The Southern Uplands Partnership has been pleased to host the pioneering South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project (SSGEP) since 2018. At the end of December, it will fly the nest, as it becomes RUN (Restoring Upland Nature SCIO) and begins the next phase of its exciting journey. As well as continuing SSGEP’s important work locally, RUN will extend its reach into England and Wales.

Six years ago, there were fewer than 10 golden eagles in the south of Scotland. Today, there are nearly 50, the highest number the region has seen for over 300 years. A unique and innovative partnership project, SSGEP achieved this through a series of groundbreaking translocations. It has also brought important economic, social and cultural benefits for the region. For example, the UK’s first Golden Eagle Festival has become a distinguishable annual fixture in Moffat, Scotland’s first official Golden Eagle Town, and the country’s first mainland golden eagle information point is now located at the Waterwheel Tearoom in Selkirk.

With extensive media coverage across the UK, and global recognition from leading figures in wildlife conservation around the world, the Project has put the south of Scotland at the forefront of wildlife conservation and nature-based tourism. The Project’s many successes have been recognised through numerous awards and accolades, including the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) Tony Bradshaw Award for Outstanding Best Practice and the National Lottery’s Scottish Project of The Year Award.

All of these achievements have been enabled with the support of:

• Partners, including NatureScot, Scottish Land and Estates (SLE), RSPB Scotland, Scottish Forestry, The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, and of course the Southern Uplands Partnership;
• Funders, including The National Lottery Heritage Fund Scotland, The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and LEADER;
• Individual supporters – from conservationists, ecologists, bird of prey workers and vets to landowners, gamekeepers and the wider community, including children, visitors and business operators.

Thousands of people have supported the project in various ways. We thank them all for their generous and committed support.

Unfortunately, the project’s current funding comes to an end in December and we have had to take the difficult decision to give the project staff notice of redundancy. We would like to thank them for the incredible work they have done on the project and wish them the best of luck for the future. From ecologists and educational professionals, to community and stakeholder engagement specialists, they really are an exemplar team and we are confident they will go on to achieve more amazing things.

Some project staff and stakeholders plan to continue as volunteers with RUN, and we are together working on a transition plan over the winter, to give them the best start possible. We encourage all our supporters to donate to the continued work of the project via: www.goldeneaglessouthofscotland.co.uk.

We wish RUN every success and look forward to seeing Golden Eagles continue to fly over the south of Scotland and more parts of the UK in the future.