Scottish Natural Heritage said yesterday that it will “find solutions” for farmers whose livestock are being preyed upon by sea eagles.

Crofters in the Gairloch penisula, who had suspected rustlers for the disappearance of more than 200 young lambs in their community alone before spotting a sea eagle at work, are leading the call for compensation.

SNH and the RSPB have been responsible for a successful programme to reintroduce the sea eagle, wiped out in Scotland in Victorian times.

However, farmers and crofters in Gairloch, Skye, Mull and now in the east of Scotland, where the birds were most recently released, say the eagles are costing them thousands of pounds.

Skye crofters claimed the birds were “wiping out” sheep on the island, while in a recent incident in Abernethy, Perthshire, a young sea eagle killed a minister's hens.

SNH said that it would “investigate thoroughly” each case and offer assistance to farmers. A spokesman said: “There is ample wild food source for sea eagles in Scotland. They are opportunistic hunters and carrion feeders.

“There have been cases of some sea eagles taking lamb, for example on Mull, although many of these have been as carrion. In the east, lambs are less vulnerable to predation as sheep are generally larger breeds and are usually taken inside for lambing.

“We operate a management scheme for farmers and crofters on Mull and a scheme has operated in Skye and Locaber for the past five years. If land managers are concerned that sea eagles may be taking their livestock, they should contact SNH.”

Following an attack by a sea eagle in which four bantams were killed, SNH installed “scare” devices, including reflective tape, to the poultry pen of the Very Rev Hunter Farquharson, Dean of St Ninian's Cathedral.

Claire Smith, an RSPB spokeswoman, said: “This was work paid for by SNH and carried out by the RSPB - it was not an expensive thing to do.

“If you compensate, it won't stop something happening again. It is better to do something that will help minimise the chances.”

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