With rugged mountaintops, rich moorland and awe-inspiring lochs and coastal areas, the Scottish Highlands and islands are unparalleled when it comes to winter wildlife.
Majestic red deer and Highland cattle can be spotted across the region in autumn and winter, and more elusive creatures, such as the rare Scottish wildcat or a ptarmigan in its snow-white winter plumage, might make an appearance if you’re lucky. So wrap up warm, put on your boots – and head off for an unforgettable experience amid scenery to make your heart lift.
Winter turns the magnificent Cairngorms National Park, home to five of the UK’s six highest mountains, into a snow-laden, tundra-like landscape. In the soaring mountains of this wildlife hotspot you’ll find the elusive ptarmigan and snow buntings, while the vast pine forests and heather moorlands are home to grandly antlered red deer and skittish red squirrels. Wintering wildfowl, such as elegant whooper swans and greylag geese, make a beeline for the national park’s lochs and atmospheric marshes. While you’re there, remember to keep an eye on the skies – you never know when an eagle, whether golden or white-tailed, will glide silently above your head.
Where the white stag roams
You may spot a white reindeer in the central Cairngorms as a few roam wild there. Like many rare animals, white reindeer have earned a place in legend and are said to be messengers from the otherworld. A sighting of one is thought to bring good luck, so maximise your chances by heading to the Reindeer Centre, near Aviemore. Here, you can join daily guided walks into the hills to find the reindeer herd. At Christmas, tinsel and Santa turn the paddock into a festive treat – booking advised.
Visitor centres and hides are great options for seeing wildlife up close or catching glimpses of hard-to-find nocturnal creatures. In the Caledonian pine forests of the Cairngorms National Park, an evening of mammal watching from the shelter of a hide is a chance to listen to the calls and rustles of the forest at night, and take a look at what’s out and about – from bustling badgers to pine martens and beady-eyed tawny owls.
If you haven’t had any luck spotting Scottish wildcats, you can’t miss them if you head to Highland Wildlife Park at Kingussie. The cats, affectionately known as Highland tigers even though they bear more resemblance to a domestic tabby, are being brought back from the brink of extinction at the park owned by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. They share their home with other endangered species such as snow leopards, polar bears and tigers, so it’s a chance to learn about conservation too.
Season for seal pups
Further north, make your way to the coast around Easter Ross and Caithness, where wintry waves gallop into coves and dash beaches with sea spray. On a crisp day, the power and raw magnificence will take your breath away and make you feel glad to be alive.
For Orkney-based wildlife cameraman and photographer Raymond Besant, the great spectacle of autumn and winter is grey seal pupping season, which sees thousands of seals arrive on shore to give birth. “My favourite place to watch them is at Burwick on the island of South Ronaldsay,” he says. “The seals gather in sheltered coves just a short easy walk from the Burwick ferry terminal. There are spectacular views across the Pentland Firth from the clifftop before you reach the seals. With big open skies, wild crashing seas and the haunting calls of the seals it can be a dramatic scene!”
Besant says that during pupping season, mothers will be nervous. “As with much wildlife it pays just to be considered and move slowly,” he says. “Standing up quickly on the clifftop above the seals will startle them, and is likely to spook them into the sea. Get into position out of the wind, talk quietly, move gently.”
On the whale trail
Another not-to-be missed experience is that of the whale pods that can often be seen off the shores of Shetland, says Shetland photographer and ink artist Ryan Leith. “The sight of a large bull orca’s dorsal fin breaking the surface as it hunts along the coast is a truly unforgettable experience,” he says.
Orcas hunt around Shetland all year long and humpback whales can be seen in autumn as they migrate from their summer feeding grounds. Both species come in close to shore so it’s possible to see them from the coastline. When there is an orca sighting, news travels fast, and people travel to the nearest accessible viewpoint. A good place for keeping up to speed is through the Shetland Orca Sightings Facebook page.
Further west, don’t miss the Hebridean Whale Trail, a chance to explore breathtaking locations where the coast meets the sea – cliffs, harbours, sandy beaches and sea lochs. Particularly dramatic in winter, keep an eye out for harbour porpoise and bottlenose dolphin as well as whales.
Watch eagles soar
For birdwatchers, islands are great places to spot birds of prey soaring across the hilltops. If you’re looking to catch a glimpse of a golden eagle, North Harris Trust ranger Fañch Bihan-Gallic recommends heading to the Outer Hebrides. “The richness of north Harris lies in birds of prey, and especially the golden eagle as it has one of the highest density of these birds in the world. Sea eagles are also extremely common. North Harris, and the Outer Hebrides as a whole, are really good places to see eagles.
“I love the Harris mountains,” he continues. “They appear very quiet but quickly reveal a great number of birds and small moorland plants and bugs.”
Steve Reddick, of Highland Wildlife and Birdwatch Safaris, meanwhile, has a soft spot for the Isle of Mull. “It has amazing scenery and fabulous wildlife with over 50 pairs of our two eagle species – the white-tailed sea eagle and the golden eagle – plus hen harriers and short-eared owls, and a good numbers of otters.”
There are plenty of otters to be seen if you know where to look, says Meerabai Kings, a wildlife guide at Seafari Adventures. “There is a great spot on Mull towards Pennyghael, where you will see some laybys by the shore – near great otter territory. Like the beavers and pine martens, they don’t hibernate so you can still catch a glimpse of them in the winter months, perhaps nibbling a crab.”
If otter-spotting is your thing, it’s also worth knowing that Shetland, with 800-1,000 of the aquatic creatures, has the highest density of otters in Europe.
Beavering around
Kings, who works out of Easdale, a small harbour on the mainland south of Oban, recommends an area near Lochgilphead as a decent spot for beavers. “In 2009, beavers who were named Bjornar and Millie were introduced to Knapdale forest and had four wee kits, who have since had kits of their own. There is a beaver lodge on the southern end of Loch Coille-Bharr, and while the beavers are less active in the winter, they don’t hibernate, so you can still catch them around dawn or dusk. But if you’re not an early riser, you can still see signs of beaver activity – gnawed trees, wee footprints – later in the day.” The Argyll Beaver Centre, which opens one day a week over winter, is a great starting point for walks and information about these fascinating creatures.
Speaking of the ancient woods, hills and coast of Knapdale, Heather Thomas-Smith, of the guided walks specialist Heathery Heights, describes this area as among her favourite places to see wildlife in autumn and winter. “Having a sea eagle take off from just under you as you gaze from a rocky cliff, a beaver run across the path in front of you at dusk or seeing an otter family play off a seaweed-covered promontory are experiences to make your heart soar.
“Such special moments are rare treasures.”
Where will your next wildlife adventure take you? Discover the Highlands and islands this winter
