| Leaders | Sally Nowell and Kate Mennie |
| Day 1 | Meet at hotel in Inverness -
1 night Premier Inn, Inverness |
| Day 2 | Drive to Mallaig birding enroute -
2 nights West Highland Hotel, Mallaig |
| Day 3 | Drive to Arisaig, boat trip to Rum/Eigg |
| Day 4 | Travel to Oban via Ardnamurchan and
Glenborrodale -
1 night Oban Bay Hotel, Oban |
| Day 5 | Early ferry to Coll, boat trip around the
island for rest of the day -
2 nights Coll Hotel, Coll |
| Day 6 | Boat trip for the whole day including
landing on Tiree |
| Day 7 | Boat trip for the day, landing at
Tobermory. Evening ferry to Oban
from Mull -
1 night Oban Bay Hotel, Oban |
| Day 8 | Drive back to Inverness -
1 night Premier Inn, Inverness |
| Day 9 | Depart Inverness |
| Weather | We can experience all the seasons
during this trip and at times it can be
windy and cold especially at sea, so
please be prepared for all conditions
and weather, with potential
temperatures between (5°-25°C) |
| Walking | Coastal walks on uneven terrain
of up to three miles - walking boots
recommended, but trainers or even
sandals suitable on some occasions.
Collapsible/telescopic walking poles
could be useful for this trip |
| Boat Trips | Be prepared for all weathers on our
boat trips. Waterproof clothes including
gloves are recommended. As a precaution,
you may wish to bring seasickness
medication with you. Toilet onboard |
| Meals | All included from dinner on Day 1
to breakfast on Day 9 |
| Insects | Biting insects can be a problem at
this time of year in certain conditions,
so come prepared with insect repellant |
| Accom | Double, twin and single rooms all
ensuite |
| Group | 10 - each group 5 guests and 1 guide |
This trip will take us to the outer edges of Scotland on a pelagic
adventure in the hope of seeing Basking Shark, Minke Whale,
Common Porpoise, Manx Shearwater and White-tailed Eagle.
| * Basking Shark and Britain’s cetaceans are our target species
|
| * Venture into some of the more remote parts of the UK by land and sea
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| * Spend plenty of time at sea looking for shearwaters, petrels and other seabirds
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| * Visit the beautiful Ardnamurchan Peninsula
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| * Visit the islands of Rum, Eigg, Mull, Coll and Tiree
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| * Comfortable hotels throughout
|
| * Convenient start time and location in Inverness
|
| Day 1 | Our adventure begins with a meal together in
Inverness and a run through the trip itinerary.
|
| Day 2 | Today we take a relaxing drive alongside Loch
Ness down towards Fort William on the west
coast. We shall be stopping enroute to do some
roadside birding and from Fort William we shall
drive towards the delightful fishing village of Mallaig.
We arrive in Mallaig in plenty of time for you to
wander round the village, walk to the harbour and
settle into our hotel.
|
| Day 3 | We shall start the day with a short drive
to Arisaig where we board our chartered
boat and travel across the Sound of Sleat towards
the community-owned island of Eigg and then
on to the Island of Rum, the first place in the
UK where White-tailed Eagles were released.
As we sail we shall be scanning the oceans for fins
of cetaceans, in particular Minke Whale and keeping an eye on the skies for the massive wingspan
of a White-tailed Eagle, as they soar over the peaks
of Rum. We shall be hoping to stop off on both
islands to stretch our legs.
After our day at sea, we shall be pleasantly relaxed
and ready to head back to our hotel in Mallaig for
dinner and a good night’s sleep.
|
| Day 4 | After a more leisurely start and breakfast,
we shall begin a day’s drive towards and
across the Ardnamurchan peninsula. We shall stop
at the stunning Sanna Bay, visit RSPB Glenborrodale
and the Ardnamurchan Natural History Centre.
As we drive, we shall be looking for Golden
Eagle above and Otters along the shore and out
to sea we might be lucky and catch a glimpse
of a cetacean; Ardnamurchan can be a great place
to spot Orca!! After leaving Ardnamurchan we
shall weave our way down to Oban, all the time scanning the shorelines and enjoying the stunning
views this drive has to offer. We shall overnight in
Oban.
|
| Days 5-7 | An early ferry today takes us across
to the Island of Coll. Coll and Tiree are
known to be some of the sunniest places in the
UK, they are also some of the most remote. They
are surrounded by stunning white sand beaches
and are known for their peace and tranquillity. Not
that easy to get to, we shall certainly feel ‘away
from it all’ here! The air could not be clearer and
the skies not much darker.
After transferring to our hotel and a briefing
regarding our time onboard we shall have our first
boat trip in search of the awesome Basking Shark.
Depending on weather conditions we shall
head north to the offshore whale and dolphin
grounds. We shall visit Common Seal colonies and
look for a variety of bird species including rafts
of Manx Shearwater, Storm Petrels and Arctic
and Great Skuas. Shags and Cormorant colonies
along the coast will be visible, along with
Great Northern Divers and seaduck. We shall
head south looking for Basking Sharks and
Grey Seals and have a number of cetaceans on our
target list which will include, Common Bottlenose
and Risso’s Dolphin, Minke Whale, Porpoise and if
we are really lucky, we might even see Orca! We
shall hope to get up close to diving Gannets in the
tidal races.
Tiree and Coll both hold good populations
of Corncrake and though we shall be visiting late in the season, we shall be aiming to visit
both islands on our full day’s boat trip, in
the hope of catching a glimpse or the sound
of this bird. There are other birds here too
though and we shall definitely be on the trail
of the beautiful Hen Harrier. The wildflowers
on both islands are legendary and there should still
be evidence of some of the most healthy ‘machair’
in Scotland.
On our final day we shall sail to the Isle of Mull,
with plenty of chances of cetacean sightings
enroute. We shall also be hoping to glimpse
White-tailed Eagles, as we stand good chances of
great views from the sea. We arrive in the pretty
harbour of Tobermory where we shall transfer to
Craignure for our ferry back to Oban.
|
| Day 8 | We shall make our way back to Inverness,
birding enroute, before spending our final
night in Inverness.
|
| Day 9 | After breakfast we shall say our goodbyes
and depart.
|
Just some of what we hope to see..
| Manx Shearwater | Golden Eagle | Bottlenose Dolphin |
| Storm Petrel | Corncrake | Common Porpoise |
| Gannet | Short-eared Owl | Grey Seal |
| Black Gulliemot | Hen Harrier | Common Seal |
| Black-throated Diver | Arctic Skua | Otter |
| Red-throated Diver | Great Skua | Red Deer |
| White-tailed Eagle | Basking Shark | |
With its guarantee of a good night’s sleep, a reputation for excellent customer service and a good restaurant, the Premier Inn is the ideal place to spend our first and last evening. Located at the edge of Torvean Golf Course, this contemporary hotel is a 1-minute walk from the Caledonian Canal. In-room amenities feature free WiFi, pillow-top mattresses and en suite bathrooms with showers, as well as tea and coffee-making facilities, TVs and desks.
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Set on an elevated position overlooking the Sound of Sleat, the West Highland Hotel offers a fabulous terrace restaurant with quality local produce, wood burning stove, panoramic views and an outside seating area with a fire pit.
Overlooking the village, this hotel offers en suite rooms with Freeview TVs, tea and coffee making facilites and hairdryers.
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Set on the edge of Oban's Esplanade, with sea views of Mull, Kerrera and the Firth of Lorne, the hotel has a sun lounge and free WiFi.
All rooms feature a private bathroom, a hairdryer, TV and tea and coffee making facilities.
In the evening, the Oban Bay Hotel's award winning Rannachan Restaurant has an à la carte menu featuring fresh, local seafood and organic produce.
The sun lounge stretches the entire length of the hotel and there is an indoor steam room, and a sauna.
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Set at the head of the bay, Coll hotel is the hub of the island. With a beautiful garden, warm island hospitality, fantastic food using the best of island produce and a great bar to enjoy a sociable drink.
The simple rooms come with en suite bathrooms, free Wi-F, flat-screen TVs, and tea and coffeemaking facilities with homemade biscuits.
Delicious food served using the best of local produce including lobster, crabs, langostines and scallops all freshly caught. As well as making use of fresh Coll vegetables, salad, herbs, meats and fish.
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