Red Squirrels (NE & Highland Groups)

Red squirrels are about as iconic as they come - even for those not of the Tufty Club generation! They're also in serious danger from their bigger cousins, the grey squirrel.

The Cairngorms National Park is one of the last strongholds for the red squirrel in the UK. With the swathes of Ancient pine forests it provides the perfect habitat for these quite timid creatures.

Grey squirrels are larger than the native reds and were introduced to the UK from America and Canada in the early 1900’s. They pose a serious threat to the survival of the red squirrel population through transmission of the deadly squirrel pox virus that the grey squirrel carries. Grey squirrels are occasionally seen moving up the River Dee from Aboyne or moving up the River Garry from Pitlochry.

A strategy programme of grey squirrel control co-ordinated by Scottish Natural Heritage is targeting these areas. Two local projects, the Red Squirrels of the Highlands project and the Grampian Squirrel Group are working to monitor and conserve the red squirrels in the National Park.       

Website by Heehaw Digital