Birding holidays in Scotland
Speyside in summer
| This is a five day tour aiming to see Golden Eagle, Osprey, Capercaillie, Scottish Crossbill, Slavonian Grebe, Black Grouse, Crested Tit, Ptarmigan, Snow Bunting and in addition to all of that, on the May holiday, Dotterel |
Possible bird list of 130 species. Maximum of 8 persons and two leaders.
2009 Dates: 10th to 15th April and 8th to 13th May
Hotels: The Coach House, Cardross and The Grant Arms Hotel incorporating the Birdwatching and Wildlife Club,
Speyside on a Dinner, packed lunch, Bed and Breakfast basis.
Cost: £699.00 per person.
Friday lunch time - arrival in Glasgow. You will be picked up and transferred free of charge to the hotel.
You will be met by the team before retiring to the hotel for your evening meal and complimentary drink. |
In the morning, you will be given a short presentation which will take you through the spectacular places and species you will see.
Amongst experiences to look forward to will be:
Short walks to look for Crested Tit and other Caledonian pinewood specialities.
The ancient Caledonian Pine Forest form a truly remarkable environment, supporting a rich diversity of both animal and plant life. |
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Caledonian Pine Forest |
Crested Tit |
Red Squirrel |
Dawn within the forest is a beautiful experience. With Red Deer and Red Squirrel moving quietly through the ancient pines,
it promises to be a memory you will never forget and of course this is the best time to see Capercaillie and Scottish Crossbill.
The forest is home to all three crossbill species, Common, Scottish and Parrot, and every effort will be made to find these three elusive species. |
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Slavonian Grebe |
Black-Throated Diver |
Osprey |
We will then travel the short distance to enjoy views of Slavonian Grebe, Black and Red throated Diver, Osprey, Red Grouse
and Golden Plover. After dinner we will always have an optional evening visit to the forest to see Tawny and Barn Owl as well
as Woodcock and nocturnal mammals.
Mid morning we will head to the Cairngorms aiming to see Ptarmigan, Ring Ouzel and Dotterel.
Snow Buntings also live at these arctic altitudes we have an option of being led by our expert birder and hillwalker to take you
on to the hill in search of these species.
During our visit, we will pop into the Ptarmigan Restaurant for some light refreshments, and have the option of taking the
Funicular Railway back down. |
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Ptarmigan |
Ring Ouzel |
Dotterel |
Alternatively, we can let the train take the strain, and board the Cairngorm Mountain Railway to the Ptarmigan Restaurant which is near the top of the mountain.
Sitting on the terrace at nearly 4000 feet, with a tea or a coffee, we should still see Ring Ouzel and possibly Snow Bunting.
All that, with tea and the star of mountain birding, Ptarmigan! |
We are indebted to our partner agencies that have allowed us access to their estates and hopefully provide us with memorable views of an array of remarkable birds. We will include a 4x4 safari during your holiday that will take you deep into the heart of the mountains and enjoy a bothy picnic courtesy of one of our highland estates. Here we are likely to see Golden Eagle, Merlin, Peregrine, Golden Plover and Mountain Hare.
Right: Snow Bunting |
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The lochs and marshes of Speyside hold Black and Red throated Diver, Wigeon, Goosander, Wood Sandpiper and Greenshank. Whilst the woods hold Redstart, Siskin, Redpoll and Treecreeper and with luck Crossbill and Scottish Crossbill should be showing. The streams hold Dipper and Grey Wagtail whilst the loch shore will often echo with piping of Common Sandpipers.
Left: Golden Eagle |
As our time on Speyside comes to a close we will head south and explore Rob Roy Country. The Trossachs has a wonderful population of Ospreys and Golden Eagles and we will see some of central Scotland's special birds, Black Grouse and Hen Harrier. The area has a healthy population of both species and every responsible effort will be made to see these extraordinary birds. We will visit some of the largest and most active lek sites in the area, to witness their fantastic displays.
Right: Black Grouse and Hen Harrier |
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During our time in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park we will join Dave Anderson of the Forestry Commission and Duncan Cameron of the RSPB for a Raptor Ringing Session and Red Kite radio tracking demonstration. This is a real highlight to the holiday and is the most memorable of experiences. This will be an opportunity to give you an insight into the breeding biology of some of our nation's rarest and most enigmatic species. Protecting and conserving our nation's raptors is at the cornerstone of Wild Caledonia's activities and we would like to share these experiences with you. |
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| Ringing with Dave Anderson |
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Radio Tracking with Duncan Cameron |
| This is a wonderful holiday full of one-off experiences that frankly no other holiday company can provide. Wild Caledonia are committed to providing you with the Scottish Wildlife Holiday to remember and continue to make, along with our guests, a lasting conservation contribution to our most threatened and remarkable birds. |
What's included in your holiday:
- Dinner, bed and breakfast
- Lunch
- Teas and coffees during your days birding
- All transport costs
- All guiding services
- Evening talks
- Entry to all estates and activities
- All transfers to and from your holiday hotel
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What's not included in your holiday:
- Drinks at dinner or at the bar
- Items of a personal nature
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On the hill-walking option |
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At the top of Cairngorm |
Richard thanks Dave for a memorable day on the hills |
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Lunch in a highland hideaway |
Pictures courtesy of Mike Glavin, Richard Sims, David Palmar and John Simpson.
Gallery of images taken by and of previous Wild Caledonia clients
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