Africa might have The Big Five that everyone tries to see, but Scotland also packs a punch when it comes to wildlife trips – though ours are a little less lethal than their counterparts from other parts of the world!
In 2013, Scottish National Heritage (now NatureScot) did a survey and came up with the Scottish Big 5 and named them as Golden Eagle, Red Deer, Common Seal, Otter and Red Squirrel but of course, there is so much more wildlife to see depending on where you are in Scotland. VisitScotland has an article covering a Beginner’s Guide to Scottish Wildlife.
Wild Scotland has a list of members who offer a variety of wildlife watching trips across the country and adhere to a responsible and sustainable tourism code of conduct.
Sea birds and sea mammals watching trips
Different times of year bring different birds the fore – both native and migratory. i don’t pretend to be a birder but this article is based on my experience and enjoyment of trips with several different companies around Scotland. If you require specialist birdwatching information, a good place to start might be the Scottish Ornithologist Club website.
May to August is a great time to see the migrating seabirds including puffins, fulmars, bonnie’s, razorbills, guillemots and more along our coasts. Puffins, also known as the “clowns of the sea” due to their colours and facial expression are always a popular choice to see. As many of the seabird watching trips involve a trip to an island, there is a strong chance of seeing sea mammals and cetaceans as well.
A couple of my favourite trips are as follows :-
A day trip via the little passenger ferry to Handa Island and the walk around the island (you will need a reasonable level of fitness for this and take a packed lunch as there are no facilities on the island)
Staffa Tours boats that take you to the islands of Iona and Staffa (including Fingal’s Cave) with time on the island to watch the puffins and other migrant visitors. Often on the journeys, you can spot various seals, dolphins and cetaceans as well.
For sea-mammal watching trips on the west coast of Scotland, try out Arisaig Marine in Arisaig on the Road to the Isles, Sealife on Isle of Mull
East coast of Scotland – there are a couple of options from the Seabird Centre, North Berwick, which is only 30 minutes on the train from Edinburgh. If you are in the kingdom of Fife (the other side of the River Forth from Edinburgh), you could go on a visit to Isle of May to see the puffins and seals.
In the Inverness area, you could go out with Ecoventures and North 58 to look for sea life including dolphins and seals.
On Shetland, head out of Lerwick with Seabirds & Seals for a trip to Noss. The Mousa Boat, whilst focused on taking you to the island of Mousa, does a great commentary on the birdlife in the area and also runs special Storm Petrel tours at the relevant time of year.
There are of course many more boat tour options around the coast of Scotland and don’t forget to keep an eye out when on ferries between the Scottish mainland and the islands. I have regularly seen dolphins during these crossings.
Land based wildlife watching trips
You can choose from red squirrels, red deer, beavers, otters, pine martens, capercaillie and a variety of birdlife including golden eagles, sea eagles, ospreys, other birds of prey and migratory coastal birds and many more.
Farm tours
There are also a number of farm tours that enable you to get up close to life on a farm. I have put together a google maps list of farm experiences in Scotland.
