Birding holidays in Scotland
 

Argyll and the Isles -

Summer 2008

Visiting Mull, Iona,Treshnish Isles and Argyll  

Five day tour aiming to see White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Osprey, Hen Harrier, Black throated Diver, Puffin, Skuas and Corncrake.

Possible bird list of 130 species. Maximum of 8 persons and 2 leaders.

Dates: 25th-30th April 2008 (2 spaces left), 23rd-28th May - Full, 20th-25th June, 18th-23rd July and 15th-20th August 2008.

Hotels: The Coach House Inn, Cardross and Salen Hotel, Mull on a Dinner, Packed lunch, Bed and Breakfast basis. 

Cost: £599.00 per person.  

What's included: Transfer from your arrival/departure point. Service of up to three experienced tour guides. Quality assured bed and breakfast accommodation. All meals. All ferry and transport costs. Entry fees to all historic sites, reserves and visitor centres.

What's not included: Drinks and items of a personal nature. Locally, drinks are very reasonably priced.

Friday afternoon arrival in Glasgow, you will be picked up and transferred free of charge to the Coach House Inn, Cardross. You will be met by the team and given a short presentation on your chosen birding holiday before retiring to the hotel for a complimentary drink, evening meal and hospitality. 

The following morning, our breaks will get off to a flying start with a visit to the Glens of Loch Lomond to look for Hen Harriers, Black Grouse and Short eared Owl. The glens are also home to breeding Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Stonechat, Whinchat, Cuckoo, Curlew, Oystercatcher and Common Sandpiper. We will stop for a short time to help with the ringing of Barn Owls or Kestrels which is a thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating experience.  

From here we will travel the short distance up into the mountains of Argyll to look for Golden Eagles. These spectacular birds are at their highest density in Scotland here in Argyll and what better place to see them, set amongst the scenery of the Loch Lomond National Park. Whilst here we usually see Raven and Peregrine Falcon. 

On descending from the mountains we will stop in the expanse of wet oakwoods that cascade down to Loch Lomond. There are RSPB and national nature reserves to wander through to see Redstart, Wood Warbler, Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Tree Pipit, Redpoll and Siskin. 

From the glens of Loch Lomond we will travel the short distance to one of the most enigmatic locations in Britain, Rannoch Moor. This truly huge expanse of heather moor is peppered will countless lochans and is surrounded on all sides by utterly spectacular mountains.  Rannoch Moor is home to Red and Black throated Diver, Dunlin, Greenshank, Golden Plover, Merlin, Wigeon and the remnant Caledonian Pine forest boasts Crossbill. We will then progress for our first encounter with the sea. Red breasted Mergansers, Black Guillemots and Rock Pipits should be added to the ever growing list of species. Scotland is famous for its Glens and Castles and we will pass many on our way to the Isles. 

With day one coming to a close we will arrive in Oban. From here we will make the short sea crossing to Craignure on the Isle of Mull. Mull has a worldwide reputation and is widely regarded as a wildlife paradise. It is one of the best cetacean watch points in the UK for Minke Whales and Basking Sharks, dolphins and porpoises and a remarkable range of bird species.   

Whilst on this wildlife rich island, our main objective is White- tailed Eagle. Wild Caledonia is delighted to say that we fully support the multi award winning Eagle Watch Initiative which is managed by Wildlife Crime Officer, Constable Findlay Christine of Strathclyde Police and Dave Sexton of the RSPB. We will meet Findlay and Dave and hear of their work protecting these magnificent birds. For those who will see White-tailed Eagles for the first time, it is without doubt a jaw dropping experience! The Sea Eagles, as they are better known are the highlight for many on our trips and Mull has probably the best population of these remarkable raptors. Mull has a great range of species and it will be good to have another chance to see such species as Golden Eagle, Hen Harrier and Merlin.

We will visit the cradle of Christianity in Scotland, Iona. It is a special place that boasts fantastic scenery, history but from a bird watchers point of view an essential tick on any trip to the west of Scotland, Corncrake. With patience some remarkable views of this lovely bird can be obtained.

Scotland is renowned for its seabird populations and no trip to this part of the world be complete without a visit to the Treshnish Isles. During the crossing we can boost the species list by hopefully adding Great and Arctic Skua, Manx Shearwater, Fulmar, Guillemot, Arctic and Sandwich Tern before arriving at the Treshnish Isles for one of Britains most endearing birds, the Puffin

Whilst on Mull, we will do some mammal watching. Our target species will be red deer, and everyone's must-see animal ..... the otter. We will visit a number of otter hot-spots to watch these beautiful mammals, and to date, we have not been disappointed.

During our time on Mull, we will be treated to a slide presentation from Findlay and Dave about their work on Mull. With considerable good humour, we are assured an excellent evening enjoying their stories and adventures when protecting the magnificent White tailed Eagle. This will be a fitting conclusion to what will be a most memorable visit to Mull.

The last day will start with a ferry trip back to Oban, a bustling fishing town on the mainland of Argyll. In the harbour nest Black Guillemots and there is always a good range of gulls. We will then travel through northern Argyll and stop off at the ancient site of Kilmartin. Once the burial site of the first Scottish Kings.It boasts some of the best standing stones and examples of Celtic culture in Scotland. We will then visit the aptly named Loch Awe in search of Osprey and Black throated Diver. We will finish our short break in the scenic splendour of Glen Fyne for our last views of Golden Eagle before returning to Loch Lomond and the onward trip to your chosen departure point.

This is a very popular birding holiday and places are limited. Book early to avoid disappointment. Please ask about our group discount for bird clubs and societies.