£235,000 nest egg to protect rare sea eagles

A LOTTERY windfall will provide a more secure future for one of Scotland's rarest birds of prey, it is claimed.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has confirmed that more than 235,000 has been awarded to RSPB Scotland for a scheme aimed at protecting the white-tailed sea eagle.

Seeviews - the Sea Eagle Education, Viewing, Interpretation and Engagement within Scotland project - will primarily focus on engaging and educating the public about one of the country's most iconic species.

Through educational field trips, CCTV cameras and public exhibitions in sea eagle strongholds like Mull, Wester Ross, Skye and eastern Scotland, the scheme will allow more people to see and better understand the UK's biggest bird of prey.

The funding also means that a reintroduction programme under way in eastern Scotland can be extended by a year.

Research has shown the five-year project, a partnership between RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland, needs to release 100 young birds to establish a sustainable population. A sea eagle re-introduction programme began on Rum in 1975.