12/05/2026
🏆 The Scottish Animal World Cup is back for 2026!
32 Scottish species from land, sea and sky are going head-to-head every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on our socials to see which one comes out on top.
The opening match sees the reigning champion, the otter, take on the willow tit. You decide who goes through to the next round, so get your votes in now!
'Like' for the otter, 'love' for the willow tit.
The otter is perfectly adapted for life in and around the water, with webbed toes, a powerful tail and a thick waterproof coat to help it thrive along our coastlines, rivers and lochs. Its poo smells of jasmine tea (we’ll take their word for it ...), and it can be spotted at places in our care including Burg, Inverewe Garden & Estate NTS, Preston Mill & Phantassie Doocot NTS, and Unst & Yell.
The willow tit may be much smaller, but it's no less special. This little brown bird is one of our Plan for Nature priority species and one of the country's fastest declining resident birds. It depends on damp, scrubby woodland with plenty of dead and decaying wood, which it uses for nesting. Within Scotland, it's now largely restricted to Dumfries & Galloway, which is why our work at Threave Garden & Nature Reserve NTS is so important.
This year’s competition is helping us shine a light on our Plan for Nature - our long-term commitment to protect and restore nature across the places in our care. From wetlands and woodlands to coasts, rivers and open landscapes, healthy habitats are vital if species like these are to thrive in the future.
So, who gets your vote? Voting for this match closes tomorrow.
