Chickens return to rat-free isle

CHICKENS are to return to a remote Hebridean island after a three year absence to allow a rat-catching project to take place.

As the work on Canna draws to an end, the National Trust for Scotland is helping islanders prepare for the return of poultry by providing new chicken coops. The first chickens will arrive in the next few weeks. The project to remove rats began in 2005, to protect Canna's internationally important seabird colonies.