In recent months – golden eagles have been sighted in various places in Northumberland. Satellite tagging data has confirmed that these young golden eagles are part of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project (SSGEP). 

It is 10 years since the Minster for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Dr Aileen McLeod, launched the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project. Over the next seven years, the project translocated twenty-eight chicks and fifteen subadult Golden Eagles, to reinforce the small and isolated population, comprising just three breeding pairs, in the southern part of Scotland lying between the English border and the Central Belt.

Supported by a strong project partnership of Scottish Land & Estates, RSPB, NatureScot, Scottish Forestry, Southern Uplands Partnership and GWCT, the project has brought the number of individual Golden Eagles in southern Scotland from seven to around fifty.

This partnership of conservation and land management could not have succeeded without support from a wide variety of organisations and individuals, including Scottish Raptor Study Group (SRSG ), The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, the Southern Upland Moorland Group (SUMG), project volunteers and funders.

At the same time, an innovative approach to stakeholder engagement has started to grow trust between the individuals and organisations at either end of a long-standing and highly polarised debate. The community engagement carried out by the project team has involved more than 30,000 members of the public, and 56 schools, colleges and universities., The overall responses to this engagement demonstrate overwhelming public support for the return of Golden Eagles to southern Scotland.

The town of Moffat, in central to southern Scotland, has become home to the increasingly popular Moffat Golden Eagle Festival. This annual festival attracts visitors from all across the UK to the southern uplands to learn about, enjoy and celebrate Golden Eagles. In addition to raising awareness and improving the public’s understanding of this species, the event brings a welcome economic benefit to the town and surrounding area.

As of May 2025, satellite tag data and exhaustive fieldwork indicates that the south of Scotland now holds 17 occupied territories of Golden Eagles – more rapid progress than anyone expected. It will be some time before the pairs occupying these territories start producing significant numbers of fledged offspring. Meanwhile, the landscapes of the southern uplands present a range of challenges to dispersing young eagles and territorial pairs, from renewable energy developments, afforestation, changes in farming practice and recreational disturbance impacts.

A new charity, Restoring Upland Nature (RUN), has been created to take forward the vital legacy phase of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, ensuring that it continues to be successful. One of the most important aspects of its ongoing work is to provide support for landowners and managers enabling them to adapt to the return of Golden Eagles. RUN will also continue to make the most of opportunities to help a growing number of the public, particularly those living with Golden Eagles in southern Scotland, to view, enjoy and value these beautiful birds without causing undue disturbance. 

Meanwhile, RUN is starting to explore the next challenge – could Golden Eagles return to Northumberland and other parts of Northern England?

Young golden eagles will typically explore widely for the first 2 to 5 years of life looking for suitable habitat, potential territories and mates. Eagles don’t recognise a border on a map and have been exploring the upland areas across southern Scotland and into northern England.

The first satellite-tagged SSGEP eagle to explore into Northern England was C11, Beaky.  While we were all on lockdown due to COVID in April 2020, Beaky took a trip down to Cross Fell in the North Pennines. Since then young eagles have explored as far south as the Forest of Bowland and Nidderdale, although these longer journeys remain quite unusual.

It is roughly 23 years since Golden eagles last bred in Northumberland. With the South Scotland population looking much healthier than it has in centuries, the question arises, could we see goldies return to the skies of Northumberland on a more permanent basis? 

“Being part of something that has captured the hearts of so many and helped grow the population of golden eagles in the stunning south of Scotland is really special. Our success in the south of Scotland is testament to the passion and support of community, partners and funders, and we’re incredibly grateful to all of them. After our last appeal, we secured enough funding to relaunch as a new standalone charity, called Restoring Upland Nature (RUN). We have exciting plans to build on and extend our groundbreaking work so that other parts of the UK benefit from the return of golden eagles, but we can only do this with continued support.

There has been a great buzz at our initial success, with golden eagles thriving across southern skies, and communities across the region benefitting environmentally, socially and culturally. We’d love to keep this momentum going, but continued funding is crucial to making this a reality. If you would like to donate please go to our website  South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project” Michael Clarke, Restoring Upland Nature (RUN) Chairman and Farmer.

Cat Barlow Restoring Upland Nature (RUN) CEO