Anglesey is one of the great conservation success stories in Britain. By the late 1990s the island’s native red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) had crashed to a few dozen animals, pushed out by invasive grey squirrels. A long programme of grey removal and red reintroduction has since turned Ynys Môn into one of the largest red squirrel strongholds in Wales — there are now several hundred, and they’re spreading. You have a genuine chance of seeing one here that you simply don’t have in most of the country.
Best places to see red squirrels
Newborough Forest
The pine plantation behind Newborough Beach is the most reliable place to look. Newborough Forest (Coed Niwbwrch) was one of the first reintroduction sites and now holds a healthy population. Walk the waymarked forest trails quietly, early in the morning, and watch the canopy and the trunks of the Corsican pines — reds are most active soon after dawn and again in the late afternoon. The car park and forest tracks make it the easiest spot to combine with a walk to Llanddwyn Island.
Pentraeth Forest
On the east of the island near Pentraeth, this mixed woodland is another stronghold and is generally quieter than Newborough. The conifers and broadleaves here suit reds well, and patient walkers are regularly rewarded.
Mynydd Llwydiarth and the east
The wooded slopes around Llwydiarth, above Red Wharf Bay, hold reds too. Anywhere with mature conifers on the eastern half of the island is worth scanning.
How to spot them
Red squirrels are smaller, shyer, and far less common than the greys most British visitors are used to. A few tips:
- Go early. Dawn and the first couple of hours of daylight are best; they’re also active before dusk.
- Be quiet and still. Stop, listen for the rustle and the patter of claws on bark, and look up — they spend most of their time in the canopy.
- Autumn is prime time. From September the squirrels are busy caching food for winter, so they’re active and visible. They don’t truly hibernate, so winter sightings happen too, especially on milder mornings.
- Look for the signs. Stripped pine cones nibbled to a core (“apple cores”) on the forest floor mean squirrels are about.
A guaranteed sighting
If the wild reds prove elusive — and they can — Pili Palas Nature World near Menai Bridge keeps red squirrels among its animals, which makes it a reliable backup for families and a good rainy-day option. See Anglesey with kids and the rainy day guide for more.
Watch responsibly
Don’t feed wild red squirrels — human food and especially peanuts can harm them, and feeding draws them to ground level where they’re more vulnerable. Keep dogs under control in the forests, and if you find a sick or dead squirrel, report it to the Red Squirrels Trust Wales, who monitor the island’s population.
Pick a calm autumn morning in Newborough Forest, walk slowly, and look up — Anglesey gives you one of Britain’s best chances of a wild red.