Scotland's state hospital, home to some of the country’s most violent criminals, has hundreds of new inmates.
However, the newest residents are free to come and go as they please as they can fly over the security fence.
Scotland’s coastline is home to Eurasian Oystercatchers but just now many of them head inland to seek out safe and peaceful sanctuaries to make their nests.
And while Carstairs may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of safety, peace and tranquility, the oyster catchers think differently.
The distinctive black and white wading birds make their nests at ground-level on grassland and they rely on instinct to locate the safest spots from the threat of predators and disturbance.
The NHS facility may be home to men who have committed some terribly violent crimes because of their extreme mental ill-health but this is where the birds know they are assured of peace and safety to hatch their young.
Among patients in the hospital is Owen Bonner, the Marshall’s Chunky Chicken hostage taker, who slashed two women and forced them to pray during a five-hour-ordeal while declaring himself “worse than the devil”.
Other infamous patients include killer Neil Cumming who stabbed his wife, Jane, 36 times in a frenzied attack and Ewan MacDonald who was once dubbed Scotland’s most dangerous prisoner. MacDonald was sent to Carstairs after attacking a prison guard with blades under his fingernails. He has also attacked nurses within the hospital.
But Gary Jenkins, chief executive of the State Hospital said: “This is a hospital that is dreadfully misunderstood and represented in the public consciousness. It is, in fact, a place of hope and safety - a place of care and healing.
“And the Oyster Catchers are testament to that. There is no danger here to these feathered friends - not even a fox can breach the sophisticated security systems that blend in effortlessly into the surrounding countryside perimeters.”
He continued: “This purpose-built hospital is not a prison, even the security staff who support the clinical teams are mostly made up of re-trained nurses with patient care at the heart of their motivation and skills.”
The oyster catchers have been returning to the grasslands within the hospital grounds for several years to nest and hatch their chicks.
