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Scotland has remote and dramatic landscapes - it’s part of what makes it special. It also has a relatively low human population density. These things combined make it harder to find all of the volunteers that we need for optimum survey coverage. A Scottish office helps us to reach out across Scotland and get people involved.

Our Scottish base is also essential for carrying out research that is appropriate for Scotland, whether through volunteers, professional fieldworkers or with research collaborators - the Scottish Government, NatureScot and other organisations look to us for relevant evidence to support their needs.

The BTO Scotland team also carry out another important role - their deep Scottish knowledge and understanding of the specific needs here helps ensure that BTO’s UK-wide monitoring schemes, surveys and research projects are relevant to Scotland. The staff here are also an important point of contact for our volunteers, members, funders and partners.