CLASHINDARROCH UPDATE- STATE OF PLAY

Hi All

We wanted to update you on the current situation. The Court hearing occurred as planned at the end of the August. Our case was indeed heard before the most senior judges in Scotland. The result is not yet known and is still being deliberated, so of course we can’t comment at this stage. We don’t know exactly when the judgement will be handed down but rest assured, you will know as soon as possible.

We were looking back at some of the previous communications and campaigning that we have done over the years, and we have been in this fight for 6 years and the Clashindarroch 2 windfarm still has not been built. The forest is still there and the industrialisation of the site hasn’t happened. We take this as a BIG WIN. Remember, we are up against Vattenfall (a multi-billion pound) company and Scottish ministers. We take great encouragement from the fact that we are still in the fight. We are going nowhere; we can guarantee you that. The image is of a wildcat we affectionately call the ‘Clashindarroch Beast’. He is the biggest wildcat we have ever seen. He and his kind, deserve the right to live and breed without disturbance. This is what we fight for.

We also recently went round and assessed the Clashindarroch forest on a wider scale and we have found absolutely no evidence of any logging during the whole breeding season. This again is a VERY BIG WIN and we are so excited about our upcoming autumn and winter field work. It should have been a very productive breeding season and so we are looking forward to hopefully capturing adolescent wildcats on camera, as they start to explore the forest and establish territories for themselves. We literally cannot wait.

Also, equally encouraging is the fact that more and more sightings continue to come in from Aberdeenshire in the areas surrounding the Clashindarroch. Indeed, we were made aware of a potential wildcat kitten sighting only this week, by one of our very well informed community contacts. We hope to get some footage and will of course share it.

Our project continues to expand and we are building teams to survey the wildest places in Scotland this winter. The Scottish wildcat IS NOT FUNCTIONALLY EXTINCT. They are still out there and in key areas, not only are they surviving, they are absolutely thriving and we are finding more and more. It’s exhilarating and the whole team is really excited about what we are going to find in the coming months. We are confident that we will find new populations that have up until now gone undetected. Vast, wild, forested areas simply haven’t been properly surveyed and that is out mission this autumn and winter, which are the best times to get wildcats on camera.

So, we remain optimistic and determined on all fronts and remain committed to saving the magnificent Scottish wildcat, in the wild where it belongs.

Keep watching and we will be in touch very soon. Thanks so much for your continuing support, you are all our wildcat heroes and we love reading your comments. They give us great inspiration.  

Very best wishes

Emily and the Wildcat Haven Team