Birds at Glenrath Farms’ Millennium Farm site near West Linton tested positive for avian influenza over the weekend, triggering a cull of about 200,000 birds. The latest case is the fourth confirmed incident in the area since mid‑December, with tens of thousands of birds already culled across multiple sites between Peebles and Penicuik.
Scotland’s chief veterinary officer confirmed the detection involved the H5N1 strain, describing it as the “dominant form of avian influenza seen in recent years”. Officials said the cluster of cases had “deepened concern” as the virus continues to spread across parts of the Borders.
A 3km protection zone and a wider 10km surveillance zone have been imposed around Millennium Farm, with strict biosecurity and movement controls in force. Bird keepers within these zones are required to “monitor flocks closely for signs of disease, keep records of birds and visitors, and report any concerns immediately”.
The first local case was reported in the week before Christmas on land straddling the Borders and Midlothian boundary, followed by three further outbreaks nearby and a separate detection near Blairgowrie in Perth and Kinross. Veterinary authorities said monitoring and testing would continue “in the coming weeks” as efforts focus on containing further spread.
Scotland’s deputy chief veterinary officer, Jesús Gallego Garnica, said the rise in cases reflected a familiar winter pattern rather than an unexpected surge. “Bird flu is seasonal, it is a winter disease, it follows the pattern we have seen for the last few years where around December and January we expect to see an increase in cases,” he said.
He said producers could reduce risks by strengthening on‑farm biosecurity but warned there were limits to what could be controlled where infection was linked to wild birds. While describing the situation as “concerning”, he stressed that affected premises still represent “a small fraction” of total egg sales in Scotland and the UK.
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Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Egg Industry Council, said: “Any outbreak is deeply disappointing, and our sympathies lie with the producer at what is a very challenging time.” “Protecting animal health and welfare remains our highest priority, and the situation is being managed in line with established biosecurity and disease‑control procedures,” he added.
Glenrath Farms, a family‑owned business founded in the Borders in 1959, is now one of the UK’s leading egg producers and marketers. The company supplies more than a million eggs a day, although industry figures suggest this still represents a relatively small share of total UK output, estimated at close to 12 billion eggs annually, with a further 2 billion imported.
The firm has been approached for comment on how the latest outbreak may affect its operations and longer‑term production plans.
