A group of local bat lovers got their chance to enjoy a Saturday night out with a difference as they went on the search for their flying friends at the RSPB Loch Lomond Reserve.

Around 20 people turned out for the Bat Night event at the Gartocharn reserve, with the group being led to a nearby roost with bat detectors in hand by Claudia Gebhardt from the Bat Conservation Trust, with the first bat being spotted just after 9pm.

In total, around 80 bats were detected by the group over the course of the evening, defying concerns that the good weather on the evening might deter them from coming out.

The group also set up a moth trap in preparation for the “moth-y coffee morning”, with the trap consisting of a large light bulb, cone and box to get the moths a safe space to hide out until morning, with 15 different species being caught.

The various moths were examined on Sunday morning over tea and biscuits by young and old alike, while also getting to find out more about the reserve itself.

Emma Martinelli, of RSPB Scotland, said: “This walk was a great way to engage visitors of all ages while giving people more information about nature that they don’t see every day.

“We were delighted to count more than 80 bats coming out of the roost and could see them really clearly as it was such a light evening.”