Trust tracking down Stirlingshire bats

Experts and volunteers from conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland check on whether any bats have made their home at Bannockburn Visitor Centre, Stirling on Wednesday 18 June and Moirlanich Longhouse, near Killin on Thursday 19 June.

Seventeen Trust properties across Scotland are holding bat surveys over the next eight weeks.

While there are no known bat roosts or residents at the Bannockburn Visitor Centre, there are several roosts in the area. Experts will check the site for signs of the small, nocturnal mammals during the visit next week.

At the longhouse, there has been a bat roost in the past. The monitoring team will check for new activity.

The charity is keen to establish exactly where the bats live and which species are present, as part of its ongoing work to protect and conserve the legally-protected mammals and their roosts.

Mr Lindsay Mackinlay, Nature Conservation Adviser said:

“Bats can be tricky to find because they are so small. They can squeeze into incredibly tight gaps and live in inaccessible parts of buildings and trees. We don’t know of any roosting at the visitor centre at Bannockburn, but it’s important to check so that we can make sure these creatures and their habitats are not disturbed.”