First sea eagle chicks bred in Royal Deeside for about 200 years

This stock image shows a sea eagle in flight

A pair of sea eagles have successfully bred in Royal Deeside for the first time in 200 years, according to Cairngorms National Park.

The two chicks have been fledged after the pair nested on the Mar Estate in Aberdeenshire.

They have been named Victoria and Albert.

Sea eagles - also known as white-tailed eagles - are thought not to have bred in this part of the Cairngorms since the early 1800s.

Although sea eagles have been in the area for several years, this is their first successful breeding attempt.

'Spectacular aerial battles'

There are about 130 pairs in Scotland.

The pair on Mar Estate is made up of a male released in 2011 as part of the Fife re-introduction and a female believed to be from the west coast.

Mark Nicolson, a proprietor of Mar Estate, said: "We are delighted to have successful breeding of sea eagles on the estate.

"Sea eagles have been present for several years, mainly providing spectacular aerial battles with our long-resident golden eagles.

"Our hopes that they might settle and breed have been realised, and we look forward to their return next year. After some local input, we have named the young fledglings Victoria and Albert."