WILDLIFE
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WILDLIFE & WALKING HOLIDAYS IN SCOTLAND
North West Scotland - Sutherland and Wester Ross - is a fantastic destination for enjoying a walking holiday focussing on the area's rich and unusual wildlife. The coastal areas are particularly rewarding, with a fantastic combination of marine and sea cliff fauna and flora. Our wildlife and walking holidays for groups are aimed at those who want to enjoy some beautiful, easy to moderate grade walks which provide opportunities to see some of the region's best scenery and wildlife. We can arrange group holidays for any period from 2 days up to a week, and can provide an all-inclusive package, or just a guide - everything is tailor made to your group's requirements.
Highlights of the NW Scotland Wildlife and Walking Holidays include:
- Boat trip to, and walk around Handa Island - Magnificent sea cliffs on the northern and western sides of the island host one of the largest seabird breeding colonies in N.W Europe and in the summer months are home to around 100,000 breeding seabirds including internationally important numbers of guillemots and razorbills.
Kittiwakes and fulmars nest on the cliff ledges and a small number of puffins breed in burrows that line the cliff edges. Exciting sightings of the great skua or ‘bonxie’ and Arctic skuas are virtually guaranteed. Arctic tern colonies have recently formed on the southern shores and the birds can be seen feeding in the shallows of the landing beach.
Handa offers stunning views of the north-west coast of Scotland and it’s characteristic Torridonian sandstone mountains. The island has rich and varied plant life and also is an excellent location from which to spot common dolphin, Risso’s dolphin, minke whale and basking sharks. Handa is a Scottish Wildlife Trust Reserve. - RIB adventure. Departing from Scourie with a local guide, this is a really spectacular trip. Depending on weather and sea conditions we might circumnavigate Handa Island or take a trip around the Summer Isles - truly amazing scenery and with opportunities to see a huge range of marine life including ea birds, divers, dolphins, porpoises and even whales. The boat can also drop us on a wild stretch of coatline so we can enjoy the walk back.
- Durness beaches and clifftops. Balnakeil Bay at Durness is a great place for spotting seals, otters and sea birds. Our walk takes in the huge beaches and sand dunes which lead out to the wild sea cliffs at Faraid Head. It's a stunning location, with views across the bay towards Cape Wrath. A visit to Cape Wrath is also possible at certain times of year, when the MOD allows access. This involves a short ferry ride and a minibus journey along a rough track through some wild scenery to the Lighthouse at Cape Wrath. There's enough time here to see the highest sea cliffs in Britain, and get some spectacular views of the sea birds.
- The Inverpolly Wilderness. Another nature reserve, this time in the mountains. Our walk takes us into the beautiful countryside between Cul Beag and Cul Mor. The paths are often quite wet underfoot here, but it is a truly stunning landscape, where we often see red Deer and Golden Eagles alongside many other mountain species of bird and plant.
