Three orphaned otters have been released into the wild after more than nine months in care.

Stream, Smoult and Eddie were taken to the National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fishcross, Clackmannanshire, when they were cubs aged between eight and 10 weeks old.

After months of rehabilitation, the Scottish SPCA has set the trio free in a freshwater loch at a secret location in the Highlands.

The centre’s manager, Colin Seddon, said: “There are many factors that need to be met before we can release otters back into the wild – the weather, site location, otter population in the area and land owners’ permission. All of these must be in place to ensure the best chance of survival.

“With help from the Woodland Trust we were able to access the remote release site in the Highlands in order to successfully release the otters. Without their help we would not have been able to access this site.”

Support feeding and shelter have been provided for the trio and they will be monitored using camera traps to get feedback about how well they are doing.

The Scottish SPCA released the trio of otters into the wild after more than nine months in care. Photograph: Colin Seddon/Scottish SPCA/PA

This method was successfully used last year on Mull, with the otters that were released doing well several months later.

Otters were driven to near extinction throughout the UK between the 1950s and 1970s.

However, due to improvements in water quality and legal protection they can be seen once again in Scotland and other parts of the UK.

The wildlife rescue centre has cared for 105 otters since opening the Fishcross site in 2012, 96 of which were cubs.