Spring in the Highlands – £150 off
Sunday May 3rd – Sunday May 10th
Leader: Mark Finn
Group size: 7
Birds: 125–145
Birding in springtime in the highlands of Scotland is an exciting and rewarding experience. Our base on the Black Isle gives easy and quick access to the major bird watching areas of Northern Scotland including Speyside. Cygnus House and the adjacent fields, shore and woodland have so far recorded 157 species of birds since 2003. During your stay we visit the Cairngorm Mountains in search of the endemic Red Grouse, Rock Ptarmigan, Snow Bunting and Eurasian Dotterel. Nearby, the ancient Caledonian woodlands have a wide range of breeding and resident species. During the spring, we embark on Black Grouse safaris, and further north visit the flow country of Caithness and Sutherland for waders, owls and harriers. On the west coast, interesting species include Common, Red-throated and Black-throated Loons, White-tailed Eagle and from late April, Corncrake. The seabird colonies at Dunnet Head and the north coast are busy from mid-April. During spring rare migrants are regularly found and highlights on previous tours have included Yellow-billed Loon, Ring-billed Gull, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teals, Smew, King Eider, Snowy Owl, European Bee-eater, Eurasian Hoopoe and Great Grey Shrike.
*Please note the Cairngorm Railway is now operating again but subject to closure at short notice for maintenance and-or repairs. Hopefully it will be fully operational during 2026
Day 1: Travel to Cygnus House, our home which is situated on the Black Isle and overlooks the RSPB reserve of Udale Bay. Depending on tides, we check Udale Bay for wildfowl, waders, gulls and terns. Flocks of Pink-footed Geese linger into early May before embarking on their long flight to Iceland. Feeders have Eurasian Siskin and Eurasian Tree Sparrow while migrants include Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Common Grasshopper and Sedge Warblers, Common Whitethroat and Common Cuckoo. Northern Wheatear, Common Linnet, Common Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer occur on the entrance track. In the evening a very good chance of observing Pine Marten and Badger from our dining room.
Day 2: Wester Ross is our destination, an area of huge bays and low cliffs hugging the Atlantic Ocean. En route we stop for Horned Grebe, Red Kite and wildfowl. Along the valley bottom, lochans and marshes may have Whooper Swan, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Scoter and Wood Sandpiper. Our journey takes us to remote areas of Wester Ross with breeding Golden and White-tailed Eagles, and Loch Ewe where the sea loch attracts Red-throated and Black-throated Loons, auks and Arctic Terns. Poolewe often has Eurasian Whimbrel, Dunlin, Common Greenshank and other waders, plus the possibility of Common Otter. Nearby, an isolated village is reliable for Northern Gannet, Northern Fulmar, European Golden Plover, and gulls, Fieldfare, Redwing, White Wagtail and Twite.
Day 3: A visit to Strathconon for Common Sandpiper and Northern Wheatear, while the birch woodlands hold Blackcap, Wood and Willow Warblers. Later in the morning we visit a private estate which has Red and Scottish Crossbills and on occasions Parrot Crossbill. We travel towards Bonar Bridge for Common and Red-breasted Mergansers. The moors and birch forest beyond offer us the endemic Red Grouse, Hen Harrier, Tree Pipit and Whinchat. Loch Fleet is reliable for Osprey, ducks and waders. Embo is close by with an old jetty and rocks which attract waders at high tide including the uncommon Purple Sandpiper, Red Knot and Sanderling. We end the day at Nigg Bay for the Icelandic race of Black-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Whimbrel and other wildfowl and waders.
Red-throated Diver
Day 4: Today, we travel to Forsinard, located in the flow country of Sutherland, where we may encounter Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, European Golden Plover and Dunlin. On reaching the north coast we make a diversion to an Atlantic Puffin colony and nearby, Sandside Bay for migrant waders and loons. We follow the coast, stopping at Dunnet Bay, a regular haunt of Long-tailed Duck, Greater Scaup, Great and Arctic Skuas and Sandwich Tern. St John’s Pool is a productive area for birds, attracting Sandwich, Arctic and Common Terns, Eurasian Whimbrel and scarce breeding ducks of northern Scotland including Gadwall and Northern Shoveler. Unusual species on recent visits have been Common Crane, Garganey, Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Duck. In late April we may find lingering Greenland White-fronted Geese. At the end of the day a visit to Dunnet Head the most northerly point in mainland Britain where we can study Common Guillemot, Razorbill, and Atlantic Puffin on the cliffs. Around the lighthouse Great and Arctic Skuas are regularly observed. Travel to Thurso for the night.
Day 5: A change of scenery today as we head west into Sutherland and the Hope Valley a reliable area for Golden Eagle, Eurasian Woodcock and in some years Redwing. Loch Eriboll is a large sea loch holding Common and Red-throated Loons in summer plumage. Durness is the most north-westerly village in mainland Britain. On the beach we may find migrant Black-tailed Godwit and Sanderling along with Barnacle and Pink-footed Geese and Whooper Swan. Rarities and scarcities occur on a regular basis at Durness, with European Honey Buzzard, Pallid Harrier, Little Stint, Western Yellow Wagtail, Ring-necked Duck and Common Crane seen in recent years. Our journey takes us southwards past lochs with Black-throated Loons. Ullapool has a reputation of attracting Glaucous and Iceland Gulls in the spring. Later in the day we return to the Black Isle.
Day 6: Nairn is our destination today, where the deep waters of the Cromarty Firth attract migrant sea-duck including Long-tailed Duck and in recent years King Eider. Portsoy is further east in Aberdeenshire and is a regular and reliable place for migrating White-billed Divers. Lossiemouth often has shorebirds including Red Knot and Sanderling, and Sandwich Tern fishing in the bay. Loch Spynie is a new reserve managed by the RSPB which often attracts interesting birds in the spring including Western Marsh Harrier, Water Rail, Bearded Reedling and in recent years Great and Little Egrets. At the end of the afternoon a visit to one of the many pig farms can be productive for waders including Little Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Ruff and Curlew Sandpiper. If the water levels are high expect a range of wildfowl including migrant Garganey.
Day 7: Corrimony is our first stop today. On this remote reserve of woodland and moors our main interest is in locating Black Grouse which finds a stronghold here. After breakfast we make a visit to the Cairngorm Mountains. Recent changes have permitted us to walk out from the Ptarmigan Restaurant which is accessed by the funicular railway to search for Rock Ptarmigan, Ring Ouzel, Eurasian Dotterel and Snow Bunting in the boulder fields. At Abernethy Forest, a reserve of Caledonian pines interspersed with lochs, our main interest is to observe Coal and Crested Tits, Eurasian Treecreeper, Tree Pipit and Common Redstart. Nesting boxes on the lochs lure Common Goldeneye while Greylag Goose and Common Merganser are regularly observed. Later in the day a visit to the Findhorn Valley where we may find Red Kite, Peregrine Falcon, Golden Eagle and European Golden Plover. White-throated Dipper occurs in the boulder-strewn rivers.
Day 8: Depending on flight and travel times, a visit to the Black Isle Forest is planned for woodland birds including Red Kite, Red and Scottish Crossbills, Crested Tit and Lesser Redpoll.
Tour Price: £1,345 (including £150 discount)
Deposit: £150
Single room: £60 (Thurso only)
This holiday is fully inclusive of accommodation, meals, complimentary pre-dinner drinks and wine at Cygnus House and Durness, complimentary transport, Cairngorm railway and any boat fees.
Not included: insurance and items of a personal nature. Entry into RSPB reserves if you are a non-member. Drinks purchased in hotels away from Cygnus House.
