Red squirrels on Arran

The red squirrel is one of Scotland’s most loved and recognisable woodland animals. But its future is under threat.

Threat from the grey

Across the country, the larger American grey squirrel is spreading fast. It competes for food and carries squirrelpox, a virus that’s deadly to reds but harmless to greys.

Arran is one of the few places where red squirrels still thrive. With only around 120,000 left in Scotland (75% of the UK population), protecting them here is more important than ever.

One of the best ways to protect red squirrels is to create ‘strongholds’. Better still if these strongholds are islands. In Scotland, the Isle of Arran is an important area of focused conservation work. It supports a large, thriving population, most importantly with no greys!

The Arran Red Squirrel Project was established in 2013. It’s funded by us and the People's Trust for Endangered Species. It's work is led by the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh.

The vets’ role is important. Thankfully, their tests showed that Arran's red squirrels are healthy with no evidence of the virus. We have a huge part to play too, as Scotland's national forests and land cover more than 8,000 hectares of the island. We are working with members of the Arran Red Squirrel Project and using our local forest knowledge to make long-term plans that put red squirrels first.

This includes:

• planning our work carefully to avoid damage to red squirrel dreys
• establishing permanent red squirrel refuge areas while surrounding areas are felled and replanted
• thinning trees to promote the production of cones
• maintaining a dependable food supply for red squirrels by planting a variety of species
• creating tree ‘corridors’ to link separate blocks of forests

Read more about the red squirrel project and find out how you can help protect these iconic animals.

Red squirrels thrive in mixed conifer forests, so it’s easy to assume that forestry work might harm their habitat. But recent research suggests otherwise.

With help from the University of the Highlands and Islands, we’ve been conducting research to find out how our work affects red squirrels. The results have been encouraging. By tagging squirrels with very small GPS units (under licence from NatureScot), we discovered that their territories shifted only slightly if we were working nearby.

It’s early days and a bigger study is planned. However, there is evidence to suggest that with careful planning, we can carry out essential work in the forest and still look after this iconic animal.

Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels

As part of our efforts for this species, we also fund the work of Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels in Scotland’s national forests. 

Explore how you can get involved from spotting squirrels to supporting conservation efforts.