The range of red squirrels in the Highlands has increased by more than 25% in a decade following a reintroduction project by a rewilding charity.

Surveys for the charity Trees for Life show more than 12 new populations of reds are now thriving and breeding successfully in areas where they were missing before.

Although native to the UK, the country’s red squirrel population is under threat from the spread of invasive non-native grey, which also carry the fatal squirrel pox virus.

During the reintroductions, licensed by NatureScot, Trees for Life carefully relocates small numbers of reds from healthy populations around Inverness-shire, Moray and Strathspey to suitable woods in the north and north-west, where they will be safe from greys.

So far this year it has relocated 259 red squirrel

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