Red squirrel numbers leap in west coast of Scotland

Red squirrels will once again inhabit Scotland’s west coast after a successful reintroduction initiative, experts say.

Conservationists are hopeful that the endangered species will expand to create a thriving population across the Morvern Peninsula in the Highlands after six were released into woodland on the Drimnin Estate near the Sound of Mull.

The announcement brings the number of red squirrels released across the northwest Highlands since 2016 to 235. With the new populations breeding and expanding throughout available habitat, specialists predict that numbers of the native species in the region could reach 5,300.

The reintroduction project is led by nature charity Trees For Life in partnership with landowners and communities. Small numbers of red squirrels were relocated from areas with established populations such as Inverness,