An Easter egg hunt in Inverness city centre was marred by a series of aggressive seagull attacks, with witnesses reporting coordinated behaviour from the birds. The Inverness Business Improvement District (Bid), which organised the event last Friday and Saturday, said its team recorded 16 incidents of gulls swooping at and striking members of the public, including young children.
Bid ambassador Janice Worthing described the attacks as “frequent and coordinated” involving adult gulls watching for opportunities, calling others in, and repeatedly swooping at people. “Gulls are really quick and can strike suddenly and decisively,” she told The Telegraph.
Residents have been urged to report further attacks as part of the Bid's ongoing gull management strategy. The organisation advises against feeding the birds, emphasises proper rubbish disposal, and offers an online portal for reporting gull issues. The strategy aims to reduce problems such as noise, mess, and aggressive behaviour, particularly during breeding season.
Highland Council announced a Gull Management Plan pilot project for Inverness and Nairn to better understand gull populations and their impacts. A spokesperson stressed the council does not undertake gull control in public areas and has no statutory duty to do so, but the project will collect “Gull Impact Data” via a website link to identify hotspots and inform mitigation measures.
Last year, the Scottish parliament debated the threat posed by seagulls, with former Conservative leader Douglas Ross warning that a nationwide summit is needed before someone is seriously hurt or killed. In September, the Scottish government allocated £100,000 to help communities tackle disruptive urban gull populations.
