| Day 1 | Arrive in time for dinner and a chat about our
plans for the coming week.
7 nights at Tigh na Sgiath Country House |
| Days 2-7 | Wildlife and birdwatching
exploration including Abernethy
Forest, Dava Moor, the Cairngorms,
the Moray Firth
and West Coast |
| Day 8 | After breakfast we say our farewells |
| Walking | Most walks are 1-2 miles on wide
sandy tracks, although there is the
possibility of a forest walk of up
to 4 miles.
Our Cairngorm walk is more steep
and uneven, but low-level unguided
alternatives are available.
Walking boots will be needed
and walking poles may be helpful |
| Weather | Varies from cold to warm and sunny
(8°-20°C), with less rainfall than much
of Scotland but snow possible in
the mountains |
| Insects | In late May, biting midges occasionally
occur on sheltered loch shores |
| Boats | Our boat trip to Handa is over sheltered
waters and lasts about 15 minutes |
| Meals | All included from dinner on Day 1
to breakfast on Day 8 |
| Accom | Double, twin and single ensuite or with private facilities |
| Group | 12 |
Our classic signature week, perfected over 25 years, with all
Speyside’s special birds at their most active, including crossbill
and Black Grouse - and time for great mammals too.48uep6bbph|00000E4E|Spey_BESQL3|HolidayTypes|Subheading 48uep6bbphidval|BIRDS
| * Bird specialities of the ancient Pine Forest of the Highlands of Scotland
|
| * A west coast trip to fabulous Handa Island in north-west Sutherland
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| * The Moray Firth, alive with seaduck, terns and migrants
|
| * Divers and grebes in spectacular breeding plumage
|
| * A day for mountain birds in the splendour of the Cairngorms
|
| * An evening for Pine Martens and Badgers too
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| * Come by train or plane and enjoy the wonders of the Cairngorms National Park
|
| Day 1 | We shall meet at our lovely country house
hotel on the edge of the forest in time for
dinner together on Saturday evening, with plenty
of time to discuss the options for the coming days.
The hotel and its fine food are always a delight
for guests
|
| Days 2-7 | We may start the week with walks
in the local area, perhaps along the
river, or around beautiful lochans surrounded by
forest nearby. The RSPB have extensive Reserves
here and we’ll visit the ancient pines of Abernethy
Forest, a remnant of the ‘Great Wood of Caledon’,
in search of dainty Crested Tits and parties of
crossbill.
We’ll need to check them carefully, as both
Common and Parrot Crossbills have taken up
residence in the area. Red Squirrels are still
abundant in the forest with Redstart, Siskin, Tree Pipit and countless Willow Warblers singing in the clearings. We’ll also rise early to see Black Grouse
as they ‘bubble and coo’ at dawn - a fabulous
spectacle.
On one evening we’ll look for Pine Marten and
Badger, with Woodcock roding over the trees.
Sparkling forest lochans hold exquisitely plumed
Slavonian Grebe - a wonderful chance to see
them in their breeding finery, whilst Ospreys will
be nesting locally in forests and glens. Recently
White-tailed Eagles have begun to nest and we’ll
look for these and Golden Eagles too.
The arctic-tundra plateau of the Cairngorms is
unique in Britain and, weather permitting, we’ll head
into the hills to seek out camouflaged Ptarmigan
as they feed quietly amongst the boulders. We
may encounter beautiful Dotterel too and there
is always a chance of Snow Bunting.
The River Spey winds its way through the strath,
with nesting Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Goosander
and noisy Common Sandpiper, while Curlew,
Redshank, Lapwing, Oystercatcher and Snipe
display over marshes in river valleys and around
Insh, Europe’s largest inland fen and at Lochindorb,
with its impressive castle rising on an island from
the middle of the loch.
On tranquil waters beautiful Red-throated Divers
give their haunting wail and we’ll take you to
remote glens where Golden Eagle hunt Mountain
Hares. We’ll search for Raven, Ring Ouzel and
Peregrine, with Red Deer on the skyline and even
Wild Goats. We may find Hen Harrier, Merlin or
Short-eared Owl hunting the open moorland,
where we’ll hear cackling Red Grouse and the
mournful piping of Golden Plover.
Along the coast and tidal bays of the Moray
Firth a few Long-tailed Duck and Common or
Velvet Scoter may linger with the local Eider. The
shingle shores are busy with Arctic, Common
and Sandwich Tern and we hope to see fishing
Ospreys and perhaps even a Great Northern
Diver offshore.
Red Kite circle lazily above the rolling farmland
and we’ll search out some of the farmland birds
found there, such as Tree Sparrow, Corn Bunting
and Yellowhammer. We shall look out for our
resident Bottlenose Dolphins, which may come
remarkably close to shore and harbour.
We’ll enjoy a wonderful day travelling through
stunning scenery on our way to the far north west
of the Scottish Highlands on our day visit to Handa Island. We’ll pause to look for Black-throated Diver
enroute and there is always the chance of Golden
Eagle or perhaps a Greenshank, as a small number
breed this far north.
Black Guillemots bob on the water close to the
boat as we make our ten minute crossing, then
we walk across the island, enjoying fantastic views
of nesting Great and Arctic Skuas as we go - the
Arctic Skuas often chasing each other in their
exhilarating display.
Gannets pass by offshore and we’ll look out for
Rock Dove, Raven and Twite as well. On the far
side of the island, towering cliffs and stacks host
a seabird city, with thousands of Guillemots and
smaller numbers of Razorbills, Kittiwakes and
Fulmars. A few delightful Puffins nest on top of
The Stack - but don’t forget to look back towards
the mainland where the scenery . . . well it’s simply
breathtaking!
|
| Day 8 | On Saturday after breakfast we say our
farewells.
|
Just some of what we hope to see..
| Goldeneye | Arctic Skua | Badger |
| Black-throated Diver | Great Skua | Red Deer |
| Slavonian Grebe | Dunlin | Sika Deer |
| Red Breasted Merganser | Razorbill | Roe Deer |
| Golden Eagle | Black Guillemot | Bottlenose Dolphin |
| Osprey | Puffin | Common Seal |
| Merlin | Dipper | Grey Seal |
| Peregrine | Ring Ouzel | Fulmar |
| Red Grouse | Crested Tit | Snipe |
| Ptarmigan | crossbills | Curlew |
| Black Grouse | Red Squirrel | Redshank |
| Capercaillie | Mountain Hare | Red Kite |
| Dotterel (from mid-May) | Pine Marten | Common Seal |
"Pine Marten in the wild. Red Squirrel carrying a kit in its mouth. Visit to Isle of Handa. So many bird species. Beautiful scenery. Great guide and fellow guests"
Maggie Scott
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"A wet pre-breakfast walk gave us excellent close views of two Black-throated Divers snorkelling in a moorland lochan. Kate also showed us a Mountain Hare having a wash and brush-up! Kate spotted a White-tailed Sea Eagle being mobbed by Great Skuas over Handa Island, the skuas were dwarfed by the eagle"
Christine Shawyer
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"Seeing the male Osprey arrive and then take off from the nest at Lock Insh was wonderful. However, to watch a Tree Pipit singing his/her heart out from the top of a high Scots Pine was just as magical in a different way. Walking in the forests generally was a deep joy. It was also a marvellous thing to watch a female Goldeneye leading her brood of nine chicks across the River Spey in full flood. Our hearts were in our mouths (or rather our eyes...) but somehow she did it and they all stayed together and landed on the other side"
Christina Shewell and Mark Vaughan
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"The entire holiday was Totally Amazing, everyone on the trip had their own highlights and every day had its own special moments, so the holiday itself was the Highlight!!!"
Stephen Webb
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My highlights were Handa on a beautifully sunny day, watching the puffins, guillemots and
razorbills on the stacks at close proximity. I also loved our hike up Cairngorms and the joy of
seeing ptarmigan, a lifer for me, again at very close proximity.
Chrissie Edginton
|
Watching dolphins off the Morayshire coast. The day on Handa Island - puffins!! The
ptarmigan on Cairngorm - it just sat on a rock and we were within 10 feet of it. A very special
moment.
Rosemary Burke
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"The visit to Handa Island was probably the highlight of my trip since it is so wild and natural. It reminded me of the islands in the Galapagos with breeding birds so close and numerous. All of the European species were new for me, so it was such fun to see them. Sally did such a wonderful job of sharing her love for Scotland, the birds, its nature, and culture with us, and she was very tolerant of our US idiosyncrasies."
Patricia Lueders
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"Cairngorm. First time at the summit since 1951! Wonderful for birds too. Ptarmigan and Ring Ouzel were very good to see, but the views of Dotterel and Snow Bunting were outstanding. Handa Island. My first ever visit to this site, and it did not disappoint. I have always loved "Seabird Cities" and the Handa Island one with nesting Fulmar, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Razorbill and Puffin, plus fly by Gannet was as good as any I have seen. The Findhorn Valley. Less because of the birds we saw there (we did pick up both Dipper and Golden Eagle) than because of the magical atmosphere of the place, It was my 6th and 7th visits this time round, and it has become one of my favourite places on earth!"
Brian Roberts-Wray
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"Thank you for a wonderful tour. I had a quite a few highlights on the holiday but the two that really stick with me were first seeing a Badger appearing from the forest at the hide, as well as seeing Black-throated Divers. Ultimately though, the highlights for me were the moments that my mother really enjoyed - seeing the dipper, walking on Handa Island, and hiking up Cairngorm Mountain. Sally and Peter made all the difference and their hard work is much appreciated as the tour wouldn't have been the same without their great leadership."
Paula Smith
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"Stepping from the train to a warm welcome and knowing the week was going to be perfect!.
Finding Dotterel on Cairngorm when we had begun to doubt our luck.
Watching a pair of Oyster Catchers with their young right by the roadside on Dava Moor.
The wonders of Handa Island. THANK-YOU TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN MAKING THIS SUCH A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. I WILL BE BACK!"
Kathleen Murray
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"Seeing the tawny owl adult outside the Pine Marten hide was quite a thrill. I live in the country and hear Tawny Owls almost nightly but have never had such a good view of one. Also seeing a Tawny "brancher" chick in the grounds of the Steading was delightful. We also saw a Dipper chick on a rock waiting to be fed in the Findhorn Valley, Goldeneye chicks on Loch Insh. The Black-throated Diver and Slavonian Grebe were also very exciting sightings. Great views of Dotterels on Cairngorm. I loved the Bluebells still out, Red Campion, fresh greens of the Birches and Beeches and many mountain and coastal views. Coming from the south it was like experiencing an extended spring. Handa Island was super and seeing Pied Flycatchers a first....."
Sally Leach
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"We were lucky enough to see 5 birds in the wild for the first time, Slavonian Grebe, Crested Tit, Arctic Skua, Ptarmigan and Capercaillie. We also had a great sighting of a pair of Pied Flycatchers which was really special. Seeing the beautiful Slavonian Grebe in its natural environment on the water was fantastic, a truly stunning bird. Craig and Simon tried several likely areas to see Crested Tits and we were delighted to see one after their vigilant birding skills located a nest site. Handa Island was a great choice to visit despite the long drive which was driven brilliantly. The highlight for us was the sight of 3 Arctic Skuas performing aerobatics just above our heads. Seeing the robust, almost fearsome Great Skuas at close proximity and bathing in the fresh water was really memorable. Our trip up onto Cairngorm was very special with clear sightings of Ptarmigan one of which flew right over my head, missed by the others! While we were there we had a wonderful insight into the behaviour of a pair Dotterel which we watched moving around the mountain terrain. One evening Simon took a few of us on a short walk up the track from the Steading and we were lucky to flush a female Capercaillie which was probably getting grit from the track. Simon was as delighted as we were! We couldn't have had all these memorable experiences without the tireless work of our enthusiastic, vigilant and skilful guides who used all their birding and local knowledge to give us the best sightings possible."
Gill & John Haveron
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"We saw 110 birds during the week and apart from the Black Grouse, saw all the 'Scottish' specialities
Simon's knowledge of the local area in the search for the Crested Tit certainly paid off
The trip to Handa Island was excellent even though it was a very long day - definately worthwhile."
Sue & Keith Waldron
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"There were so many highlights. Pine Marten and Badgers, Black and Red Throated Divers, Arctic and Great Skuas, Puffins and Razorbills, Guillemots and Black Guillemots, Black and Red Grouse, and a host of others. The Mountain Hare in exactly the same place as four previous visits - John must have it on a string!
Sally outwitting a German camper van on the way back from Handa. Lesley's beef bourguignon nearly made it as species of the trip…"
Brenda Fitzgerald & Andrew Roberts
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"Each day was filled from dawn to dusk with visits to beautiful sites all across the Scottish Highlands. We visited many different habitats and saw more than 100 different species of birds. We also saw wildlife including Badgers, Pine Martens and dolphins. Our guides, Sally and John, were extremely knowledgable about the wildlife of the area. They also told us a lot about the history and geography. They were with us from early morning at breakfast until we finished our evening discussion of what we had seen that day. The lodging and food at the Steading were excellent. If you want to explore the wildlife of northern Scotland, this is the tour for you."
Violistkensingtonnh (Trip Advisor)
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