HIGH SEASON ACROSS THE HIGHLANDS

SAT 20 MAY – SAT 27 MAY, SAT 27 MAY – SAT 3 JUNE 2023

SAT 25 MAY – SAT 1 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Early Birder Prices from £1545pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

A tremendous two-centre holiday for all the species that make Scotland so special. We visit many habitats including the seabird colony of Handa Island. It really is time to enjoy High Season ACROSS the Highlands!

In the Abernethy we seek Crested Tit and Scottish Crossbill, where adults with fledged young may be found at this time. Forests also hold migrant Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher and Tree Pipit and resident Treecreeper and Goldcrest. Lochs and rivers, birchwoods and moorland may produce Osprey, Dipper, Buzzard, Goldeneye, Red Grouse, Blackthroated Diver, Lesser Redpoll, breeding waders and Slavonian Grebe.

Handa is a birding treat. Puffin, Guillemot and Razorbill mingle with Fulmar, Kittiwake and Shag on the cliffs. Arctic Skua ‘dive-bomb’ the boardwalk if we are too close, and with Gannet, Great Skua, Black Guillemot, Raven, Red Grouse, ‘real’ Rock Dove, Snipe, Lesser Redpoll, Sedge Warbler, Eider, Hooded Crow and Great Northern and Red-throated Diver too, every minute is absorbing. We stay overnight on the west, giving maximum time on Handa, and a second day to explore the under-watched north-west coast. Your guides choose the best locations in the freedom of the most stunning landscape in Scotland. Black-throated Diver are on remote lochs, Twite, Wheatear and Whinchat on the moorland and Golden and White-tailed Eagles soar over imposing crags.

We visit secluded locations with Golden Eagle, Peregrine, Merlin, Red Kite and Ring Ouzel in mind. On the high plateau we head to the right spots for Ptarmigan and Dotterel, and our record in May and June is very good. We also look for breeding Snow Bunting.

At the coast Osprey fishing, Common Eider, Goosander, Red-breasted Merganser, Stonechat, Red-throated Diver, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, occasional summering Common Scoter, Sandwich, Common, Arctic and Little Tern can be found. We also seek rarities within reach, perhaps a rare wader at this time. A fitting finale to a great week’s birding!

Total species c. 120. Mammals may include Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal. Otter, Mountain Hare, Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are possible.