Scottish Highlands May 14th – May 18th
To View a previous report from this trip, please click here.
~ Introduction ~
Scotland – a beautiful
place that really needs no introduction! Stunning scenery, spectacular bird
watching and some of the friendliest people in the UK - just some of the
reasons that people come here - and we are no different. We will be based
near the Findhorn Valley with a chance of Golden Eagle as we eat our
breakfasts; yes it really is that good! Our base is selected to keep
driving to a minimum; however, because of the area we cover, there will be
some time in the cars.
~ Itinerary ~
Day One
Arrive at the hotel mid-afternoon and settle in. An evening walk before dinner around the local area will set the scene.
After dinner there is a chance to go out looking for birds in the local area.
Day Two
Setting off before breakfast we will head for the excellent Loch Garten reserve to find Capercaillie. This really is an early start as we need to be at the reserve by 5:30am for a chance of seeing these magnificent birds. This species is almost extinct in Britain which is why we choose this site so as not to disturb birds in other areas. After returning to the hotel for breakfast, we will head back to the woods around Loch Garten for Common Redstart, Crested Tit and Scottish and Parrot Crossbill.
In the afternoon we will stop off at Loch Morlich where there are breeding divers and maybe take a ride on the rail link to the Cairngorms. Although we are not allowed to leave the area, we may still see Snow Bunting and sometimes Ptarmigan from here and there is also a chance of Ring Ousel. We may even be able to hear Dotterel calling.
The evening will see us visit the local area for a range of birds in the area.
Day Three
Today, after breakfast we drive into the Findhorn Valley – we may visit Loch Garten again for Capercaillie, if we were unsuccessful the previous day, or if you just fancy another opportunity to view these magnificent birds.
The Findhorn Valley is host to herds of Red Deer that number in the hundreds, which will no doubt set the tone for a magical day in the Scottish Highlands.
Ring Ousel and Golden Eagle are targets today, as well as a whole host of birds of prey which frequent this spectacular valley.
After a picnic lunch, we will head for Loch Ruthven to see Slavonian Grebes and maybe get a glimpse of Black Grouse as they feed before dark on the nearby hills. There may be a chance to follow the River Findhorn east looking for raptors and Black Grouse in the quiet areas of the Highlands.
Day Four
Depart from the hotel after a morning’s bird watching in the local area.
~ General ~
Because this part of Britain can be unpredictable in the weather department we will always have a plan “b”. This may mean heading off to the Guinard Bay area. This area in itself is spectacular with White-tailed Eagle, Great Northern and Black Throated Divers and the “true” Rock Dove – the ancestors of all of our town pigeons.
Some of the places we will be visiting will require some walking, however, the walks are pleasant and done at a comfortable pace. We should never be too far away from the vehicles.
We will have packed lunches at selected points. We will always try to ensure there are sufficient comfort stops.
Cost: £295 Per person.