Highland Winter Wonderland
Join us at Highland’s “Wildlife Hotel”, The Grant Arms for a spectacular winter birding three- or four-night holiday. As well as three full days fully guided birding including transport you also have exclusive use of all the facilities provided by the Birdwatching & Wildlife Club (BWWC) during your stay. This includes an extensive Natural History library and Club room full of local wildlife information and a sightings board. A wildlife film is shown most evenings as well as regular talks when scheduled during one of our breaks. There’s also the chance to meet other birders or groups staying at the hotel to catch up with their sightings and compare notes all adding to the atmosphere your stay. Also, as the hotel is situated right in the centre of town, numerous shops and facilities are all within easy walking distance…
* NB Three night/two-day breaks include Day 1 and either Day 2 or Day 3 depending on weather & birds.
Day 1: Arrival. We meet up for an evening introduction at the hotel before dinner.
Day 2: An early start to visit a local Black Grouse lek then we’ll explore the local forests and reserves for Crested Tit, Scottish/Parrot Crossbill and Red Squirrel. Weather permitting we’ll also scan the Cairngorm Ski slopes for Ptarmigan and Snow Buntings. Later we venture into a local glen in search of Red Deer, Mountain Hare, Golden and White-tailed Eagles as well as other raptors this area is so famous for. If the weather is fine there is a good chance of displaying Goshawk on our March break. We also hope to seek out Red Grouse on the moors as we go, often right by the roadside they can provide the perfect photo opportunity.
Day 3: An excursion to the Inverness area and Black Isle to enjoy the wintering wildfowl, waders and sea-duck of the Moray and Cromarty Firth. Udale Bay and the Cromarty Firth are home to hundreds of wintering Scaup as well as Slavonian Grebes, Long-tailed Ducks, Goosanders, Red-brested Mergansers. The bay hosts large flocks of Wigeon, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and hundreds of Curlew and Oystercatchers as well a feeding and resting place for wintering geese.
We will also search the farmland for wintering finch and geese flocks as they forage the fields for spilt grain and left over crops., flocks of Twite, Redpoll and Linnet are regular as well as a few sites for Tree Sparrow.
Day 4: We head to the stunning Moray Firth coast with its winter seascapes and light – one of Scotland’s secret gems. Thousands of sea-ducks traditionally winter here including Common and Velvet Scoter, Long-tailed Ducks, Red, Black-throated and Great Northern Divers and hundreds of Eiders. We may even be lucky enough to pick up a rarity such as King Eider or Surf Scoter which are often found in these waters. There are also usually a few Iceland and Glaucous Gulls to be found wandering around the area most winters offering a great chance to compare the id of this tricky duo from the north.
Day 5: Departure.
To make a booking:
Email: info@highlandnature.co.uk
Tel: 01479821357
Outside UK: +44 1479 821357
Mobile: 07875 094666
Cost £845pp