Leader

Sally Nowell

Day 1	Arrive in the Cairngorms National Park - 3 nights at Tigh na Sgiath Country House.
Days 2-3	Search for raptors and other wildlife in Speyside, including Strathdearn and Abernethy Forest.
Day 4	Travel to Mull via Fort William and the ferry from Oban, birding and looking for raptors enroute - 3 nights at The Isle of Mull Hotel.
Days 5-6	Search for raptors and wildlife amidst stunning scenery on Mull, including the Gribun Cliffs and a boat trip for White-tailed Eagle.
Day 7	Travel back to the Cairngorms, via Ardnamurchan and the Corran Ferry - 1 night at Tigh na Sgiath Country House.
Day 8	Depart after breakfast.

Weather	Mixture of sunshine and showers (5°-20°C). It could be cooler on the boat trip.
Walking	Walks will be up to five miles on relatively flat gravel and forest tracks.
Meals	All included from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 8.
Insects	It is coming to the end of midge season but it can still be warm, so they may be a nuisance. Bring repellant.
Accom	Double, twin and single rooms ensuite.
Boat Trip	The boat trip off Mull will be in relatively sheltered waters.
Group	6

The Cairngorms National Park and the Isle of Mull provide fabulous opportunities to see iconic raptors against a backdrop of mountains, moorland and ancient forest.

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48uep6bbphidval|RAPTORS

	*   Golden and White-tailed Eagles in stunning mountain and island locations
	*   A boat trip to see White-tailed Eagles up close
	*   Secretive Goshawks in ancient Caledonian Pine Forests
	*   Local Ospreys are busy feeding up before their long migratory journeys
	*   Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls quartering open moorlands
	*   Peregrine and maybe even the elusive Merlin on their hunting grounds
	*   Evening drive to look for Tawny and Barn Owls

Day 1	The Cairngorms National Park is a spectacular land of mountains, bleak windswept moorlands and ancient forests, one of the best places in the UK to watch our iconic raptors. We’ll meet together at out hotel and over the course of the evening discuss the week ahead.
Days 2-3	We may start with a full day in Strathdearn, which follows the River Findhorn deep into the Monadhliath Mountains. Here, a wealth of different habitats, from woodlands to moorland and exposed mountains, provide habitat for up to 12 species of raptor, including Golden and White-tailed Eagle, Goshawk, Peregrine, Merlin, Osprey, Hen Harrier and Red Kite. Weather permitting, we shall walk into the mountains on flat gravel tracks and explore the upper reaches of the glen on foot, which can be outstanding for Golden and White-tailed Eagles. Merlin and Peregrine also hunt here and sometimes they can be seen mobbing massive eagles that soar above the skylines. Goshawk and Red Kite are also possible and Ospreys can be seen fishing the river. The scenery in the upper reaches is spectacular and it is a truly wild place. We shall take you to other parts of the Cairngorms National Park, known to be good areas for raptor watching, to maximise our chances of getting great views of these splendid birds, but we shall also be looking for our other resident wildlife including the delightful Red Squirrel. We shall visit the RSPB’s Reserve at Abernethy which consists of ancient pine forest, open moorland and high mountain plateau. Here we shall keep our eyes peeled for Crested Tit and Crossbill as well as scouring the skylines for raptors including Goshawk and Golden Eagles. We shall also see some of the extensive habitat restoration work that is being done, some of which will hopefully contribute to the recovery of the spectacular Capercaillie, once numerous in this magnificent and atmospheric forest. Abernethy forest is a magical place at this time of year, as the autumn colours begin to be revealed and where we often find a wealth of fungi and late flowering plants. One evening we shall venture out in search of owls. Tawny and Barn Owls are both possible. The days are long at this time of the year, giving us a good chance of finding owls as the sun sets.
Days 4-6	After breakfast we shall leave for the Island of Mull. Our journey will take us past Loch Laggan, before passing beneath the towering bulk of Ben Nevis to Fort William. We continue south, along Loch Linnhe to the harbour town of Oban from where we shall catch our ferry. We shall be watching the sea for passing seabirds, hopefully Gannets and if we are lucky this crossing often produces some cetaceans, so there is always the chance of Harbour Porpoise or Common Dolphin. Once on Mull we shall explore the best the island has to offer. The scenery on Mull is spectacular, with high mountains, sea cliffs, rocky shore and estuary. Mull is famous for raptors, particularly both species of eagle, with one of the highest breeding densities of eagles anywhere in Europe. Golden Eagles and White-tailed Eagles could turn up anywhere, but we know some great locations and have enjoyed remarkably close views regularly. We shall explore the dramatic cliffs at Gribun for Peregrine and Raven, while through the moorlands and estuary edge we hope to encounter Hen Harrier, Merlin and Short-eared Owl. As well as raptors, Mull has a large population of Otters and we shall scan the sea lochs for these endearing mammals, where Common and Grey Seals haul themselves out onto the rocks. One of the highlights of our stay on Mull will be an exclusive trip on a comfortable boat to look for White-tailed Eagles. They can be seen very close from the boat and we may see the birds gliding in to pick fish off the surface, potentially giving great photo opportunities. We may also encounter dolphins and other marine animals and birds.
Day 7	On our return from Mull we take a smaller ferry to the Morvern peninsula. This is a little visited part of the Highlands and we could easily encounter more eagles as we make our way through rugged country to Loch Sunart and the Corran Ferry. We shall arrive back in Speyside in time for our evening meal and a look back over the week.
Day 8	After breakfast on Saturday we say our farewells.

Just some of what we hope to see..

Golden Eagle	Barn Owl	Twite
White-tailed Eagle	Tawny Owl	Dipper
Goshawk	Crossbill	Hooded Crow
Sparrowhawk	Crested Tit	Rock Dove
Peregrine	Great Northern Diver	Mountain Hare
Merlin	Red-throated Diver	Otter
Kestrel	Black-throated Diver	Red and Roe Deer
Osprey	Black Guillemot	Grey Seal
Red Kite	Razorbill	Bottlenose Dolphin
Hen Harrier	Guillemot	Common Dolphin
Short-eared Owl	Gannet