the nesting platform was only completed in March, it is now apparent it is already being used by the pair of ospreys, who are being monitored closely to see if they produce any young.

For the full story see our press release for more details. 

STOP PRESS - RSPB have done a a co-ordinated check of the two osprey nests on the Reserve and both had females sitting tight on their nests.

Storming success for petrels on Mousa

A survey carried out by the RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage has shown that the population of European storm petrels has doubled at one important colony in Shetland.

The island of Mousa, home to nearly 40% of the UK population of this fascinating seabird, has seen the number of breeding pairs double during the past 12 years.

Glen Tyler, of Scottish Natural Heritage, said "We're delighted with the results of this survey. One of the keys to the success of this colony is the absence of introduced ground predators on the island. Rats, mink and feral cats all prey on storm petrels and the presence of such predators has led to the disappearance of some colonies in the UK. It is essential that Mousa remains free of ground predators if we are to safeguard the long-term future of this species."

Full details of the survey results can be found in the RSPB press release  .