A ban on chickens to allow the removal of rats on a remote Scottish island is to be lifted, it was announced today.

Chickens were removed from Canna three years ago while its owner, the National Trust for Scotland, attempted to rid the Hebridean island of its rat population.

With the project drawing to a successful conclusion, the trust is helping the islanders prepare for the return of poultry by providing new coops.

The first chickens are expected to arrive in the next few weeks.

The project to remove the rats began in 2005 to stop their predation on the eggs and chicks of Canna's internationally important seabird colonies.

Chickens had to be removed during the project as scraps of food left out for them provided rats with a ready food supply.

The last confirmed rat sighting was in February 2006, and the project is due to end later this month.

Richard Luxmoore, senior nature conservation adviser with the trust, said: "We are very grateful to the islanders who have foregone their fresh eggs for the past few years while we undertook this important project to protect Canna's seabird population."