about Us
Who we are, what we're doing and why we're doing it
Support the South of Scotland
Golden Eagle Project
Help us create a future for the Golden Eagle in the south of Scotland
About us
Hello
The South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project aims to reinforce the small, isolated and vulnerable population of Golden Eagles in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway.
Golden Eagles have a long history in the South of Scotland. From east to west, populations were once healthy with the Golden Eagle playing an important part as an apex predator in the ecosystem. Over the last couple of centuries, human activity and changes in land use has caused populations in the south to fall as low as 3 breeding pairs.
However, through a series of translocations over a period of 5 years and greater cooperation between stakeholders, the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project aims to increase numbers and prevent the loss of this wonderful species from Southern Skies.
Five custom built aviaries have been constructed and sited at a confidential location in the Southern Uplands with the first eaglets arriving in early summer 2018 for a short two month stay before being released into the Moffat Hills.
Funded by Heritage Lottery and LEADER Scottish Borders and D&G, the project aims to bring together all countryside users to ensure the wellbeing and successful future of the Golden Eagle in the South of Scotland and to secure a place for this iconic symbol of wilderness and freedom for future generations to come.
Prepared for take off
Guided by the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations, the team has undertaken a formal assessment of habitat and other management measures to reinforce the population in the South of Scotland. These reports concluded that the South of Scotland could support up to 16 breeding pairs of Golden Eagles.
NatureScot has subsequently granted a licence to the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project to undertake a translocation of Golden Eagles over a 5-year period.
For more information and to download the full commissioned report, please go to our links page.
Learning by doing together
The partnership of landowners and conservation community is critical for the successful delivery of the project. It builds on long-term, ongoing work by all concerned to improve the status of raptor species across Scotland. Our partners are:
- The Southern Upland Partnership (host partner)
- Scottish Land and Estates
- RSPB Scotland
- NatureScot
- Scottish Forestry
This unique partnership will have major benefits for a range of other projects between landowners and conservationists, highlighting best practice in terms of partnership working and 'learning by doing together'. Links to all our partners and funders websites can be found on the scrolling bar at the bottom of this page.
inspiring local communities
The majority of people across the South of Scotland are unaware that Golden Eagles still inhabit territories in Dumfries & Galloway and the Scottish Borders albeit these populations are fragmented and vulnerable. We believe there is a significant opportunity to utilise this historic and exciting project to inspire local people and rebuild a sense of pride and guardianship in a southern population of Golden Eagles.
The project team will be working right across the South of Scotland and hope to engage with as many people as possible. Our Community Outreach Officers will be out and about delivering talks, walks and activities as well as Eagle Schools; a curriculum-linked programme for primary schools to discover the life-cycle of a Golden Eagle as well as some of the challenges it faces and the benefits to society.
A key component of our work will also see us collaborate with landowners, managers and conservationists to help improve communication and ensure all stakeholders are fairly represented throughout the project.
get in touch
If you are interested in knowing more about the project, hosting a talk, becoming an Eagle School or volunteering please get in touch.
You can also follow our blog which will be updated regularly with all the latest news. From the goings on inside the aviaries to the fortunes of our eagles across Scotland's southern skies, you'll hear it here first.
VISIT THE MOFFAT 2024 GOLDEN EAGLE FESTIVAL PAGE HERE
Partners
