Rannoch Net


Common in the Glens and on the mountains. The fox is considered to be vermin by game keepers and they are widely shot in an attempt to protect lambs upon which they prey during lambing.

Scottish Wild Cat

Quite common at Rannoch it is recognised by its broad head, flat ears and tabby colour with a ringed tail. They are slightly larger than the domestic cat but will hybridise with it. The hybrids tend to have white underparts.


Not very common at Rannoch. It apparently used to be more common.


The otter has an excellent habitat at Rannoch and lives in the burns around Loch Rannoch and in Dunalastair Water. The Otter spraints can be seen on rocks in the Dall burn and Otters are soetimes seen in car headlights as they cross the road.


Mink is quite common and is disliked by fishermen and farmers. The original population probably came from an escape from a Pitlochry fur farm.


Weasels are very common and can be seen emerging from dry stone walls or even running over the roof of our house!


Stoats too, are common. We have had a family reared in the garden.

Pine Marten

Pine Martens have re-colonised the area during the last twenty years, spreading from the North West of Scotland.


Hedgehogs are very common and as in most parts of the country they are frequent road victims.

Red Squirrel

Field Vole

Bank Vole

Water Vole


Field Mouse


Red Deer

The Red Deer was originally a forest animal but with deforestation it has adapted to living on the hills. They are very common and since there are now no natural predators they need to be culled to control numbers. Deer stalking is a main income for the large estates and there is competition for the use of the hills between the landowners and increasing numbers of hill walkers.

The male is called a stag and the female called a hind.

Sika Deer

The Sika Deer is rather like the Red Deer but a little smaller. It is an introduction from Asia and interbreeds with the Red Deer which is not considered a good thing. It could be considered an example of genetic pollution and also decreases the size of the Stags.

Roe Deer

The Roe Deer is a small woodland species with a prominent white rump. It damages forestry plantations and it controlled by forestry rangers. The male is callled a Buck and the Female a Doe.

Fallow Deer

Fallow Deer are not native to Scotland but a small group have been introduced to the Bridge of Gaur area.


Very common but the populations have fluctuated with outbreaks of Myxomatosis.

Brown Hare

Very frequent on farmland, especially at West Tempar. Hares do not dig burrows and this may be a reason for them not suffering from Myxomatosis.

Mountain Hare

Common in the mountain areas, especially on Ben a'Houllich

Natural History

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