South Scotland golden eagle project hits milestone with six new chicks

The eagle chicks were relocated from the Highlands

A golden eagle conservation project has passed a new milestone as six more chicks have been relocated to southern Scotland.

The new additions bring the total population to 39 - the highest number recorded in the area in 300 years.

The chicks were transported from the Scottish Highlands this summer to a secret location near Moffat.

The South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project aims to reverse the decline in their numbers in the area.

It brought its first young birds to the Moffat Hills in 2018.

The young eagles were released in the Moffat Hills during the summer

Project manager Cat Barlow said: "It is thrilling to know that our six new arrivals bring the local population to the highest number for three centuries.

"Before our project began, only three pairs were nesting in the south of Scotland. We've now more than tripled the population.

"Though all seem to have settled in the south of Scotland, some of our birds have even travelled as far south as the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire, where the species has been extinct for a number of years."

The Scottish Raptor Study Group carefully collected chicks from a number of supportive estates in the Highlands, under licence from NatureScot, before taking them to the release site.

The birds were cared for in specially-designed aviaries to help them adjust to their new habitat in the Moffat Hills.

Timeline: Southern Scotland's golden eagle revival

• August 2015 BBC Scotland learns the first releases of golden eagle chicks could soon take place

• July 2016 The project secures more than £1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund

• August 2018 The first chicks from the Highlands are released in southern Scotland

• August 2019 The project suffers a setback after one bird attacks another and apparently causes its death

• August 2021 Numbers surge after eight more chicks are successfully introduced to the area

• March 2022 With more than 30 birds numbers reach their highest since the early 19th Century

The new arrivals will be celebrated at the Golden Eagle Festival in Moffat between September 16 and 18.

Francesca Osowska, NatureScot chief executive, said: "With wildlife declining across the globe, it is fantastic to hear that the project has translocated so many eagle chicks once again this year.

"Golden eagles are an exciting part of Scotland's wildlife and we're passionate about returning them to places where they used to thrive."

Project partners the Southern Uplands Partnership, RSPB Scotland, Scottish Land & Estates, Scottish Forestry and NatureScot worked on the project for more than 11 years before releasing the first eagle chicks in 2018.