More than £1m is to be spent over the next three years on saving Scotland's red squirrels and protecting routes into their northern strongholds.
The number or reds has been in decline since the arrival of the grey squirrel from North America in the 19th Century.
Greys compete with reds for food and can also carry the squirrel pox virus, which can kill reds in about 14 days.
There are currently about 121,000 red squirrels in Scotland and the country is home to 75% of the UK's reds.
There are thought to be between 200,000 and 300,000 greys in Scotland.
The £1.3m Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels (SSRS) project has been launched in Dunkeld, Perthshire. |
