Wildlife on Orkney has begun a remarkable recovery - after the systematic wipeout of more than 6000 predatory stoats.

The native Orkney Vole and red-listed birds like Hen Harriers and Lapwings have all recorded encouraging numbers boosts since a major conservation project was launched five years ago. Central to the mission was the eradication of invasive species the stoat, first recorded on the island in 2010.

More than 6500 stoats have been eradicated from Orkney using humane lethal traps, the biggest project of its kind in the world. Conservation scientists monitoring wildlife on Orkney report there are now significant increases in successful nesting attempts of ground-nesting birds such as the Hen Harrier and rare waders.