Alyth welcomes back much loved ospreys Harry and Flora for 13th year
23 April 2026
Image: Resident ospreys Harry and Flora pictured in the Alyth purpose-built nesting platform.
Much loved ospreys Harry and Flora have returned once again to their purpose built nesting platform near SSEN Transmission’s Alyth substation, marking an impressive 13th consecutive breeding season at the site. With the first eggs of the season now spotted in the nest, hopes are high for another successful year.
Since the nest was installed in 2014, a total of 23 chicks have successfully taken flight from the nest, making them a familiar and cherished part of the local landscape and a striking example of how vital electricity infrastructure can be delivered with nature firmly in mind.
A live YouTube stream allows viewers to follow the birds up close, including the latest milestone of the first eggs being laid, with more than 6,000 subscribers already tuning in to track Harry and Flora’s progress this season.
The nesting platform was originally constructed as an alternative home for the ospreys after the pair had nested on a 48 metre electricity transmission tower scheduled for essential maintenance. Installed ahead of the 2014 breeding season, the platform was designed to offer a safe and stable nesting environment – and to the team’s delight, Harry and Flora adopted it immediately, returning year after year ever since.
Ospreys are renowned for their extraordinary migratory journeys, travelling thousands of miles from their wintering grounds in Africa to breed in Scotland each spring and summer. Harry and Flora’s continued loyalty to the Alyth site - now marked by the arrival of their first eggs - highlights both the resilience of the species and the importance of carefully planned habitat protection alongside critical national infrastructure.
This years marks the 13th year the platform has been in use by the ospreys.
Ewan Jelly, Senior Consents and Environment Manager at SSEN Transmission, said:
“Harry and Flora’s 13th consecutive return to Alyth is a fantastic milestone and a real success story for nature inclusive design. From the moment the nesting platform was installed, it’s been clear that providing the right environment for wildlife can make a lasting difference.
Over more than a decade, we’ve seen 23 chicks take flight from here, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring that essential transmission infrastructure can operate in harmony with Scotland’s wildlife. It’s something our teams take enormous pride in.”
The Alyth osprey platform forms part of SSEN Transmission’s wider approach to biodiversity net gain, ensuring that protected species are supported and that nature is left in a better state than before work begins.
As part of its plans to invest around £29 billion in Scotland’s electricity transmission network over the next five years, SSEN Transmission has committed at least £100 million to nature restoration initiatives. This includes more than 5,000 hectares of land and marine projects, making the company the largest single investor in nature restoration in Scotland. Beyond helping to enable the transition to clean power, this programme will support jobs, boost local economies and deliver lasting benefits for biodiversity.
Harry and Flora’s continued presence at Alyth stands as a powerful symbol of how infrastructure development and nature restoration can go hand in hand, creating a positive environmental legacy for generations to come.
For more information about SSEN Transmission’s nature restoration strategy, visit: https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/about-us/sustainability/sustainability-nature/