The Scottish Beaver Trial has announced five newly born beavers – known as kits – have been spotted.

Field Operations Manager for the Scottish Beaver Trail, Roisin Campbell-Palmer, said: “The arrival of new kits means that the beavers have bred every year of the Scottish Beaver Trial.   

“We are now attempting to establish exactly how many there are in total – but five have been observed so far.”

Project Manager for the Scottish Beaver Trial, Simon Jones, said: “This is great news for the Scottish Beaver Trial – and for local tourism as more people will want to travel to Argyll to come on our guided walks for a chance to see the new arrivals.”

As summer hits its peak in Scotland, guided tours of the Scottish Beaver Trial’s site in Argyll are well underway, offering visitors the rare opportunity to learn more about the UK’s only licensed mammal re-introduction project. 

The guided tours take place in the evening and visitors have the chance to see the new beaver kits as they explore Dubh Loch, which is home to one of the Trial’s four beaver families in Knapdale. 

Trained experts lead each tour, teaching visitors how to spot tell-tale beaver feeding signs and talking about all of the other wildlife that thrives within the site.   

The Trial, which is a partnership between Scottish Wildlife Trust, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and Forestry Commission Scotland, is the first licensed mammal re-introduction trial to ever take place in the UK.

The five-year study will wrap up in May 2014, with findings to be passed onto the Scottish Government who will ultimately decide the future of beaver re-introductions in Scotland. 

Places are limited on the walks, which take place on Saturday and Tuesday evenings from 6pm and start at the Barnluasgan Information Centre, Knapdale. Bookings can be made by calling 01546 603 346.