What wildlife does Scotland support?
Scotland is home to more than 90,000 species, over half of which are invertebrates. It is renowned as a stronghold for many of the species that have largely disappeared from England and other areas of the UK, including the iconic Scottish wildcat, golden eagle, red squirrel and Atlantic salmon, and less familiar, incredibly rare native species such as the chequered skipper butterfly, the Kentish glory moth and the shining guest ant.
Scotland’s coastal waters and offshore islands also harbour some of the most endearing and charismatic species found anywhere in the UK. These include puffins and porpoises, otters and orcas, the world’s northernmost population of bottle-nosed dolphins, and marine heavyweights such as the basking shark (the world’s second largest fish), the leatherback (world’s largest sea turtle) and the critically endangered flapper skate, a once-common fish related to sharks and rays.
The west coast of Scotland boasts spectacular but little-known temperate rainforests, while the Highlands contain the last vestiges of the Caledonian forest. Home to wild cats, pine martens, mountain hares and rare birds such as capercaillie, crested tit and Scottish crossbill, these ancient pinewoods have been reduced to just 1% of their former range.