From road-safety crusader Tufty to naughty Nutkin, squirrels have long been one of the most recognisable woodland animals.

But now nature lovers in Edinburgh are on the look out for a more unusual looking breed of the creature - the extremely rare albino squirrel.

Gorgie resident Richard Waugh and his wife Lesley managed to snap a rare photograph of the small white squirrel as they headed into the city centre last week.

The pair, both 49, were waiting to catch a bus when they spotted the squirrel with its white bushy tail and distinctive pink eyes.

Mr Waugh told how it was “pure luck” that he managed to capture the moment on camera.

He said: “I was heading into town with my wife last week and I just looked up and saw the wee squirrel sitting in the tree.

“I got the camera out and took a picture of it, it was just pure luck.

“At that time there was just one white squirrel and I also noticed a grey one but I didn’t photograph it, I was just fascinated with the white one.

“Apparently they are rare and my wife was impressed with the picture - I was just shocked.”

The chances of a squirrel being born with albinism, which is caused by a mutation in a gene that codes for pigmentation, is estimated to be one in 100,000.

According to experts, it leaves squirrels more vulnerable to attacks from predators as they have no natural camouflage.

Mr Waugh, a software designer, has been lucky enough to see white squirrels on another occasion when he managed to get a picture of two of them.

He explained: “Two years ago I spotted two of them when I was just walking to the supermarket.

“They are really cool.”

The squirrel is not the only unusual animal to be seen in Scotland in recent days.

The Scottish SPCA also rescued a rare black seal on Eyemouth beach after a call from a concerned member of the public.

The charity said the animal, which is now in the care of their National Wildlife Centre in Fishcross, is the first black female seal they have come across.

National Wildlife Centre manager, Colin Seddon, said, “We tend to get several black seal pups each year which are far less common than lighter grey colours.

“What is unusual is that she is female. Usually the darker the seal the more likely it is male. She’s the first black female I remember coming into our care.

“She is doing well, she is now off tube feeds and is being assist fed whole fish and we hope to release her back into the wild soon.

“Grey seal pups which no longer have a white coat may still need our assistance if they are on a public beach and at risk, or have visible signs of injury.

“The public should contact our animal helpline and an operator will be able to assist.”

Meanwhile, in another rare sighting, beavers have been spotted close to Perth city centre.

The animals, which were reintroduced to the wild in Tayside 12 years ago, appear to have left their distinctive tooth marks on trees on Moncreiffe Island in the River Tay, unusually close to the busy centre.