SSRS North East Scotland

Hollie Walker is Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) Project Officer for North East Scotland.  Find out how you can get help from Hollie or support her work.  Contact Hollie.  

Action in the North East

Hollie explains:  “Grampian has a very large and nationally important red squirrel population.  We have huge areas of good quality red squirrel habitat, and many of these areas still remain free from grey squirrels.  However, the grey squirrel is spreading across Aberdeenshire from Aberdeen City, particularly up the river corridors of the Dee and Don. Red squirrels have already disappeared from many sites, including much of Aberdeen City, and will continue to do so unless we act now.”  

Hollie is working to support landholders and forest managers in key areas to improve forests for red squirrels and undertake grey squirrel control to protect red squirrels in Grampian and across the Highlands from replacement by greys.

We aim to establish a co-ordinated network of landowners, householders, and project staff all working together to help red squirrels.  Control is already ongoing around the periphery of Aberdeen City, Banchory and Peterculter.

Within Aberdeen City, SSRS is focussed on preventing any further red squirrel losses.  Grey squirrel control will be carried out in and around areas with existing red squirrel populations to protect them and to make space for their population to expand.  SSRS hopes red squirrels will soon return to parks and gardens in Aberdeen, and some initial sightings indicate we could already be achieving success.   
 

SSRS Support

Hollie can help landowners access funding for red squirrel conservation work and give guidance on forest management to benefit red squirrels. 

A trap loan scheme, with support and training available, is now running for landowners and householders in key target areas in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire.  Contact Hollie to find out more.

You can also help SSRS by volunteering to survey areas local to you or by reporting your squirrel sightings at www.grampiansquirrelgroup.co.uk. 

Find out where you can visit to see red squirrels in north east Scotland or in other areas across Scotland.

Thanks to our funders

In addition to financial support from project partners, SSRS has received funding from a range of sources. 

The work of SSRS in the North East has been specifically funded by Aberdeen Greenspace, Biffaward, Rural Aberdeenshire LEADER, and the Red Squirrel Survival Trust.

SSRS would like to thank all our funders for generously contributing to our project.