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Loch Arkaig osprey cam

Watch a round up of the 2021 season from our live osprey nest cam, set deep in the heart of an ancient Caledonian pine forest. 

Loch Arkaig Pine Forest in the Scottish Highlands 

Osprey Season 2021

Louis returned from migration in early April but there was no sign of his longstanding mate, Aila.

Eventually he followed a new female to another nest.

Young pair, Prince and Affric, took up residence for a while but they hadn't quite worked out how to breed yet.

Maybe next year!

Meanwhile Louis and his new mate Dorcha were doing better.

Little heads were beginning to peep out from the new nest as our volunteer Liz Bracken filmed from across the loch.

Chicks Aspen and Alder were ringed in July.

Liz captured more video as the growing chicks tested their wings.

Our ospreys all migrated by early September.

The camera nest may have been empty for much of the season, but osprey family life continued successfully at Loch Arkaig Pine Forest.

Will Louis and Dorcha switch back to the camera nest next year or will Prince and Affric stake their claim to the tree?

Join us in spring 2022 to find out!

Special thanks to our camera volunteers and all who have shared this journey with us.

Supported by Players of People's Postcode Lottery.

Donate to our Loch Arkaig appeal and help protect and restore habitat for osprey and other iconic Scottish wildlife.

Help us look after their home

Our experts are working to restore Loch Arkaig Pine Forest - our ospreys' home - for wildlife and visitors. But we can't do it without your support.

Help us continue our vital work

The story so far

Our live nest camera, supported by players of People's Postcode Lottery, has been streaming footage of breeding ospreys from Loch Arkaig Pine Forest since 2017.

Our resident pair Louis and Aila usually return to the nest in early April, but in 2021 only Louis came back. After spending time at the nest, he followed a new female, Dorcha, off to another tree in the forest where they raised chicks Aspen and Alder.

A new pair, Prince and Affric, took up residence on the camera tree for a while, but they were still too young to breed.

The camera will be live again in spring 2022 to bring you a wild slice of forest life from the Scottish Highlands. Join us to see which birds return to use the nest. And in the meantime, check out our osprey FAQs for more information about the birds, our camera and Loch Arkaig.

2017
New parents
Our young pair took over the nest and raised a single chick, a male named Lachlan.
2018
Tragedy strikes
Louis and Aila returned for a second year and laid three eggs, but the clutch was stolen by a hungry pine marten.
2019
Two more youngsters
A little more experienced this time, the parents fledged two females named Mallie and Rannoch.
2020
Their best year yet
Three chicks - Doddie, Vera and Captain - kept viewers company through lockdown.

More on ospreys and Loch Arkaig

Trees woods and wildlife

Arkaig ospreys: Behind the scenes of a nest camera in the Scottish Highlands

No wi-fi, no plug sockets, no film crew. Meet the people behind the camera and explore the set of the UK's most remote family drama.

Discover how it's done

The osprey cam has been made possible thanks to support from players of People's Postcode Lottery.