In 2000, we co-authored a paper in British Wildlife entitled 'Freshwater Pearl Mussels in peril' (Cosgrove et al. 2000a). This summarised the status of the species in Britain and Ireland, its fascinating life history, the threats to this globally threatened species, and the conservation action that was planned under the auspices of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. More than a decade has passed, and now is a good time to revisit this species and see how its fortunes have fared, particularly in Scotland, where most of the extant populations occur.