New photos emerge of rare albino squirrel in Barnton woodland

A family of albino squirrels were pictured in Barnton earlier this year.

New pictures have emerged of a rare albino squirrel in the north west of Edinburgh.

John Wallbank snapped the photos of the squirrel in an area of woodland in Barnton.

It comes after a trio of the albino rodents were pictures in Richard Brand's back garden in Barnton in the summer. The pictures showed one of the animals eating from a bird feeder.

A rare albino squirrel in woodland in the Barnton area. Pic: John Wallbank

In November, Musselburgh resident David Shields managed to get within a few feet of an albino squirrel as it scurried up a harled wall in the Pinkie area of the town.

There was also a sighting of of an albino squirrel dashing across a road in Kirliston at the end of August.

Previous reports from wildlife organisations have said that only about 50 such creatures are thought to live in the UK. This would suggest that six per cent of the UK albino squirrel population live in a back garden in Barnton.

The albino rodent peers down from a lofty branch. Pic: John Wallbank

The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) has said previously that albino animals can be more vulnerable to predators because they stand out in the environment and have poorer eyesight.

The SWT encourage people to report sightings of squirrels to scottishsquirrels.org.uk