Photograph of Atlantic Puffin

A fantastic photograph of an Atlantic Puffin returning to its young with sandeels, taken by Steve Garvie.

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Best Wildlife in the Scottish Islands

Mammals
(Eurasian) Otter, Red Deer (rutting season usually peaks during third week of October), Harbour Porpoise, Common and Grey Seals, Arctic Hare and Black Rat (the only place in Britain where this species still occurs, apart from one to two small islands in the Firth of Forth, are the Shiant Islands in the Outer Hebrides). Also a chance of Killer and Minke Whales, and Bottlenose, Common, Risso’s, White-beaked and White-sided Dolphins.

Birds
The species listed here are usually present during the northern summer. White-tailed and Golden Eagles, (Atlantic) Puffin, (European) Storm Petrel, Corn Crake, Red-necked Phalarope, Great Skua, Arctic Skua (Jaeger) and Black Guillemot, as well as (Northern) Gannet, (European) Shag, (Northern) Fulmar, Whooper Swan, Common Eider, Red-throated, Black-throated and Great Northern Divers (Loons), Manx Shearwater, Hen Harrier, Red (Willow) Grouse, (European) Golden Plover, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, (Black-legged) Kittiwake, Arctic Tern, Common Guillemot (Murre), Razorbill, (pure) Rock Dove, Short-eared Owl, Rock Pipit, (White-throated) Dipper, (Winter) Wren (different races on Outer Hebrides, St Kilda, Fair Isle and Shetland), Hooded Crow and Twite. Also a chance of White-billed Diver (Yellow-billed Loon) (mostly late April), Leach’s Storm Petrel, and Long-tailed & Pomarine Skuas (Jaegers) (both mostly late May-early June).

Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish
Basking Shark.

Best Sites for Wildlife in the Scottish Islands

It would be impossible to visit all of the islands listed below during a couple of weeks (and no organized cruises do this) but careful planning should make it possible to visit several of them in such a time.

Photograph of Hen Harrier

A male Hen Harrier by Martin Elliott.

Photograph of Fulmar

A fine portrait of a Fulmar by Martin Elliott.

Photograph of Great Skuas (Bonxies)

A pair of Great Skuas or Bonxies on Foula by Martin Elliott. Mind your head! Bonxies will attack if you enter their territories.

Best Times for Wildlife in the Scottish Islands

Mid-May to July is the best time to be in the Scottish Islands, with the second half of May being the peak time for flowers on Mull and the first half of June being the time when the flower-rich machair of the Outer Hebrides is usually at its best.

Recommended Books etc. for the Scottish Islands

Mammals of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East by S Aulagnier et al. Helm, 2009.

Mammals of Britain and Europe by D McDonald and P Barrett. Collins, 2005.

Collins Bird Guide by L Svensson et al. Collins, 2010 (Second Edition).

Birds of Europe by L Jonsson. Helm, 1999.

Where to Watch Birds in Scotland by M Madders and J Welstead. Helm, 2002 (Fourth Edition).

Butterflies of Britain and Europe: A Photographic Guide by T Haahtela et al. Helm, 2009.


Collins Bird eGuide.

Trip Reports for Scottish Islands

Many trip reports, some for the Scottish Islands, are posted on the websites listed here. On some of these websites some reports are independent and some are posted by tour companies who organize tours to the Scottish Islands. These tour companies and others also post their own reports on their websites, which are listed under 'Some Organized Tours to the Scottish Islands' below.

Local Guides and Tours in the Scottish Islands

The costs of organized tours partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders. Some leaders are certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional skills of the local guides they employ. If you are travelling independently, employing such local guides will greatly increase your chances of seeing the wildlife you wish to see.


Accommodation in the Scottish Islands

Some Organized Tours to the Scottish Islands

There are many tour companies who organize tours to see mammals, birds, other wildlife and other natural wonders. The cost of these tours vary considerably according to such variables as the airlines used, the number of days the tours last, the number of sites visited, the number of people in the group (an important consideration if you wish to see such wildlife as rainforest mammals and birds), the number of tour leaders, the standard of accommodation and transport, and the percentage profit the company hopes to make. Generally, where the number of days tours last and the number of sites visited are similar, the cheapest tours are those that use the cheapest airlines, accommodation and local transport, that have the largest groups with the least number of leaders, and that make the least amount of profit. The most expensive tours tend to be those which are exceptionally long, use the most expensive accommodation (ridiculously lavish in some cases, even for single nights) and which make the most profit. Some tour costs partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders. Some leaders are certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional skills of the local guides they employ.

While tour companies organize tours with set itineraries many also organize custom tours for individuals and private groups who instead of taking a tour with a set itinerary want to follow their own itinerary to suit their own personal tastes, whether it be mammals, birds, other wildlife, other natural wonders or even man-made attractions, or a mixture of them all. Many organized tours with set itineraries are also fast-paced and target as many species as possible, whether they are mammals, birds or other wildlife or everything, which usually leaves little time to enjoy the best sites and individual species, but on a custom tour those taking part can specify the pace and the sites and species they wish to concentrate on. Custom tours also suit people who like to travel with people they already know, rather than with a group of strangers, and they are popular with people with partners with different interests. Individuals, partners and small groups will almost certainly have to pay more for a custom tour than an organized tour with a set itinerary but a large group of friends may be able to travel for less than the price quoted for a set tour.

Tour companies who run organized tours to the Scottish Islands include the following. Many of these also offer custom tours.