Loch Gruinart, Islay 1

Acquisition of 1,293 acres around the foreshore of Loch Gruinart, which is famous for the large numbers of barnacle and white-fronted geese that spend the winter on Islay, and Islay is also a stronghold for the rare chough and corncrake, both of which breed on the reserve. The reserve can be seen easily from the road, but in the visitor centre, a live video camera lets you get even closer views of the grazing geese. During the spring, there are hundreds of breeding wading birds (lapwings, redshanks and snipe) and the nights resound to the call of the corncrake. Hen harriers nest on the moor and hunting golden eagles and peregrines occur all year round.