Beavers released earlier this year have bred and given birth to two kits, making them the first wild-born beavers in the Cairngorms in over 400 years.

The beaver kits were born to two of the six family groups that have been translocated to the upper Spey catchment, as part of a coordinated effort to re-establish the species in the Cairngorms National Park.

Beaver reintroduction has been a very controversial topic with farmers and landowners in Scotland.

Head of conservation at the Cairngorms National Park Authority, Sarah Henshall, said: “This is a really exciting milestone in our project to bring beavers back to the Cairngorms National Park. We’ve been monitoring the beavers closely since the first releases in December and it’s encouraging that two of the beaver pairs have already bred successfully.

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“There are also encouraging signs of breeding behaviour at other locations – including evidence of them busily expanding their lodges – so we are hopeful that there will be more kits to come."

Jenny Bryce, NatureScot beaver team manager, said: “After all the hard work by the Park Authority and many others, it is so rewarding to see the beaver families moved to the Cairngorms National Park doing so well and producing their first kits. This project is an important step towards restoring beavers in Scotland, a species which provides many benefits for nature, creating habitats such as ponds and wetlands where other species thrive, as well as moderating water flows and improving water quality."