Nithsdale fights back against seagull menace with lasers

Dumfries and Galloway Council employs new methods to prevent nesting

Other deterrents like roof spikes and noise emitters are also being used

Author: Marc McLeanPublished 21 hours ago

Nuisance seagulls have been getting laser treatment in Nithsdale in recent months.

Environmental health teams from Dumfries and Galloway Council have been brandishing their beams to scare off the birds and prevent them from nesting on council property.

A drone is also being used to track down gull nests at the earliest stage.

The new tactics have been successfully used at various council buildings across Nithsdale, according to a new success measures and projects report, which will be tabled at Nithsdale area committee next week.

The report states: “In the 2026 pre-nesting period the environmental health team disturbed gulls with the use of a laser twice a day at 11 different council-owned properties in Nithsdale to prevent nesting.”

This comes after Scotland’s agriculture minister Jim Fairlie hosted a “gull summit” last September, where £100,000 of funding was pledged to councils to help tackle problem birds ahead of this year’s breeding season.

Gull management in the region is overseen by NatureScot, which licenses councils to remove eggs and nests. However, the government agency has told councils they must first exhaust other measures before licences will be granted.

The report states: “A variety of preventative measures are now being used, such as roof spikes, noise emitters, hawk kites and lasers to deter gulls from nesting in areas that cause a risk of harm to humans.”

Despite the range of deterrents now in use, NatureScot still granted two licences for egg and nest removal in Nithsdale during the 2025 nesting season.

The report states 11 nests were removed at the Dumfries Activity and Resource Centre, while one nest was removed at Brownhill Primary School.

Gulls have become an increasing problem in urban areas across Scotland in recent years, with reports of birds swooping on members of the public, particularly during nesting season when they can become aggressive in defending their young.

At last year’s summit, NatureScot chair Professor Colin Galbraith said the funding was intended to help councils “develop proactive and collaborative plans to manage gulls in a way that balances their conservation with any control activities.”

However, the funding was criticised by some politicians at the time. Former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross branded the £100,000 investment “pitiful,” saying it summed up how “detached” government ministers were from communities dealing with the issue.

Members of Nithsdale area committee will discuss the report, along with the wider update on projects and initiatives in the area, when they meet on Wednesday, September 9.

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