King Charles' Balmoral Estate is the most beautiful backdrop for royal summers spent away from the responsibilities of being a royal family member. The breathtaking landscape and teeming wildlife habitats being two of the biggest draws. Now, it finds itself home to a very rare species that is endangered - the narrow-headed ant.
This particular colony was found by a ranger who had previously worked on the Cairngorms Ant Project, a conservation effort which is taking place at the Mar Lodge Estate around 10 miles away, and therefore recognised the major significance of the discovery.
© Alamy Stock PhotoThe ant is in danger of dying out and is only known to survive in a handful of locations, and now His Majesty's property can be listed as one of them.
These ants could have been on the Balmoral estate for many years completely undetected but they can easily be overlooked due to the small size of the well camouflaged nests.
Shaila Rao, National Trust for Scotland conservation manager at Mar Lodge, which is in the care of the trust, told PA Media: "I was delighted to confirm that it was a colony of narrow-headed ants.
© Alamy Stock Photo"It is great to know that Mar Lodge Estate is not the only site in Deeside, which should increase our chances of securing their survival here into the future.
"Hopefully more nests will be found at Balmoral and we look forward to bringing them into ongoing conservation work for narrow-headed ants."
It is hoped that more nests could also be placed at Balmoral to support the newly discovered colony.
© Finding Harmony: A King's VisionCairngorms National Park Authority conservation officer Hayley Wiswell, who is leading the project, said: "Despite their small size these ants are real heavyweights in nature, helping to shape our woodlands into healthy, functioning habitats for a range of other species.
"This is such an important discovery as it strengthens our understanding that this species was once much more widespread and adds weight to our plans to re-establish thriving colonies in Deeside."
King Charles is well known for his love of nature and his pioneering eco efforts so no doubt he is delighted with this news.
Balmoral's varied wildlife
© Photo: InstagramThere are other rare animals thriving at Balmoral including the lesser-spotted red squirrel and the capercaillie bird. Other impressive animals to roam the landscape include Red Deer, Golden Eagles and Atlantic salmon.
King Charles III shares a deep commitment to preserving the Caledonian Forest, saying, which is where some of the rare animals are found. On the Balmoral website, he says: "For me, one of the most precious, and almost sacred, parts of the countryside around Balmoral is an area of ancient woodland which forms one of the few remnants of the great Caledonian forest that used to cover much of the Highlands. The fact that this part of it still exists at Balmoral is entirely due to the intervention of my great-great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria."
