Moffat to host golden eagle celebration

Birds have been brought from the Highlands to boost numbers in southern Scotland

An "eagle town" in southern Scotland is to host a festival celebrating one of the nation's most iconic species.

Moffat will be the base for the event in honour of the golden eagle between 19 and 26 September.

It is being led by the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project which is aiming to boost numbers in the area.

Four chicks have now been relocated to Dumfries and Galloway from the Highlands as part of ongoing efforts to increase the region's population.

Spotting a golden eagle has been described as an "unbeatable experience"

The event will be the UK's first Golden Eagle Festival and leading wildlife film maker Gordon Buchanan will deliver its keynote speech.

"The thrill of seeing a golden eagle soaring over a Scottish hillside is an unbeatable experience," he said.

"Each glimpse of this magical bird is special, but they should and could be more common in the south of Scotland."

The full programme - involving a range of organisations - will be revealed later in the year.

The celebration of the bird is planned for September this year

Leys Geddes, who chairs Visit Moffat, said the town was ideally situated to celebrate the bird.

"The Moffat Hills are often described as mini-highlands, owing to our 300 square kilometres of hills, outstanding scenery and rich wildlife, so the perfect area for golden eagles to thrive," he said.

"It would be wonderful to ensure they become a regular sighting for visitors to the area."

The project's community engagement officer Rick Taylor said the support they had received so far had been "truly incredible".

"We're delighted now to be launching Scotland's first eagle festival, so we can keep building on this support and ensure that we can see even more of this magnificent species across the south of Scotland's skies for many generations to come," he said.

It is hoped more birds can be brought to the Moffat hills in years to come

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