Scottish Natural Heritage

In today's blog post, SNH Woodland Adviser Kate Holl shares her visit to a tiny island off the west coast of Scotland.
Because this tiny wooded rock has no resident deer, the woodlands and plantlife have naturally been able to thrive. The result? A gorgeous green sanctuary carpeted with wild flowers and surrounded by climbing plants.
Read more here: https://scotlandsnature.blog/…/a-trip-t o-a-wooded-rock-off…/

The winner of our latest staff photo showcase is 'Don't look up', by Martin Faulkner who works with Green Infrastructure projects out of our Clydebank office. Lorne Gill (our professional photographer) said: "It’s lovely to see such an intimate portrait of a grey heron looking completely at ease as it stands stalk still by the riverside, waiting for a fish to pass close enough for it to strike. A strong composition that lets the viewer see every fine detail of the birds feathers and the steely look of its eye." Copyright Martin Faulkner

This month we celebrate going back to school🎉🏫️.
Most schools in Scotland have settled back into the routine, so we hope it's going well for pupils AND teachers😊!
Anyone else going back this week or still to go back, we wish you all the best👍.
... Check out our free images of schools taking learning outdoors flic.kr/s/aHsmmXw34m 🙃🌳✍️
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Our Isle of May team were lucky enough to have had a few helpers over the weekend. Local Scout group, the 12th Fife East Neuk Scouts, enjoyed an overnight stay on the island and volunteered around the reserve.
Read more about what they got up to on our Isle of May National Nature Reserve blog below.

Rum National Nature Reserve (NNR) is the largest of the Small Isles off Scotland’s west coast. Rum is a dramatic mountainous landscape with a great diversity of habitats and is an internationally important site for geological features, upland habitats, plant communities and breeding birds.
The area of Kilmory has a beautiful long sandy beach with uninterrupted views across to Skye. It is a perfect place for walks and wildlife watching including Rum’s famous red deer, otters a...nd golden and white-tailed eagles that nest on the island. Harris in the West is more rugged with rocky beachs offering views across to Coll and Tiree, and opportunities to spot eagles and red-throated divers as they fly between the sea and their hill breeding lochs.
The island also boasts a rich cultural heritage including historical villages, burial grounds and a castle.There is also a community ranger service that offers evening talks and daytime activities.
Find out more about visiting here: https://bit.ly/2MxYRB5
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Do you have an idea for a project that will support regular, structured outdoor learning experiences for pupils in their local greenspace? Round 2 of our Outdoor Learning for Nature Fund will open soon, and we want to hear from you!
Funding for this round is specifically targeting projects in Aberdeen City, City of Edinburgh, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, Glasgow City, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire and West Lothian.
We’ll begin accepting applications from 26 Sept. For more information visit: https://www.nature.scot/…/fund…/outdo or-learning-nature-fund

Do you own a drone? Then please be careful not to disturb wildlife! You might be causing more harm than you realise - and even breaking the law. See https://www.gapi.io/68aV for more info.
For more info on drones and the law, see https://bit.ly/2N0YChj

The dramatic Isle of Noss National Nature Reserve is a jewel in Shetland’s crown of wildlife sites, and amongst the most impressive seabird colonies in the world. Just 5km east of Lerwick, the ‘Noss experience’ begins with a short inflatable ride across the azure waters of Noss Sound, and an introductory talk from one of the two wardens.
From there, the best route to take is an anti-clockwise one around the island, avoiding disturbings the ‘bonxies’ (great skuas) which nest i...n the centre of the island. Grey and common seals, and, if you’re lucky, otters, can all be seen around the low-lying coast on the west side of the island, with even killer whales making an appearance from time to time. Puffins can also be seen at close quarters May to mid-August. A real highlight of the island is the mighty Noup cliff: a sheer 181m honeycombed sandstone cliff encrusted with thousands of pairs of gannets - its sights, sounds and smells are unforgettable.
For more information about the Noss NNR and how to get there, visit:https://bit.ly/2wjR0g9
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#Didyouknow bumblebees live in nests of up to 400 bees, while honeybees can have up to 60,000 in a hive?
There are so many differences between these bee-utiful, buzzy pollinators, check out more here: http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/…/ honeybees-vs-bumble…/
Bumblebee Conservation Trust

Our blog post today is from SNH Policy Advice Directorate Support Officer Lynne Clark, who recently toured southern Scotland to see examples of reforestation and rural development.
Read about her experience and see some great examples of communities coming together to restore our nature here: https://scotlandsnature.blog/…/reforest ation-and-rural-dev…/

St Cyrus National Nature Reserve (NNR) is a small coastal site which can be found nestled on the east coast of Scotland. Steep cliffs along the western boundary and the North Sea along its eastern edge create a unique micro-climate offering a diverse range of wetland, scrub, dune and estuary environments. Our staff carefully manage the habitats across the reserve, providing ideal environments for wildflowers, invertebrates, birds and crucial pollinator populations to thrive. ...
Cliff faces at St Cyrus offer territories for a range of nesting birds such as Raven, Fulmar and Jackdaw, and birds of prey including Buzzard and Peregrine while a wide variety of rare and scarce botanical species can also be found on the reserve. St Cyrus is also widely popular for whale and dolphin sightings off the coast and last year was lucky enough to have a visiting humpback whale for over a month!
The reserve offers nature education through interpretation boards and the visitor centre. A variety of paths meander across the reserve providing access to the nearby St Cyrus village, dune grasslands and the beach front. Find out more: https://bit.ly/2Lsk1Lf
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Come see us at our stand in the Woodlands4Yew marquee! Find out all about pollinators and check out our wonderful woodland nature scene, showing what happens in and around woodland as birds and animals prepare for spring.

The Isle of May National Nature Reserve (NNR) lies on the east coast of Scotland, in the entrance of the Firth of Forth. For its small size it has a tremendous variety of wildlife; home to spectacular seabird colonies in summer and Atlantic grey seal colonies throughout autumn. The island is also an important site for migrant birds passing to and from their breeding grounds.
The visitor centre, facilities and paths on the island are managed to make access as easy as possible..., while reducing disturbance and damage and careful habitat management also takes place to encourage more birds to nest. The island also has an impressive cultural history stretching back thousands of years and has been the site of archaeological study in the past.
You can visit the Isle of May by ferry from April to September each year. For more information about the Isle of May NNR and how to get there, visit: https://bit.ly/2NnbR8I or for updates from resident staff, volunteers and researchers you can read more at: https://isleofmaynnr.wordpress.com/
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You may have seen an earlier news report about a disturbance of seals at Forvie National Nature Reserve.
With so many of us spending time watching this wildlife, it is important that we act responsibly.
While we all love the opportunity to see large groups of seals on our beaches, we also need to ensure we are also protecting them from harm. If you’re visiting Forvie and come across the seals on the beach, we recommend staying at least 150 metres away. When you see one or t...wo seals’ heads pop up, you’re close enough. Please heed the signs at the Nature Reserve asking people not to disturb the seals. Seals can move surprisingly quickly and can become aggressive if they feel threatened. For a great view of the seals without risking disturbing them, we recommend the view from Newburgh beach.
The Scottish Marine Wildlife Watching Code is a code of conduct that can help you minimise any disturbance to Scotland’s marine life and stay within the law. Any incidents of harassment at a designated seal haul out could be a wildlife crime and should be reported to the police on 101.
Please share this advice so we can all enjoy seeing such wonderful animals on Scotland's coasts.
goo.gl/xw21yP
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Forvie National Nature Reserve is known for its “shifting sands and seabirds” and renowned for its large colony of eider ducks, and four species of breeding tern. Located 26 kilometres north of Aberdeen, this 1000 hectare coastal reserve is a haven for wildlife, visiting families and dog walkers.
Forvie NNR is considered one of the few remaining truly wild areas on the east coast of Scotland. However, the reserve offers a visitor centre, accessible facilities including toilets and car parking and paths graded from easy to strenuous across the reserve.
Hands-on experience and volunteering is also available at Forvie NNR. For more information visit www.nnr.scot or contact the reserve manager Annabel Drysdale at annabel.drysdale@nature.scot

This fantastic photo was taken by John Orr who works for us in Inverness - and we love it! A rarely seen few-weeks-old bottlenose dolphin breaching with mum (probably) at Chanonry Point. Copyright John Orr Whale & Dolphin Conservation