Can you help Scotland's Mountain Hares in the Highlands?

A volunteer survey is calling on outdoor enthusiasts to help record sightings of Mountain Hares when out and about in the hills.

The survey is ongoing and open for hillwalkers and climbers to participate over summer, autumn, and along with snowsport tourers through the winter, to help gather vital data on Mountain Hare populations in the Highlands.

It was launched two years ago because conservation organisations had limited information on how many hares there are in Scotland, and their distribution in the hills. Existing data indicated that there was an urgent need to protect hares and find out more about them, with gaps in data in the more remote uplands.

The survey is simple to do, and by contributing to an improved understanding of abundance and distribution across the Highlands you’ll be helping to inform management and conservation of this charismatic animal.

There are three ways you can take part: 

• a detailed repeat survey of a specific map grid square
• a 'ramble' survey when walking anywhere in the Highlands, keeping an eye out for mountain hare and birds
• sending in any sightings of mountain hare or their droppings and tracks, via the Mammal Society's free Mammal Mapper app

If you are interested in taking part, please check the Mammal Society website or there is a free webinar with more details on 26th July 2023, 12pm (register even if you can't attend live and you'll receive the recording) - Getting Involved with the Mountain Hare Survey Tickets, Wed 26 Jul 2023 at 12:00 | Eventbrite

The project is a partnership of NatureScot, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), the Mammal Society, and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust.