Scottish Wildlife

Scotland’s wonderfully diverse geography makes it a great destination for viewing wildlife. As the seasons change there are opportunities to see rare and unusual animals, birds, fish and insects all over the country.
Some of the highlights of the year include herds of roe and red deer, mountain hares, pine martens and the elusive wildcat. Along the coast, in rivers and fresh and seawater lochs, bottle nosed dolphins, whales, grey seals, puffins, gannets, and ospreys can be found. You may even be lucky enough to witness part of the incredible journey of the Atlantic salmon, coursing its way back upstream to its river of birth.

Spring


Ospreys return from the South and return to nesting sites, male capercaillie start their mating displays in the Caledonian forests and salmon swim upstream in the rivers Tweed, Tay and Spey. Sea bird colonies become filled with activity in the Shetlands and the Hebrides with puffins, guillemots and razorbills in significant numbers.

Summer

Bottle nosed dolphins can be seen in the Moray Firth in the warmer Summer months and minke whales and orcas an be seen off the west coast. Slowly growing in numbers after near extinction, the rare corncrake’s distinctive rasping cry can be heard on Scottish Islands once more. On the main land, red squirrels are breeding, osprey chicks are fledgling and red deer are calving in the forests.

Autumn

Stunning vistas of flame red, orange and yellow leaves combined with evergreen pines and early snowfall on mountaintops makes autumn a wonderful time to visit Scotland. Red deer stags undergo the annual rut in the glens, and barnacle geese arrive on the west coast near Dumfries and on Islay, creating one of the most spectacular wildlife events of the year. Scotland has 40% of the world’ grey seal population and the best time to see them is in the autumn when they land with their fur coated pups on Oronsay and the Monach Isles.

Winter

Scotland’s winter ranges from near arctic conditions on mountaintops to mild, temperate winters in the Borders. Many of the water birds arriving in autumn stay to spend the winter in Scotland. The ptarmigan braves the coldest of conditions in the Cairngorms; it’s winter white plumage blending into the snow. Wildcats and red squirrels have their mating season in the highlands in the winter months and badger cubs are born. By February the mountain hares are losing their white winter coats in preparation for spring once more.