Heatherlea Brochure 2023/24

GOING FORWARD WITH HEATHERLEA

Welcome to our 2023/24 Brochure!

Heatherlea has now been part of an Employee-owned Trust for over 18 months, an exciting development which provides security and confidence to our staff, clients and partners around the world. We are well placed to take advantage of our new status and have returned carefully and responsibly to operations throughout the world as we begin our 33rd season.

Because we own the Mountview Hotel, Heatherlea are well placed to run holidays throughout the Highlands, and here in Nethy Bridge, ‘Scottish Highlands’ groups are small, guaranteeing a high level of personal attention. We are birding virtually every week of the year, with many different seasonal itineraries. Whether you stay for a week or choose a shorter break, all include full 3-star Hotel services and great birding. Many one-week tours combine birding in the Highlands with key Scottish islands, a unique way to enjoy top quality birding while saving both time and money.

Around the Scottish Islands, Heatherlea offer a unique gateway to beautiful, isolated places where wildlife is special, with over 30 exciting departures from Islay to Shetland. Our expert, friendly guides make each experience truly memorable. ‘Rest of UK’ holidays are expanding rapidly too, and now many of you can choose Heatherlea much closer to home.

Overseas our very popular Pre-flight Service saves money, brings comfort, and makes everything easy. Before you fly, we include an Airport Hotel, VIP Lounge and Bird Guide (for tours beyond the Collins Guide). With a maximum of just twelve clients on most holidays, and frequently two guides in attendance, the accent is again on personal service to you, our valued customer. It takes many months to plan a new Heatherlea holiday, and we

birding and wildlife holidays

immerse ourselves completely in detail long before we launch the tour. First-hand experience from our expert guiding team, liaison with capable and conscientious ground agents, and careful logistical planning from departure to return requires dedication and great attention to detail, so that each can be savoured. In 2023 we are planning carefully in all foreign destinations and will only travel where we feel it is likely to be safe and comfortable to do so.

Our full-time Operations Team offers a very personal service. We look after holiday planning and delivery, with all the support you need and appreciate. Whether you wish for airport parking, onward flights using our ATOL protection, to confirm personal requirements or just chat about detail at a moment’s notice, please feel free to call or email. Emma, Fleur, Jolene, Lindsay and Dawn are here to help, and both Mark and Kevin are often in the office to advise on birding matters.

In this Brochure you can see all our tours until late 2024. Please also see our website, regular E- Newsletters and printed Brochures for full details and updates! We are preparing many exciting ‘tours of a lifetime’ for 2025 onwards, please use our new Five-Year Holiday Planner online to make a provisional reservation without obligation for any tour more than 12 months ahead.

As we enter a ‘new normal’ for birding holidays, Heatherlea goes forward with confidence, and we are delighted that some of the best bird guides in the world want to work with us. We offer a wealth of choice, with many added features to offer you the very best value. Thanks to friends old and new who have joined us in the past, we hope to earn your support again. Here’s to great wildlife watching!

See Scottish Highlands, Iceland and Arctic tours to target Ptarmigan. Lesser Violetear Hummingbird by Mike Coleman. See our Costa Rica holidays to target Lesser Violetear Hummingbird.

VisitScotland,

COVER PHOTOS

Ptarmigan by Mark Warren

The Heatherlea team

Heatherlea Scotland

‘High standards of customer care and a genuine passion for birding and wildlife make this a most rewarding experience.’

WHY CHOOSE HEATHERLEA?

Heatherlea is built on a love of wildlife watching, and a real spirit of adventure. There is wildlife to marvel at, flora to enjoy and landscapes and culture to savour! We are firmly focused on finding wildlife for you to see, though only in a sensitive and sustainable way, and plan very carefully in advance to give you the best chances, in comfort and safety. We are always aware of the environment around us. Whether you are viewing Crested Tit and Capercaillie within a few miles of our Hotel in the Scottish Highlands, watching Tiger from a jeep in a remote Indian reserve, or finding spring migrant birds in Skyros or Extremadura, we work hard to give you the ‘real’ experience and treat you as a valued individual, not as part of a crowd. Our Guides are professionals, much more than couriers or day-guides, and they work hard with patience and skill, wherever you are, to make sure that your investment of time and money is rewarded.

Back at our office, inside our own Hotel, we know that integral services including accommodation, food and travel are just as important as activities in the field when delivering a wildlife watching holiday. In our specialist part of the tourism industry, there are very few travel companies

who own and deliver hotel services on a daily basis, and even fewer hotelowning companies who understand the complex delivery of wildlife holidays. Heatherlea does both! We own a three-star hotel and take you to places around the world for wildlife. We have the knowledge and experience to deliver everything you need, and our full-time Operations Team are ready to help.

Established in 1991, protected by our own ATOL Licence (6113), and with a dedicated UK Bank account solely for clients’ monies, Heatherlea offers the foundation and security you need when deciding who to choose. We hold specialist Tour Operator Insurance, and our Hotel is wholly owned by the company, so we offer added security which might not be available everywhere you look. Our attitude and dedication have established Heatherlea as one of Britain’s leading wildlife holiday providers, and as we enjoy our 33rd season we have never stopped striving to be better, to give our clients the best we can. We also take care to make sure you are comfortable, and you won’t feel out of place if you have less experience than others. We are not ‘intensive’ or ‘twitchers’, but are dedicated to showing you wildlife, and above all, we have fun.

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS WITH HEATHERLEA

Your gateway to Scottish birds and wildlife!

This is where we started, and our lovely Hotel in the beautiful Highland village of Nethy Bridge, on the edge of the Abernethy Forest, is where many of our clients take their first wildlife watching holiday, often continuing with us to new places around the world. Our Highland holidays take you to places where wildlife is special, and we travel in minibuses which are great mobile hides. Many key species can be found close to our Hotel, though our Scottish Highland itineraries might also take you as far away as Handa Island, Orkney, the Isles of Lewis and Harris, Skye, and Mull, including a night or two in a second centre to reduce travel miles.

We show you all the wildlife, and include all accommodation, food, travel, access fees and ferry charges. You get terrific value from our fully inclusive holidays, so book with confidence – there are no hidden extras! Turn to page 10 to read more.

SCOTTISH ISLAND HOLIDAYS WITH HEATHERLEA

Go a little further!

We are experts on the Scottish islands, where Corncrake, eagles, skuas, Basking Shark, Storm Petrel, rare, windblown migrants, wonderful scenery, charming people and exciting places are all waiting for you. These adventures begin to unfold on page 29.

OVERSEAS WITH

HEATHERLEA

Do it ‘The Heatherlea Way’ Europe, the Americas, long-haul to Africa, Asia or Australia, there is a world of choice with Heatherlea. ‘The Heatherlea Way’ involves looking after you with care whilst maximising your experience and giving value for money. Most holidays begin before you even reach airport check-in, with our Pre-flight services. Head to page 54 for a sample of what we offer!

Finally, we should point out that this Brochure offers a flavour of our holidays, and most of the basic information you need. More information is available on our website or directly by telephone or email, and details can change. We always issue a full itinerary with each holiday confirmation, though please check against the website to ensure you know exactly what the content will be. New holidays are launched virtually every month, and as some dates fill others are made available. We are always very happy to hear from you. Thank you for reading our 2023/24 Brochure!

HEATHERLEA and the ENVIRONMENT

Heatherlea are delighted to continue our sponsorship with RSPB Scotland.

Restoration and protection of peatlands at Forsinard

‘Peatlands’ are habitats with a naturally accumulated layer of dead plant material (especially mosses) formed under waterlogged conditions. UK peatlands cover 26,000 km2 of land with over 60% in Scotland, including some of the world’s most important and best examples of blanket bogs, found in the Flow Country. Peatlands are extremely important for wildlife, including rare and specialist birds such as Red-throated Diver, Blackthroated Diver, Golden Plover, Dunlin and Greenshank.

As an ecosystem, peatlands are also incredibly important for human and planetary wellbeing, particularly as a long-term carbon store and as a sponge to soak up water, reducing downstream flooding. In undamaged peatlands, the wet conditions slow down decomposition and enable dead plant remains to be laid down as peat. Our peatlands have a major role to

play in combating the effects of climate change because carbon removed from the atmosphere by the plants is stored in the peat and remains there for millennia. Peatlands have risen to prominence in recent years because of this role as a carbon store, and as a means of moderating greenhouse gas emissions.

We are so grateful to Heatherlea for their incredibly generous donation to support our peatland restoration work in RSPB Scotland’s Forsinard Flows Nature Reserve. This donation will also go towards funding our continued commitment to restoring our threatened and damaged blanket bog in the North of Scotland; a rare habitat which in total covers just 3% of the world’s land surface but contains nearly 30% of all terrestrial carbon. Seonaid Mason, Senior Development Officer, RSPB Scotland

Capercaillie Land Management in the Heatherlea Private Estate

Guidelines for watching Capercaillie have been agreed by responsible bodies, and you can read a full copy on our website. Heatherlea fully supports these guidelines.

We have unique access into a privately-owned estate, actively managed for the benefit of Capercaillie. The landowner is regenerating the native Caledonian pinewood to create additional habitat, and our arrangement includes the payment of a fee which contributes towards management of this special place. We enter through secure gates, staying inside our ‘mobile hide’ minibuses as we drive around tracks with keen eyes to all sides! In recent times we are still enjoying good views of the birds on many occasions. We are the only birding tour operator authorised to look for Capercaillie inside these lands and will continue our financial support for the benefit of wildlife … and our customers!

Bursary in Environmental Science

We are passionate about supporting the next generation of environmentally conscious students, and every year the Heatherlea Bursary at Lancaster University is awarded to a deserving student by the Department of Environmental Science. Our 2023/24 recipient has recently been confirmed, and this year we have awarded the Bursary on the grounds of student hardship, to a person who otherwise might not have been able to come to university. We are delighted to fund this important initiative, now in its 18th year.

2019 recipient Ami (pictured at Mountview Hotel) said ‘receiving this prestigious Bursary reduced my barriers to returning to higher education to complete a Masters’ Degree. It greatly boosted my confidence and reassured me I had made the right decision’.

New for 2023 at Mountview Hotel – Moths and Dragons!

We’ll be enhancing your wildlife experience at The Mountview in 2023 with the addition of moth trapping and pond dipping, all at no additional cost and without reducing our birdwatching time. We began moth trapping in January and expect to build a substantial list during the year. In May we’ll

Heatherlea – your natural choice!

begin dipping into our new garden pond (built in conjunction with the British Dragonfly Society) with our most hoped-for species being Northern Damselfly and Northern Emerald. This area being a stronghold for both!

After more than thirty years of private ownership, Heatherlea is now part of a new Employee Trust, which took over on 5th July 2021. Kevin chose employee ownership after consulting with others who had benefited from a similar course. He says “I was impressed that everyone inside these companies had a vested interest in their collective future. We all work hard for each other, and employee ownership is just one more step forward on a successful journey for this lovely little company, which is looking forward with confidence.”

The main advantage is that Heatherlea is no longer owned by private individuals. All assets of the company (including Mountview Hotel, Nethy Bridge) are secured within the Trust, which means we have a more resilient and adaptable business, making us stronger going forward. Another advantage is that employees become even more engaged and committed, because they benefit from a clear, shared purpose. This is a very positive move, which means greater stability and security for Heatherlea, our staff, clients, suppliers, and of course for all our operating friends and agents around the world!

.... and in the office ....

Emma, Fleur, Jolene, Lindsay, Dawn and Kevin are here to help, please contact us anytime. Please visit our website to read more about the holiday of your choice, and also to download a free ‘Trip Report’ from a recent holiday.

Our office team will be very happy to speak with you by telephone or email, and you can check up-to-date availability in person by calling or writing. To reserve your holiday please telephone or email us.

tel: 01479 821248

email: info@heatherlea.co.uk

web: www.heatherlea.co.uk

facebook: HeatherleaBirdwatching

twitter: @heatherleabirds

instagram: @heatherleabirds

MEET THE HEATHERLEA TEAM!

Our highly experienced team are ready and waiting to organise your holiday and show you the wildlife, wherever you want to go!

Your holiday includes the services of a Heatherlea Guide, a very valuable asset. We are well-known for great guiding and personal care, and our expert leaders know that the really important part of any holiday is the experience for you, our valued customer. Much more than a friend to help you identify birds, your Heatherlea Guide plans your entire holiday, from briefing on the first evening to round-up on the last. They organise everything to suit wildlife, weather and your progress through the week, and because our groups are small, have time to care about your personal experience. This isn’t just whether or not you saw the bird or animal, but whether you are getting the most from your holiday.

Our core team are based in the UK and can be found in Scotland and further afield. Most have been working for Heatherlea for many years, and a quick check reveals around 140 years of guiding for Heatherlea across this part of our team! Read detailed Guide profiles on our website, where you can also see their current guiding itinerary.

Jenna Berry

Jenna is a keen and capable birder, and in 2015 she started work as a wildlife guide in the Scottish Highlands, running tours in and around the Inverness Glens, the Black Isle, the Cairngorms and the Scottish Islands. Jenna joined our team in 2020.

Aidan Branch

Aidan is the newest member of our team, joining in 2022. Born and raised in Lancaster, Aidan has been immersed in wildlife since a young age. In recent years he has been Assistant Warden at North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory; a spectacular spot to see bird migration at its best. He is an excellent birder, very popular with Heatherlea clients already, and a fully qualified ringer.

James Champion

A newcomer to the Heatherlea team in 2022, James has been birding since he was a toddler. He first started guiding in 1995, has led many groups around Scotland and has also guided in Cornwall, Japan, China and in India, where he is a frequent visitor, his grandfather having been the first person to photograph tigers in the wild, and the first to campaign for their protection.

Mike Coleman

Cheery and friendly, Mike first joined us in 2001, and is particularly drawn to our new holidays in Asia, though you can join him on tours in Scotland and around the world, much to the benefit of our groups!

Peter Cosgrove

Peter is a professional ecoconsultant, keen birder throughout the Highlands and well-travelled overseas, leading for us in the Caribbean, Africa, Americas and elsewhere.

Andrew Crowder

Andrew is an experienced naturalist and Tour Leader with a life long history of observation, study and sheer enjoyment of wildlife. Andrew has spent extensive time in many parts of mainland Scotland and its incredible islands, both from the land and sea. His other great wildlife passion is for cetaceans, with thirty years of experience studying them, and he also has skills in wildlife photography.

Barry Embling

Barry joins us again in 2023 and is a very popular member of our team. A keen birdwatcher and naturalist at home and abroad, Barry us again in 2022 and is looking forward to leading in Scotland, the rest of the UK and overseas.

Bernie Forbes

Experienced leader Bernie loves sharing his passion for birds and his groups enjoy great birding. Bernie has led many groups around Europe, North Africa and the Americas, and now extends Heatherlea tours into his native Sussex.

Ian Ford

Ian first joined Heatherlea in 1999 and joins us again in 2023 as a Senior Guide. Ever popular, Ian will be leading groups from Orkney to the Solway Firth in Scotland, and overseas holidays including Gambia, Camargue and Southern Peru.

George Gay

George joined Heatherlea in 2019 as a Guide and has already become a firm favourite with our clients, as his ID and photographic skills are matched by his enthusiasm in the field!

Toby Green

Toby is a very experienced birder, who joined us in 2013. A popular Leader in Scotland and around the world, Toby is a top birder with a great sense of humour, and boundless enthusiasm.

Phil Knott

Phil is a well-established and popular member of the Heatherlea team who now lives on the Isle of Skye. Phil has extensive guiding experience in many key birding destinations throughout the world.

Scott O’Hara

Scott joined our team in autumn 2015 and is a well-liked and knowledgeable member of our team. We are delighted Scott will be joining us again in 2023!

Holly Page

Holly is a keen birder who we have long known as a Heatherlea client. She joined us to realise her dream job as a Heatherlea Guide in 2019. Holly has spent many years birding across the north of England, and now has extensive knowledge of Scotland too!

Dave Pearce

Dave joined the Heatherlea team in 2020 and brings with him a vast array of knowledge. He has travelled widely throughout Britain in search of birds, often in the pursuit of rarities, and has a particular interest in migration.

Alex Rhodes

Alex is a new recruit to Heatherlea but brings with him some sharp eyes and ears. Originally from the Southwest, he completed a BSc in Zoology at the University of Bristol and was a licenced ringer for a period of 5 years; during which time he frequented Fair Isle as a volunteer and worked at Falsterbo fågelstation in Sweden.

Chris Rodger

Chris is an experienced birding guide and leader throughout Scotland with a passion for the ecology and landscape of the country. A member of the Scottish Rarities Committee, we are delighted to welcome Chris back to our team in 2023!

Kevin Shaw

Founder of Heatherlea with wife Caryl in 1991, Kevin is around most weeks at The Mountview Hotel in Nethy Bridge when not leading in Scotland or overseas. Kevin tends to pop up unannounced on several overseas holidays each year.

Mark Warren

Mark joined us from North Ronaldsay in January 2016 and is now a popular member of our team in Scotland and around the world. An experienced birder and tour leader, with extensive wildlife knowledge and boundless enthusiasm, Mark looks forward to guiding for us again in 2023.

Our overseas guiding team are dedicated experts in the regions and countries they cover, and when working for Heatherlea are frequently required to provide services which make our trips unique. This might mean upgraded accommodation, cultural elements that we think you will like, and much more. Our office team are in regular contact before every trip, and our overseas agents and guides are always particularly well briefed. This might mean special attention to your diet, medical requirements, extensions to your holiday or anything else we can think of to improve your holiday experience. All are very experienced and great favourites of ours!

Peg Abbott

We first met Peg at Heatherlea, and immediately recognised a first-rate tour leader. Peg has worked in the Yellowstone ecosystem for 30 years, specialising in wolf, grizzly and elk projects. Peg is an experienced birder, leading natural history and birding tours for over 20 years.

Suchit Basnet

Suchit is one of the most famous and sought-after Leaders in his native Nepal, where his extensive knowledge and sunny disposition brighten every trip. We are delighted to welcome him back for 2023.

Wilson Diaz

Our agent in Peru, Wilson has developed our unique itineraries in his home country, covering a huge range of spectacular birds and wonderful Machu Picchu.

Gerard Gorman

Gerard is Heatherlea organiser for Eastern Europe, and also leads for us elsewhere overseas. Well-known as an expert on the world’s woodpeckers, and author of several wellinformed birding books, Lancastrian Gerard lives in Budapest.

Andy Jones

Known to many in his former role as 'The Iceland Naturalist', Andy Jones joins Heatherlea as a Guide. Based in Iceland for more than 20 years he has led wildlife holidays and educational field trips to many countries and is a very experienced wildlife guide. Andy will lead a number of tours for Heatherlea in the next few years!

Tang Jun

Has been guiding birding tours in China since 1999 and is a very experienced Leader throughout the country. The owner of our Chinese agent company, and vice-chairman of Chengdu Birdwatching Society, we are delighted that Tang can join us personally this year.

Johnnie Kamugisha

Johnnie is a vastly experienced Guide, having led wildlife tours across Uganda for 16 years, often in the company of his wife Agnes. Johnnie is a top birder, and President of the Uganda Bird Guides Club.

Jozef Leestmans

Jozef is a native of Flanders, and formerly a Reserve Manager for the Flemish Government and for the nature organisation Natuurpunt in Belgium. A highly experienced European birder, Jozef guided for Heatherlea during several years while he was living in the Highlands, and also led tours for us in Belgium, Holland and Armenia.

Paco Madrigal

Our leader in Costa Rica for many years, Paco is widely regarded as one of the best wildlife guides in the country, with an extremely likeable, easy-going manner, and a complete knowledge of the birds of his homeland. We are delighted Paco will be leading for us again this year.

John Muddeman

John is based in central Spain and is a highly experienced and capable birding Tour Leader. Numerous trips to Extremadura from the beginning culminated in the publication of "A birdwatching guide to Extremadura" in 2000. Following this he has guided extensively across the country, throughout the seasons. John is very much looking forward to your company!

Gabor and Andrea Orban

Gabor and his wife Andrea guide for us in Mexico and Belize. Gabor is our specialist birding guide, having led birding tours in Central Americas since 2006, and Andrea concentrates on the cultural aspects of the many Mayan sites we visit.

Menotti Passarella

'What Menotti doesn't know about the birds of the Po Delta isn't worth knowing' - Bob Scott, 'Where to go birdwatching in the Po Delta'. We are always guaranteed fascinating birding with our Italian expert Menotti, and often gain access to places not normally open to the public.

Sergi Sales

Sergi is an outstanding Spanish birder, specialising in the birds of the Ebro Delta and steppe areas of his native Catalonia. Able to readily identify virtually everything he sees or hears, Sergi is a fount of knowledge and a valuable addition to our holiday team.

Rodrigo Tapia

Rodrigo has explored Chile’s whole length from the northern Altiplano to Cape Horn while conducting ornithological research and guiding birding tours and pelagics since 1989 and works full-time as a birding and wildlife trip leader. He has spent hundreds of hours with albatrosses, petrels and other seabirds, a group which has always captivated him.

Andrés Trujillo

is a highly experienced tour guide in Colombia and Ecuador, with a comprehensive knowledge of the birds, mammals and other wildlife of his homeland. Andres has led trips for Heatherlea since 2008.

Washington Wachira

Washington is an experienced birder and safari guide, awarded the African Sustainable Tourism Fellowship Award in 2016. He has led many birding trips and expeditions across East Africa and has a comprehensive knowledge of the birdlife of his native Kenya.

Steve West

Steve, a lifelong birder and conservationist, hails from Hampshire originally before moving to Catalonia, Spain at the age of 24 where he lives until this day. Steve has led tours throughout mainland Spain on a regular basis in Catalonia, Aragon, Navarra, Extremadura, Andalusia, Castilla y León, Cantabria and Asturias. Steve speaks fluent Catalan and Spanish. We look forward to Steve joining the team in 2023.

‘SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS’ WITH HEATHERLEA

Your gateway to Scottish birds and wildlife!

Choose Heatherlea, the Scottish birding specialists with everything you need.

Heatherlea are Scotland’s premier birding and wildlife holiday operator. Founded in 1991, we have enjoyed over 30 full seasons here in the heart of the beautiful Cairngorms National Park, in the magnificent Scottish Highlands. Our HQ is The Mountview Hotel in Nethy Bridge, and we offer birdwatching and wildlife holidays every week from January until late November. You can come at any season; wildlife is always great in this part of the world. Stunning and varied habitats are close at hand, and from mountains and ancient forest to wonderful coastline and beautiful islands, you will visit Britain’s most breathtaking scenery. We are not ‘intensive’ or ‘twitchers’, but dedicated to showing you wildlife, and above all, we have fun. You won’t feel out of place if you have less experience than others, and many of our guests become friends visiting year after year. We take care to make sure everyone enjoys an unforgettable holiday.

We show you all the wildlife, and look after all accommodation, food, travel, access fees and ferry charges. You get terrific value from our fully inclusive holidays, so book with confidence – there are no hidden extras!

Our full-week ‘Scottish Highlands’ holidays take you to places close to our Hotel, where wildlife is special. Many also include a night or two in a second

centre for your comfort, as far away as Handa, the Orkneys, Skye, Mull, or the isles of Lewis and Harris. This is a unique way to see the ‘Highlands and Islands’ during one visit, made possible with Heatherlea because we own our hotel and keep your room secure while you bird the islands.

Above all, your holiday includes the services of a Heatherlea Guide, a very valuable asset. We are famous for great guiding and personal care, and our expert leaders know the really important part of any holiday is the experience for you, our valued customer. Much more than a friend to help you identify birds, your Heatherlea Guide plans your entire holiday, from briefing on the first evening to round-up on the last. They organise everything to suit wildlife, weather and your progress through the week, and because our groups are small, have time to care about your personal experience. This isn’t just whether or not you saw the bird or animal, but whether you are getting the most from your holiday. We maintain the emphasis on personal service, with a limit of just seven clients per guide on all our full-week Scottish trips. Heatherlea are the first mainland Wildlife Experience to be awarded five stars, the highest possible rating, by visitScotland.

Choose Heatherlea, the Scottish birding specialists with everything you need.

Groups

Heatherlea organise group holidays for magazines, RSPB Members Groups, wildlife organisations, other holiday operators, and groups of friends. We are very experienced and can take the hassle away from holiday organisation and delivery. Just relax and let us look after you! Group holidays can be tailored exactly to suit your needs. You can bring any number of people, any time of year, to see any combination of birds and mammals, and we offer very attractive terms. If you would like to chat over the possibilities, please ring. You will be surprised how easy it is with Heatherlea!

NETHY BRIDGE, the centre of Scottish birdwatching

You can’t beat Nethy Bridge as a Scottish birding base, as seen on BBC Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch! We are on the edge of the Abernethy Forest, and a casual stroll can produce Scottish Crossbill and Crested Tit before breakfast. Red Squirrel, Siskin and Great Spotted Woodpecker are regular on our feeding station, Osprey and Buzzard pass overhead, and Dipper breed on the clear River Nethy 200 metres away. Kestrel, Hobby, Merlin, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine and even Golden Eagle, Goshawk and White-tailed Eagle are on our ‘hotel list’. Woodcock are found in spring and summer, Grey Wagtail, Goldeneye, several breeding waders, and even Otter and Pine Marten have all been spotted within a mile or two, especially along the nearby River Spey. In summer we may have Tawny Owl and perhaps Long-eared Owl, and Black Grouse and Ptarmigan are within a few miles. With extensive local walks and trails in this unspoilt and delightful Highland location, early morning and evening birding is an exciting optional extra!

Nethy Bridge has an excellent general store/post office, with postcards, presents, newspapers and all the other little things you might wish. ‘Nethy’ is just right – brilliant for birding, close to services, yet unspoilt and delightful in character. A real Highland village at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park!

We have carefully designed each holiday to give you the best wildlife watching according to changing seasons. That’s why our ‘Spring into Scotland’ holidays in April are very different from our ‘Eagles, Divers and Dotterel’ weeks in July, and our ‘Highlands in Autumn’ trips in October differ again. You can count on Heatherlea to find key Scottish wildlife whenever you visit – a wealth of wonderful experiences! Ideally placed to reach every important habitat, we can easily transfer east or west, to see that special bird which puts the cap on a great week.

GETTING HERE IS EASY

Reaching Nethy Bridge is easy. Here are some suggestions to help you plan.

BY CAR From the west travel north to Perth. From the east travel via Forth Road Bridge and M90 to Perth. From Perth take A9 signposted Inverness and exit north of Aviemore. Follow signs northeast through Boat of Garten to Nethy Bridge (10 miles). In Nethy Bridge, drive through the village, over the River Nethy, and you will see our sign 200 metres ahead on the right.

BY COACH Scottish Citylink (www.citylink.co.uk 0871 266 3333)

Coach travel is possible from England but takes a long time – most of our guests prefer rail or air travel.

BY RAIL The best train to Aviemore is the ‘Highland Chieftain’ operated by London North Eastern Railway. This leaves London Kings Cross at 12.00, arriving Aviemore at 19.27. This train stops at York (13.54), Darlington (14:23), Newcastle (14.56) and Edinburgh (16.34). Change of train may be required at Edinburgh. We recommend you connect with this service if possible.

From the west, travellers can reach Edinburgh direct from Plymouth, Bristol, Birmingham, Crewe or Preston. In general, rail travel via Edinburgh is easier than via Glasgow, where a trip across the city between stations is needed, often followed by a change at Perth.

Return trains to Edinburgh leave Aviemore at 08.30 (fast train to London –recommended), and 10.20. Please check details before you travel. Rail enquiries: 03457 484950, www.nationalrail.co.uk

BY AIR New flights to Inverness are becoming available all the time, for latest info call our office. Fly from:

Heathrow – British Airways www.ba.com

Gatwick, Luton, Bristol – Easyjet www.easyjet.com

Birmingham, Manchester, Belfast, Dublin – Loganair

www.loganair.co.uk

Amsterdam – KLM www.klm.com

Travel from Inverness Airport to Nethy Bridge by taxi, or by rail. NEW! Inverness Airport Rail Station opened in February 2023, and offers regular services to Inverness where there are further rail links to Aviemore. We can provide current details by phone or email.

Disclaimer: This information is published to help you, though we offer no guarantee of services. Please check all details before you travel!

Transfers between Nethy Bridge and Aviemore – FREE!

Our courtesy collect and return service runs between Aviemore and The Mountview Hotel. Pick-up is at 16.30 hours and 19:30 hours, and drop-off at 08:20 hours and 10:20 hours, on SATURDAYS ONLY. Please give at least 24 hrs notice when booking.

THE MOUNTVIEW HOTEL – your perfect birding base!

Our ‘Scottish Highland’ holidays are based at our own property, The Mountview Hotel, a 3-star Edwardian Country House Hotel in the charming village of Nethy Bridge, in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. The Mountview is certainly well named; the peak of Cairn Gorm can be seen from our front door, and glorious views of three ranges extend many miles across the Cairngorms, Monadhliaths, and the four Kincardine peaks. The ancient Caledonian Forest begins behind the Hotel, and the River Nethy is just 200 metres away.

The Mountview is set in two acres of attractive grounds featuring native Scots Pine and Silver Birch. Guests are welcome to explore, and in season you will find blaeberry and chanterelle. Our busy bird feeding station attracts Crested Tit, Siskin, Redpoll, Goldfinch and our local Red Squirrel population, and our wildflower meadow holds Moonwort and Northern Marsh Orchid. You are also welcome to view our highly productive kitchen garden, which provides our table with seasonal herbs, salad greens and vegetables.

From the moment you arrive you will be made to feel at home. Inviting public rooms include a welcoming lounge with deep seated, comfortable sofas and open log fire; a peaceful reading room stocked with natural history books and magazines; a private residents’ dining room with fresh flowers and a wellstocked restaurant bar with glorious mountain views. Guests enjoy attractive en-suite bedrooms with comfortable beds, crisp white linen and fluffy towels, Freeview TV, hairdryers and a hospitality tray. WIFI is free of charge. Good company, perhaps with your choice from a well-stocked bar, is an important feature of evenings after dinner. Above all, when birding is over for the day, we have attentive staff who take care and really make you welcome. Non-birding guests are welcome.

Our award-winning kitchen team is led by Caryl and highly skilled Head Chef Ettienne Els. Expect a wide selection of fresh Scottish produce, bought locally where possible, and prepared with skill and imagination by highly trained chefs. If you have special dietary needs, we cater personally for you and offer imaginative vegetarian and vegan dishes. Dinner is usually at 7pm, allowing time to relax after an exhilarating day in the field, and our groups eat together in our Residents’ Dining Room. You can expect a variety of traditional food, full of flavour and offering a delicious taste of Scotland. To accompany your meal, our Wine List offers high quality wines, and you can also choose from a wide selection of local beers, malts, other spirits (try our range of Scottish gins!) and soft drinks.

Many of our birding friends join us for dinner here, especially either side of a SCOTTISH ISLAND holiday. Non-residents/guests are welcome to join you for dinner.

GREEN HEATHERLEA

Our kitchen is a hive of activity, and we pride ourselves on the artisanal nature of our menus. We make all our own jams and jellies, source soft fruit from local farms, handpick blackberries, chanterelle, porcini, and blewits in local woodland, and choose just the right fruit for our preserves. Strawberry, damson, worcesterberry, rhubarb and ginger, rowan jelly, apple jelly, marmalade and lemon curd are just a selection!

Over the years our list of home bakes has become extensive. Along with our renowned flapjacks and shortbreads, we also make banana bread, ginger cake, fruit cake, carrot cake and many different sponge cakes. Baskets of homemade bread and rolls accompany dinner, and these may include buttery brioche, wholemeal plaited bread, Italian-style ciabatta, spelt bread, pain brie, granary rolls, bath buns or ale bread.

As part of our policy of using the best, freshest produce, we manage our own vegetable garden, where produce is grown according to organic principles. Our garden provides most of our herbs, and almost everything in summer has a flavour from our garden. Expect a selection from mange-tout peas, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, Swiss chard, courgettes, garlic, pak choi cabbage, beetroot, broccoli, potatoes, curly kale, lovage, tarragon, thyme, fennel, dill, landcress, rocket, sage, lemon balm, ginger mint, applemint, spearmint, and cos, curly endive, freckles, lollo rosso, green salad bowl and red salad bowl lettuces. Our own Kitchen Garden reduces food miles and our salads and vegetables taste great too!

Field Notes – Scottish Highlands

‘Scottish Highlands’ holidays include everything you need for a great birding holiday. En-suite accommodation, all food including breakfast, packed lunch and dinner, all minibus transportation, ferries, access charges, guidance and much more are included in the price.

How our Scottish Highlands holidays work:

Breakfast is usually at 7.30am or 8.00am. Sometimes we organise an earlier breakfast if we have a distance to travel, you will be given full information during the holiday. We leave for a full day (with a substantial packed lunch!), returning about 5.30pm – 6.00pm for dinner at 7.00pm. Dinner on arrival date may be a little earlier or later to suit train timetables, and early breakfast is available on the final day.

Expect a wide variation of weather, whenever you visit Scotland! Bring warm clothing, waterproofs, and walking boots or shoes. Bring binoculars and a telescope if possible. A camera may be useful too! You don’t need flasks for hot drinks, or wellies.

WALKING

Your holiday (based on a full week itinerary) includes:

4 Seven nights en-suite accommodation. A VisitScotland approved three-star hotel, The Mountview Hotel in Nethy Bridge has comfortable en-suite rooms including TV and hospitality tray.

4 THERE IS NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT, and guests are never expected to share. Single guests may be upgraded to a double room at no extra charge. Deposit is £300pp.

4 Some Mainland Scotland holidays include a second centre for either one or two nights, usually in hotels, occasionally in good quality B&Bs. Most of these have hosted Heatherlea holidays for many years, and we know them well.

4 Six days birding with Heatherlea, including full Scottish breakfast, a substantial packed lunch (six days) and a delicious dinner.

4 The services of your Heatherlea Guide during six full days birding, including optional early and late excursions. Maximum group size seven clients per Guide (or eight clients during four-night holidays).

4 All transport by comfortable minibus.

4 All access fees, ferry charges and transfers.

4 Saturday courtesy pick-up and return service to Aviemore.

4 A checklist specifically prepared for your holiday to record your sightings and notes.

4 NEW for 2023! Moth trapping and pond dipping (see page 3)! There are no hidden charges. Expenses including travel to The Mountview Hotel, insurance, drinks and other items of a personal nature are not included in your holiday price.

PICTURE CREDITS

Walking is generally light to moderate, and if you can walk a couple of miles in half a day you will find these holidays very comfortable. Many days contain hardly any walking at all, as we take you directly to key sites. An exception is mountain day, where walking can be strenuous, particularly in the months May – July when we usually require a long walk to see Ptarmigan and especially Dotterel. You can ‘opt-out’ of this day if you wish. An ‘Easy Walking’ itinerary is available on specified holidays, including a different location to look for Ptarmigan.

BITING INSECTS

Biting insects are not expected January to May, or October to December. In the months June to September, biting insects are not generally a problem. We don’t linger around standing water, and if insects do occur, we move away!

TURNING THE TIDE AGAINST PLASTIC

Picnic lunches prepared at Heatherlea are virtually free of disposable plastic (clingfilm is used sparingly). We don’t use plastic water bottles or cutlery, and re-usable lunch boxes and mugs are provided for drinks. We ask all partner agents and hotels around the world to do the same.

IMPORTANT NOTES

The interests of wildlife come first on a Heatherlea holiday. We never disturb or alarm wildlife, and fully support countryside and birdwatching codes of conduct. We also respect the wishes and instructions of landowners and ask our guests to adopt the same approach.

All itineraries are given as a guide only. Actual holiday content may vary according to the judgement of your guide, and elements beyond our control (e.g. weather).

Our thanks go to many people who provided images for use in this brochure. Our apologies to anyone we have missed!

Photos: Peg Abbott, David Acfield, Adventure Birding, Jolene Allan, Suchit Basnet, Rod Baker, Nigel Bewley, Birdlife Belarus, Birding Korea, Mark Brazil, Colin Brown, Paul Carter, Mike Coleman, Peter Cosgrove, Peter Csonka, Wilson Diaz, Sally Ducker, Knut Eisermann, Euan Ferguson, Mags Fewkes, Finnature, Jeff Fisher, Ian Ford, George Gay, Dimiter Georgiev, Simeon Gigov, Gerard Gorman, Toby Green, Chris Grady, Chris Hughes, Andy Jones, Rob Jordan, Tang Jun, Phil Knott, Letaka Safaris, Lucas Lombardo, Minh Luyen, Janet Lynch, Paco Madrigal, Leon Marais, Emma McBride, Neil McIntyre, Chrys Mellor, Brahim Mezane, Heather Mills, Derek Mills, Adrian Mills, Scott O’Hara, Carles Oliver, Gabor & Andrea Orban, Holly Page, Jari Peltomaki, Heinz Plenge, Jonny Pott, Matt Prophet, Dave Pullan, Stephen Rutt, Josele Saiz, Kevin Shaw, Ted Smith, Greg Smith, Nigel Sprowell, Richard Stansfield, Peter Stronach, Matt Sullivan, Judy Swift, Rodrigo Tapia, Chris Townsend, David Tillman, Andres Trujillo, Machiel Valkenburg, Mladen Vasilev, Washington Wachira, Mark Warren, David Whitaker. Cartoons for ‘Getting here is easy!’ Clive Francis.

BINOCULARS and TELESCOPES

We recommend you bring your own binoculars and telescope. As an extra service, Heatherlea offer a loan service of high performance Swarovski binoculars FREE OF CHARGE for the duration of your holiday. Your guides are also equipped with Swarovski telescopes which they are happy to share, though of course you might have to wait for a look! Please book loan binoculars in advance; availability is limited and cannot be guaranteed.

‘You have an excellent working relationship with Swarovski Optik who have provided some very expensive binoculars that you offer on free loan to your guests; this is an excellent extra service.’

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS HOLIDAYS

On our Scottish Highland weeks you can expect 100 – 135 species depending on the season, including all the key Scottish birds. For more details including a Trip Report see our website www.heatherlea.co.uk . If you have any questions, please contact us, we will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Emma, Fleur, Jolene, Lindsay, Dawn and Kevin are here to help.

Your guide(s) will be a member of the Heatherlea team: Jenna Berry, Aidan Branch, James Champion, Andrew Crowder, Mike Coleman, Pete Cosgrove, Barry Embling, Ian Ford, George Gay, Toby Green, Scott O’Hara, Holly Page, Dave Pearce, Alex Rhodes, Chris Rodger, Kevin Shaw and Mark Warren. Weekly holidays begin with dinner on Saturday evening, though you are welcome to arrive any time after 3pm. The holiday finishes after breakfast on the final Saturday. Don’t forget our courtesy collection and return service to Aviemore on Saturdays – see ‘Getting here is Easy’.

CHOOSE HEATHERLEA GUIDES FOR SCOTTISH WILDLIFE

Our resident Guides are very experienced Scottish leaders with unbeatable local knowledge. Highly skilled birders and real ‘people people’, they can’t wait to show you the wonderful wildlife of the Scottish Highlands!

We are birding continuously, building knowledge each week as the seasons unfold. Where is the best place for Crossbills this year? Which Blackcock lek is still going strong? Where are Golden Eagles actually being seen? Your Heatherlea Guide knows where the birds have been showing, and the best way to maximise your chances. We gather an enormous reservoir of information not available anywhere else, and always try to make sure everyone sees the birds. Heatherlea work alongside local landowners and estates to develop brilliant birding close to hand, often with unique access, and there are some extra benefits too. As an example, we never leave before 6am to see Black Grouse and Capercaillie.

Relax and enjoy your holiday as we look after the details and find wildlife for you. No wonder our groups have a happy and friendly atmosphere! Don’t forget that our holidays show you all Scotland’s birds and other wildlife. We have a huge choice, with full-week holidays and short breaks for busy birders. Whichever you choose, all include everything you need. You may be tempted to ‘do it yourself’, but don’t forget how much more you will spend on fuel, guided trips, lunches, ferries and access to reserves – and that’s before you find the wildlife you came to see!

Heatherlea travel by roomy minibus, important for birders. We probably see Capercaillie, Black Grouse, Red Grouse and Short-eared Owl better from inside the minibus than from outside!

HOGMANAY BIRDING EXTRAVAGANZA!

THURSDAY 28 DECEMBER 2023 – SATURDAY 6 JANUARY 2024

PRICE: from £2195pp

Early Birder Prices from £1995pp (subject to availability).

Full details and a Trip Report are on our website.

Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

Many of you are looking for special birding at this time, and this holiday is a real cracker! Come to the beautiful Highlands for a wonderful Hogmanay (we usually have snow on the mountains), and enjoy a bird-filled end to 2023, followed by five full days to begin 2024 in style.

We aim to see as many species as possible, and this tour is ideal for all birders who want an exciting winter holiday, as well as those who keep lists. During the last birding days of 2023, we spend time inland looking for Ptarmigan, Black Grouse, Golden and White-tailed Eagle, Scottish Crossbill and Crested Tit, mingling our efforts with exciting coastal birding, which could produce a big range of wintering specialties, uncommon or rare vagrants. Hogmanay is a time of great celebration in the Highlands, and on the night itself guests might have the opportunity to visit a nearby party, which could typically involve live music and dancing. Held in the open air, this is entirely subject to vagaries of the weather, so wrap up well! For those who prefer to stay indoors we will celebrate ‘The Bells’ in the warmth, toasting the old year list with a variety of local malt whiskies!

We begin New Year's Day full of anticipation, and with a full week at our disposal, Scottish specialities will be high on the itinerary again to round-up as many key Highland species as we can! We spend at least one full day birding the Moray Coast, with options to venture further north to the 'Black Isle' or Sutherland, east into Aberdeenshire or out to the stunning west coast. Keen to accumulate a high bird-list, with our finger on the pulse we search for known rarities on coastal days such as Snow Goose, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Surf Scoter, King Eider, Iceland, Glaucous and Little Gull, Little and Great White Egret, Waxwing, and Great Grey Shrike – all of which have occurred in the last two years! By the end of the holiday, you should have seen many 'difficult' Highland birds you might otherwise miss without a guide, or which rarely turn up further south in the UK.

Total species approx. 120. Other wildlife should include Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal, Mountain Hare and possibly Otter.

Nine nights at Mountview Hotel.

NEW YEAR BIRDLIST BOOSTER

SAT 6 JAN – SAT 13 JAN, SAT 13 JAN – SAT 20 JAN 2024

PRICE: from £1495pp

Early Birder Prices from £1295pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking!

Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

This holiday is great birding fun, so get your yearlist off to a cracking start! We aim to see as many birds as possible, and this exciting holiday is suitable for birders who want to see Scotland’s birds in winter, as well as those who keep lists.

Top priorities will be resident special birds, so we spend time inland looking for Ptarmigan, Black Grouse, Golden and White-tailed Eagle, Scottish Crossbill and Crested Tit - our key species. We also have outside chances of seeing Capercaillie, increasingly rare, and any sightings will be incidental. Next we seek a host of northern winter visitors, and finally round-up rarities and anything we might have missed. By the end, you should have seen around 120 species including many 'difficult' birds you might miss without a Guide, or struggle to locate further south in the UK.

Holidays are based here at Mountview Hotel, with all transport and expert guidance from our resident team. We anticipate that the whole Hotel will be given over to our holiday, meaning a great birding atmosphere as the entire week is run BY birders FOR birders, a very enjoyable prospect!

During the holiday we spend time inland in the adjacent Caledonian pinewoods of Abernethy Forest for speciality birds, visit the Cairngorm Mountains to see Ptarmigan, and explore remote glens for eagles and other raptors. Northern coastal habitats provide great birding in winter, and with the Moray Firth, Aberdeenshire, the West Coast and secluded bays north of Inverness all within reach, our prospects are excellent. We will spend a lot of time at the coast, particularly targeting rarities. King Eider and Surf Scoter are regular, others more than possible (read below about 'our' Brunnich's Guillemot!). Your Guides will closely monitor weather, tides and local bird news to make sure we maximise our birding as we use all the available daylight (around eight hours per day).

Seven nights at Mountview Hotel.

Combine with: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS Birders Blast (p12).

Combine with: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS New Year Birdlist Booster (p11).

SHORT BREAKS & BIRDERS BLASTS BIRDING SHORT BREAKS IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Price: see below. No single supp. ‘Early Birder’ discounts may apply, contact us before booking! Full details are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9. Please see our website for Nov 2024 departures.

Ideal for your first wildlife holiday, or for busy birders who don't have a full week to spare, these holidays are an exciting ‘dip’ into the birdlife of the Highlands, which should find many of the key specialties and a host of northern birds difficult to see elsewhere in Britain. Our extensive local knowledge will take us to the best places to maximise our birding time.

All include four nights DBB (Dinner, Bed and Breakfast), plus three full days birding with an experienced Heatherlea Guide. Great fun and superb birding!

SHORT BREAKS are easy-paced and target the birds which make Scotland such a special destination for so many birdwatchers. Great for beginners.

BIRDERS’ BLASTS are perfect for all levels of birding ability, but run at a slightly faster pace, packing in a lot of birds and lots of sites.

Birders’ Blast in Winter

Sat 20 January – Wed 24 January, Wed 24 January – Sun 28 January, Sun 28 January – Thu 1 February, Thu 1 February – Mon 5 February, Mon 5 February – Fri 9 February, Fri 9 February – Tues 13 February, Tues 13 February – Sat 17 February 2024

PRICES: from £795pp

Early Birder Prices from £695pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! See Golden Eagle, Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill, Black Grouse, Capercaillie, Ptarmigan and more. Add waders, seaduck, divers, gulls and farmland birds and you have an absorbing and rewarding few days of winter birding.

Short Breaks in Autumn

Sat 28 October – Wed 1 November, Sun 5 November – Thurs 9 November 2023 Sat 26 October – Wed 30 October, Sun 3 November – Thurs 7 November 2024

PRICES: from £795pp

Early Birder Prices from £695pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking!

Birders’ Blast In Autumn

Wed 1 November – Sun 5 November, Thurs 9 November – Mon 13 November, Mon 13 November – Fri 17 November, Fri 17 November – Tue 21 November 2023

PRICES: from £795pp

Please see our website for 2024 departures and Early Birder Prices!

See Golden Eagle, Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill, Black Grouse, Capercaillie and much more. Add rare geese, seaduck, divers, waders, gulls and farmland birds, and you have an absorbing and rewarding few days birding during November.

Outline Itinerary:

DAY 1:

Arrival, welcome, dinner and briefing. Don’t forget our courtesy collect and return service to Aviemore.

DAY 2: LOCAL SPECIALITY DAY

An early start for Black Grouse will get us off to a great start before breakfast, and you might see Red Grouse too. After breakfast we visit ‘hotspots’ in Caledonian pine forest to see Crested Tit, which can usually be found locally. Scottish Crossbill are found in the forests too and with both Common and Parrot Crossbill also present, separation of these three species can pose a real identification challenge! If weather allows, we also travel to our own private forested estate where any views of Capercaillie will be incidental from our vehicles as we travel. Depending on the level of the snow in the mountains we may look for Snow Bunting and Ptarmigan too - can we achieve the 'gripping' four grouse in a day?

DAY 3: EAGLE DAY

Today is a firm favourite at Heatherlea, as we visit remote Highland glens looking for Golden Eagle, our top target. In suitable weather we spend most of our time in beautiful upland surroundings where we can expect sightings of other species, possibly including Peregrine, Red Grouse, Buzzard and Raven.

White-tailed Eagle may also be seen as their numbers continue to increase locally. Red, Roe and Sika Deer, Mountain Goat and Mountain Hare may also be seen. Many guests tell us this is the day they were hoping for when they chose to holiday in Scotland; top birding amid superb scenery!

DAY 4: COASTAL DAY

A complete contrast as we visit the Moray Coast, where birding is excellent at any time. This day is perhaps the most exciting, as every single minute can hold the unexpected. There are rafts of Common and Velvet Scoter, plus good numbers of Long-tailed Duck, Goldeneye, Goosander and Red-breasted Merganser. Red-throated Diver and Slavonian Grebe may also be offshore, and in recent years we have seen rarities including King Eider, Surf Scoter and White-billed Diver. Iceland and Glaucous Gull are both regular, and many wader species can be expected. In the fields, Whooper Swan herds and geese flocks are worth checking for scarcer species and other farmland birds may include Corn Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Grey Partridge and Yellowhammer. A great day's birding!

DAY 5: FINAL DAY

Breakfast and depart

This outline itinerary is a guide only, actual holiday content may vary according to elements beyond our control (e.g. weather).

HIGHLAND WINTER BIRDING

SAT 18 FEB – SAT 25 FEB, SAT 25 FEB – SAT 4 MARCH 2023

SAT 17 FEB – SAT 24 FEB, SAT 24 FEB – SAT 2 MARCH 2024

PRICES: from £1595pp

Early Birder Prices from £1395pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

February is an exciting month for birding in the extreme north of the British mainland, and this holiday is something a little bit different, featuring remote northern hideaways as we locate the very best Scottish birdlife in winter. Our speciality birds include Ptarmigan, Black Grouse, Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill, Golden and White-tailed Eagle and we look for these during approx. two absorbing days birding the Scottish interior, which may be frozen and/or snow-covered at this time. Flocks of Waxwing, Lesser Redpoll, Twite and Brambling are very possible while northern rarities including Great Grey Shrike, uncommon geese and gulls are often found at this time. We also have incidental chances of Capercaillie, though these birds are very rare.

We visit local glens with Golden Eagle our top target, and Buzzard, Treecreeper, Siskin, Hen Harrier, Red Grouse, Sparrowhawk and White-tailed Eagle are more than possible. Ptarmigan are all white in winter, as are Mountain Hare.

Activity at the coast features concentrations of winter visitors offshore, and rarities and scarce British birds sheltering in harbours. Gulls, waders, geese and ducks, divers, passerines and raptors, just about anything can turn up! We make an exciting expedition over three days to the very far north, staying in Thurso for two nights, and visiting secluded harbours and windswept lochs to find the birds that make this holiday so special. You will probably visit four different coastlines, the very far north in Caithness, the rugged east-facing coast north of Inverness, the long expanse of the Moray Firth, and either Aberdeenshire or the west coast, depending on available birding opportunities and of course the weather.

This is a time of year when tourists are few on the ground, and wild landscapes and solitude (you won’t see many other birders!) are to be combined with exceptional birding.

Total species for the holiday approx 120. Other wildlife should include Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal, Mountain Hare, and possibly Otter.

Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights at a comfortable hotel in Thurso.

HIGHLANDS and the EAST COAST

SAT 2 MARCH – SAT 9 MARCH 2024

PRICES: from £1595pp

Early Birder Prices from £1395pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supp. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

This late winter holiday combines favoured birding areas with some new and exciting sites. With two nights away on the east coast, this gives us a superb opportunity to fully explore rural and coastal Aberdeenshire, featuring some of the best birding areas in Scotland. Our coastal birding will focus heavily on waders and wildfowl, with a good amount of time spent seawatching. We have excellent chances of finding our own rarities and will build a healthy birdlist from the mountains down to the sea. We will spend time exploring Royal Deeside too, a great birding area with rich pinewoods, stunning rivers, and glens with the Winterwatch site of Mar Lodge right at its heart.

TTop local targets include Capercaillie, Black Grouse, Crested Tit and Golden Eagle, with local Dippers near nest sites and Goosander and Goldeneye on the rivers. Local goose flocks often contain migrant birds and we are vigilant for stray Bean, White-fronted, Snow or Ross's amongst the commoner Pink-feet and Greylags.

In Aberdeenshire, we have time to explore, working a good selection of favoured harbours and bays, with journeys between the sites that pass through mixed open land favoured by finches, waders and a farmland birds. This whole coastline is massively under-watched, with very few resident birders. We have excellent chances of rarities, this being a good time for White-billed Diver, King Eider and rare gulls. Offshore we should find good numbers of Scoter, Divers and Auks, with the bonus of Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone. We return west through mixed farmland, birding near the River Dee and around the previous Winterwatch site of Mar Lodge. With luck we may pick up Scottish or Common Crossbills, Goshawk, Golden Eagle and Red Grouse amid stunning scenery.

We look for Ptarmigan and Snow Bunting, using telescopes to locate the birds before walking closer (late snow or heavy melt can make conditions difficult). Local waders should be returning, and Lapwings and Oystercatchers may be displaying in rough pastures.

Our final day may be in Strathspey, dropping down to the Black Isle or perhaps even an extended day over on the west coast, where we look for White-tailed Eagle, Otter and Black-throated Diver. Total species approx. 120.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highland Winter Birding (p13), Highlands and the West Coast (p14).

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Birders Blast (p12), Highlands & the East Coast (p13).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS Mull & Islay (p32).

Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights at a comfortable hotel on the east coast.

HIGHLANDS and the WEST COAST

SAT 9 MARCH – SAT 16 MARCH 2024

PRICES: from £1595pp

Early Birder Prices from £1395pp (subject to availability).

Contact us before booking!

No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

An exciting spring holiday including an overnight visit to the rugged and remote West Highlands. As spring arrives, we celebrate the season with visits to all of the best birding and wildlife sites. This holiday takes in some of our most stunning and iconic scenery, all the while enjoying superb birding and general wildlife.

Local birding should produce Black Grouse popping and cooing at the lek, Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill, Dipper, Buzzard and Goldeneye.

We head west, working remote sealochs, bays and beaches as we go. Rugged Wester Ross offers iconic scenery, and we have excellent chances of Otter. There could be good numbers of Great Northern, Black-throated and Red-throated Diver, plus Slavonian Grebe, Common Scoter and Red-breasted Merganser, and passage waders and gulls that often include Iceland and Glaucous.

Next day we target eagles, with Golden and White-tailed both likely. Mid-March is also good for passage Merlin, with early Wheatears if winds are favourable. We have another chance for Otters, whilst scanning for rarer seaduck or divers. This time of year can also be a good for White-billed Diver on the under-watched west coast and we will check Great Northern Divers carefully for their rarer cousins.

Our exclusive private estate woodlands offer chances of Capercaillie. Later we search for moorland specialities including Golden Eagle, Peregrine, Merlin and as spring develops, Wheatear. The day finishes with a moorland drive for Red Grouse. We seek Ptarmigan, Snow Bunting, Black-throated Diver, Red-throated Diver, Goldeneye and Peregrine, and birchwoods hold Lesser Redpoll and Siskin. Lingering Waxwing and Whooper Swan are sometimes present too.

Birds on the Moray Coast can include Osprey, Eider, Goosander, Merganser, Stonechat, Common and Velvet Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Great Northern and Redthroated Diver, Glaucous Gull, Iceland Gull, Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and Ringed Plover, many moulting into summer plumage.

Watch out also for Corn Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer and Grey Partridge. We often see Bottle-nosed Dolphin, and with auks, Gannet, gulls and more, this is a rewarding day!

Total species for the holiday approx. 110. Mammals may include Otter, Common and Grey Seals, Mountain and Brown Hare, Red Squirrel, Red and Roe Deer and perhaps Harbour Porpoise or Bottle-nosed Dolphin.

Six nights at Mountview Hotel. One night at a comfortable hotel on the west coast.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands and the East Coast (p13), Highland Birding in March (p15).

BIRDING in the FOOTSTEPS of the JACOBITES

SAT 9 MARCH – SAT 16 MARCH 2024

PRICES: from £1595pp

Early Birder Prices from £1395pp (subject to availability).

Contact us before booking!

No single supplement. Full details are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

A unique holiday combining the best of Scottish Highland birding and historical sites relating to the ill-fated Jacobite uprisings of the 18th century. We visit sites associated with both the rebels and the government such as Culloden Battlefield, Urquhart Castle and the Glenfinnan Monument.

The second half of March is one of the best times to visit The Highlands. Our wildlife is busy, breeding birds are keen to attract a mate and migrants are on the move. Summer visitors are beginning to arrive and there will still be plenty of wintering geese, wildfowl, waders and gulls around – great variety beckons! Based at the Mountview Hotel, we have flexibility to plan the week according to the weather, tides and up to date bird news.

In recent years, our small groups have enjoyed some fantastic Highland birds and winter wildlife experiences. March is a great time of year for rarities, and those seen by our groups on previous trips include White-billed Diver, Snow Goose, American Wigeon, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal and Ring-necked Duck while influxes of Waxwing and Brambling have proved equally memorable. Exciting raptors, including Goshawk, Hen Harrier, White-tailed Eagle, Merlin and Peregrine become more active during March. Golden Eagle are displaying, Black Grouse are back on their lekking sites and Crested Tit may be heard singing as spring really starts in the Highlands.

This trip is ideal for those who love history as well as birding and any walking will be gentle and at a relaxed pace. Approximately 25% of our time will be spent on the historical sites and 75% birding.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands and the East Coast (p13), Highland Birding in March (p15), Highlands & Ardnamurchan (p15).

HIGHLAND BIRDING in MARCH

SAT 18 MARCH – SAT 25 MARCH 2023

SAT 16 MARCH – SAT 23 MARCH 2024

PRICES: from £1595pp

Early Birder Prices from £1495pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

An exciting holiday across the Highlands, designed to maximise our birding as winter turns to spring. Speciality species include Scottish Crossbill, Crested Tit, Black Grouse, Golden and White-tailed Eagle, Ptarmigan, Snow Bunting and good chances of Slavonian Grebe and three or even four diver species in breeding plumage. Winter birds will still be with us in good numbers and one of the main advantages of birding this far north is the opportunity to see many species at close quarters. We will also pay attention to rarities within reach and this can be an excellent time for ducks, geese, gulls, raptors and passerines to augment an already outstanding birding experience

The second half of March is one of the best times to visit. Our wildlife is busy, breeding birds are keen to attract a mate and migrants are on the move. Summer visitors are beginning to arrive and there will still be plenty of wintering geese, wildfowl, waders and gulls around – great variety beckons! Based at the Mountview Hotel, we have maximum flexibility to plan the week according to weather, tides and bird reports. The outline itinerary allows for three days at the coast and three days in Strathspey and the Cairngorms, though if we are successful with our key targets locally we may adapt plans daily to increase your birdlist. A definite highlight will be a stunning visit to the west coast - we will pick the best day possible; there is nowhere better than the West Coast of Scotland on a nice spring day! This holiday takes in some of our most stunning and iconic scenery, all the while enjoying superb birdlife and general wildlife as the season turns to spring.

In recent years, our small groups have enjoyed some fantastic Highland birds and winter wildlife experiences. The flexible itinerary has helped our groups see many rarities on previous trips, including White-billed Diver, Snow Goose, American Wigeon, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck while influxes of Waxwing and Brambling have proved equally memorable. Exciting raptors, including Goshawk, Hen Harrier, White-tailed Eagle, Merlin and Peregrine become more active during March. Golden Eagle are displaying, Black Grouse are especially active on the lekking sites and Crested Tit may can be been heard singing as spring really starts in the Highlands.

Total species c. 120. Mammals may include Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal. Otter, Mountain Hare, Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are possible.

HIGHLANDS and ARDNAMURCHAN

SAT 18 MARCH – SAT 25 MARCH, SAT 25 MARCH – SAT 1 APRIL 2023

SAT 16 MARCH – SAT 23 MARCH. SAT 23 MARCH – SAT 30 MARCH 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Early Birder Prices from £1595pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

A very different itinerary, with displaying and breeding resident birds, winter visitors still present in good numbers, and the first arriving spring migrants. We also enjoy a two-night expedition to the remote and wildlife-rich Ardnamurchan peninsula, where the birding can be unforgettable, and where we might encounter some special mammals.

In Strathspey we are placed in the middle of the best birding habitats, and a local drive should produce Black Grouse popping and cooing at the lek. Crested Tit and Scottish Crossbill are found in the pine forests and Slavonian Grebe, Whooper Swan and many breeding wader species are likely as we enjoy the best of local birding. In the moorland and hills we search for raptors including Peregrine, Merlin and perhaps the first returning Osprey. A moorland drive may give views of Black-throated Diver on lochs. Capercaillie are increasingly scarce, and we no longer look for them at this time of year, though incidental sightings are possible.

The Ardnamurchan peninsula is a hidden jewel, a wild, beautiful, remote area in the heart of the West Highlands with stunning scenery and some of the best places for wildlife in the UK. We are based close to Glenborrodale, where one of our chefs will join us to cater to Mountview Hotel standards! We enjoy warm en-suite rooms and exclusive occupancy with easy access to the best wildlife. Birding includes both eagles, Raven, Black Guillemot and the first spring passage waders perhaps including Greenshank. Mammals could be spectacular, with the possibility of Pine Marten coming to our bait at the property, visible from the comfort of our living room. A night drive gives outside chances of Wildcat, and Otter are found in nearby Loch Sunart.

Later we look for Ptarmigan, Snow Bunting, Goldeneye, Peregrine, Crested Tit and Scottish Crossbill. Local birchwoods hold Lesser Redpoll and Siskin flocks, Slavonian Grebe, Whooper Swan and waders. Waxwing are sometimes present.

Coastal birding is particularly enjoyable, sightings can include Osprey fishing, rafts of Common Eider, Goosander, Red-breasted Merganser, Common and Velvet Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Great Northern and Red-throated Diver, Glaucous and Iceland Gull, and spring waders including Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Rarities often include Surf Scoter or King Eider. We often see Bottle-nosed Dolphin, and with auks, Sandwich Tern, Gannet, Corn Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer, Grey Partridge and more, this is a really rewarding day.

Seven nights at Mountview Hotel.

Combine with: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands and Ardnamurchan (p15), Spring into Scotland (p16).

Total species for the holiday approx. 110, plus key mammals including Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal, Mountain Hare and Otter. Pine Marten, Badger, Fox, Bottlenosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are possible. Five nights at Mountview Hotel, two nights on the west coast.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

NEW! Birding in the Footsteps of the Jacobite’s (p14), Highlands & the West Coast (p14), Highlands in March (p15), Spring into Scotland (p16).

SPRING into SCOTLAND including MULL

SAT 25 MARCH – SAT 1 APRIL, SAT 1 APRIL – SAT 8 APRIL,

SAT 8 APRIL – SAT 15 APRIL 2023

SAT 23 MARCH – SAT 30 MARCH, SAT 30 MARCH – SAT 6 APRIL,

SAT 6 APRIL – SAT 13 APRIL 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Early Birder Prices from £1545pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supp. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

Perhaps the ultimate spring wildlife experience in Scotland! All resident birds are displaying or breeding, winter birds are still here in good numbers and summer visitors are arriving daily. We enjoy a two night stay on the magical Isle of Mull, giving us plenty of time to enjoy the fabulous birding and unforgettable scenery. An exciting time to be birding in Scotland!

In Strathspey we are placed in the middle of the best birding habitats, and a local drive should produce Black Grouse popping and cooing at the lek. Red Grouse are present here too and after breakfast we head for the hills to seek Ptarmigan. The mountains may also produce Snow Bunting, early Ring Ouzel and Raven, and we may see Red-throated Diver, Goldeneye, Peregrine and Crested Tit as we descend, plus Redpoll and Siskin flocks in local birch woods. Scottish Crossbill are found in the pine forests and Slavonian Grebe, Whooper Swan and many breeding wader species are likely as we enjoy the best of local birding. In the moorland and hills we search for raptors including Peregrine, Merlin and perhaps the first returning Osprey. A moorland drive may give views of Black-throated Diver on lochs. Capercaillie are increasingly scarce, and we no longer look for them at this time of year, though incidental sightings are possible.

A major feature will be our time on Magical Mull. We journey west, watching out for Black Grouse, Black Guillemot, Common Seal and Hooded Crow as we travel, and may see Golden or White-tailed Eagle after we cross Loch Linnhe onto the west coast. Once on the island we target iconic wildlife at sites we know well, immediately looking for White-tailed Eagle and Golden Eagle, Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl on the hills and moors. We stay overnight for two nights here, giving a full day around the island enjoying eagles, Otter, migrating Slavonian Grebe, Goosander and divers. Lesser Redpoll and Stonechat, with the first arriving Golden Plover, Greenshank and other moorland species around the high interior. We have ample time to enjoy Mull to the full in early spring, a very enjoyable experience.

Finally we enjoy a great day birding along the Moray Coast, where newly arriving migrants complement remaining winter visitors. This day can easily include rafts of Common Eider, Goosander, Merganser, Common and Velvet Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Great Northern and Red-throated Diver, Glaucous and Iceland Gull. Lots of spring waders include Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and Ringed Plover maybe in bright summer plumage. We watch out also for farmland specialities including Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer and Grey Partridge which are all still found on this fertile northern coastline. Sandwich Tern have arrived, and with Gannet, Fulmar, auks, gulls and more this is a really rewarding day.

A fantastic tour of the breeding and wintering birdlife of the Scottish Highlands and Islands!

Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights at a comfortable hotel on Mull.

Combine with: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highland Birding in March (p15), Highlands and Ardnamurchan (p15) and Highlands & Skye (p17).

NEW! SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS IN EARLY SPRING

SAT 1 APRIL – SAT 8 APRIL, SAT 15 APRIL – SAT 22 APRIL 2023

SAT 30 MARCH – SAT 6 APRIL 2024

PRICES: from £1295pp

No single supp. Full details are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

An absorbing spring wildlife experience in Scotland! All resident birds are displaying or breeding, winter birds are still here in good numbers, and summer visitors are arriving daily. We travel west to find eagles and to the Cairngorm plateau to seek Ptarmigan. An exciting time to be birding in Scotland!

In Strathspey we are placed in the middle of the best birding habitats, and a local drive should produce Black Grouse popping and cooing at the lek. Red Grouse are present too and later in the week we head for the hills to seek Ptarmigan. The mountains may also produce Snow Bunting, early Ring Ouzel and Raven, and we may see Red-throated Diver, Goldeneye, Peregrine and Crested Tit as we descend, plus Redpoll and Siskin flocks in local birch woods. Scottish Crossbill are found in the pine forests and Slavonian Grebe, Whooper Swan and many breeding wader species are likely as we enjoy the best of local birding. In the moorland and hills we search for raptors including Peregrine, Merlin and perhaps the first returning Osprey, while a moorland drive may give views of Black-throated Diver on lochs. Capercaillie are increasingly scarce, and we no longer look for them at this time of year, though incidental sightings are possible. Watching the weather, we plan an excursion westwards to find both eagle species, and wintering seabirds perhaps including Iceland and Glaucous Gull and Black Guillemot.

We also enjoy a great day birding along the Moray Coast, where newly arriving migrants complement remaining winter visitors. This day can easily include rafts of Common Eider, Goosander, Merganser, Common and Velvet Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Great Northern and Red-throated Diver, Glaucous and Iceland Gull. Lots of spring waders include Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and Ringed Plover maybe in bright summer plumage. We watch out also for farmland specialities including Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer and Grey Partridge which are all still found on this fertile northern coastline. Sandwich Tern have arrived, and with Gannet, Fulmar, auks, gulls and more this is a really rewarding day. A fantastic tour of the breeding and wintering birdlife of the Scottish Highlands!

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Spring into Scotland including Mull (p16), Highlands and Ardnamurchan (p15).

HIGHLANDS and SKYE

SAT 15 APRIL – SAT 22 APRIL, SAT 22 APRIL – SAT 29 APRIL 2023

SAT 13 APRIL – SAT 20 APRIL, SAT 20 APRIL – SAT 27 APRIL 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Early Birder Prices from £1545pp (subject to availability).

Contact us before booking

No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website.

Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

A fantastic holiday from Heatherlea, featuring a rewarding few days on Skye. Key targets here are Golden and White-tailed Eagle, and we should enjoy prolonged views of both as they contest territories.

Travelling to or from Skye we seek roadside Ptarmigan on a mountain pass if weather allows. On arrival on the ‘Misty Isle’, we visit wild and remote corners where birders seldom venture, with plenty of time to scan for Golden and White-tailed Eagle, Peregrine, Merlin and Hen Harrier. Along the miles of coastline, we catch up with Great Northern Diver and Black Guillemot, and migrants are possible at these underwatched locations, often showing very well. These may include scarcities such as Whimbrel, Greenshank and White Wagtail, with Wheatear, Stonechat, Whinchat and Meadow Pipit turning up everywhere on the heaths and rough pastures. We have chances of Otter, with seals and Harbour Porpoise offshore too. We have chosen our timing carefully, targeting three diver species (very occasionally four with Whitebilled!) in full summer plumage.

The rest of our time is spent around our home territory in Strathspey, where a great spring experience awaits. Resident birds are breeding, many summer visitors are now here, and birding is excellent with Black Grouse busy on the lek plus Crested Tit, Redpoll, Siskin and Scottish Crossbill. Capercaillie are increasingly scarce, and we no longer look for them at this time of year, though incidental sightings are possible. This is a very cost effective way of including Skye in your Highland birding holiday, combining the island with all our special spring birds.

One day we visit the mountain for Ptarmigan if needed and possibly Snow Bunting. On a round-up day we target missed species or visit the Moray Coast for exciting birding. This time of year produces a high birdlist, with large numbers of wintering birds overlapping with those arriving to breed.

Total species for the holiday 120 - 130. Other wildlife should include Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal and Mountain Hare. Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are possible. Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights at a comfortable hotel on Skye.

BIRDING THE HIGHLANDS in MAY

SAT 29 APRIL – SAT 6 MAY, SAT 6 MAY – SAT 13 MAY 2023

SAT 27 APRIL – SAT 4 MAY, SAT 4 MAY – SAT 11 MAY 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Early Birder Prices from £1595pp (subject to availability).

Contact us before booking!

No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

Birding the wonderful Scottish Highlands in May is one of the greatest pleasures available in the UK. With summer visitors arriving in good numbers, and key speciality birds still displaying or breeding, there is so much going on. We enjoy six tremendous days of wildlife watching, and all within striking distance of our Hotel here in Nethy Bridge. All the special birds of the Scottish Highlands are in our sights, and this is a perfect option to make the most of this wonderful time of year.

An ideal tour for the first time visitor or the seasoned expert, 'Birding the Highlands in May' offers a wealth of variety. On local days we look for forest specialities including Crested Tit and Scottish Crossbill, plus Slavonian Grebe on moorland lochans. Capercaillie are increasingly scarce, and we no longer look for them at this time of year, though incidental sightings are possible. Raptors including White-tailed Eagle will be at the fore on a day touring the stunning west with summer-plumaged Redthroated, Black-throated and Great Northern Diver and Otter likely too. Our Troup Head boat trip, scouring cliffs busy with seabirds will be another highlight, while time exploring estuaries, coastal bays and farmland on the Moray and Black Isle help amass a high bird-list! And, just when you thought you had been everywhere with Heatherlea.... Crown Estates and Royal Deeside

.....we came up with a brilliant addition to our spring itinerary! This brand new day takes you eastwards from Nethy Bridge to uncover some real delights. The Black Grouse lek here is a great start to our day, and we watch for breeding Goshawk nearby. Travelling through fields of waders we reach Royal Deeside to have a chance of Ptarmigan without walking, before stopping to look for raptors which might include Golden Eagle, Hen Harrier, Peregrine, Osprey and Red Kite among other species. On the Crown Estates at Glenlivet, we have exclusive vehicle access to secluded spots. You won’t see many other birders, and from these we are well place to look for Golden Eagle and Merlin, Raven, Ring Ouzel, Red Grouse and a range of other woodland and moorland species make a truly special day. In previous years we have seen ten raptor species on this day!

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Spring into Scotland inc Mull (p16), Birding the Highlands in May (p17).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North Ron & Orkney in Spring for birders (p32).

Total species for the holiday 120 - 130. Mammals should include Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal and Mountain Hare. Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are possible.

Seven nights at Mountview Hotel.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands and Skye (p17), Highlands & Corncrake (p18).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North Ron & Orkney in Spring for birders (p32), Outer Hebrides in Spring (p33) Shetland in Spring for birders (p33), Birding the North Coast 500 (p18), Shetland Island Explorer (p34).

Birding the NORTH COAST 500

SAT 13 MAY – SAT 20 MAY 2023

SAT 18 MAY – SAT 25 MAY 2024

PRICES: from £1845pp

Single supplement: £225. Deposit £300pp Max 7 clients. Leader Chris Rodger

Wonderful wildlife amid some of Scotland’s finest scenery is firmly on the agenda on this spectacular journey around some of the country’s most northerly coastal points, feted by holidaymakers and travel writers alike as one of the best road trips in the world.

Our tour takes you to the best places for wildlife. There will be many highlights, such as Handa Island, Dunnet Head and Duncansby Head for their seabirds. The Flow Country of Caithness and Sutherland is a fantastic and unique, often deemed to be as important a habitat as the Amazonian Rainforest! At RSPB Broubster Leans, breeding waders and passerines are on territory and passage Whimbrel, Short-eared Owl, Merlin and Hen Harrier may be seen. Many other excellent sites on northern coasts are visited on this holiday. Icelandic bound waders in summer plumage may be found on any number of pristine golden beaches, the Applecross peninsula may yield both eagles and Ptarmigan, and Otters or perhaps cetaceans may be encountered off more rugged coasts. This holiday really does offer a huge range of the best wildlife northern Scotland offers in spring!

Above all, this is an exciting birding adventure in under watched places of the country. Visits to seabird colonies featuring Puffin, Guillemot and Razorbill densely packed and huddled together on cliff ledges, many will be about to lay eggs. Kittiwake, Fulmar, Shag and ‘Rock Dove’ can be expected too, the sound and smell of these northern colonies complete the experience. Good numbers of nesting waders and waterfowl, including scarce northern species such as Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver, Hen Harrier, Great Skua, Arctic Skua, Golden and White-tailed Eagle, Black Guillemot, Twite and much more will keep us entertained as we travel.

Our tour begins either here in Nethy Bridge or in Inverness, convenient for flights and rail connections. We don’t follow the exact route of the ‘North Coast 500’, preferring deviations to cater for wildlife and birding considerations.

Number of centres 3. Please note this departures does not stay at the Mountview Hotel.

HIGHLANDS and CORNCRAKE

SAT 13 MAY – SAT 20 MAY 2023

SAT 11 MAY – SAT 18 MAY, SAT 18 MAY – SAT 25 MAY 2024

PRICES: from £1795pp

Early Birder Prices from £1695pp (subject to availability).

Contact us before booking!

No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

May is a wonderful month for wildlife watching in the Highlands. Summer visitors have all arrived, the breeding season is in full swing, and the weather is normally warm and pleasant. On this exciting two-centre holiday we spend time enjoying all the species which make Scotland so special. We combine the tranquil Caledonian pinewoods and the vast Cairngorm mountain plateau with two nights on the Outer Hebrides, as we add soughtafter Corncrake to our enviable target list. This is our only seven-night itinerary which combines all the key Scottish mainland species with Corncrake, a unique opportunity!

Each year Heatherlea watch Corncrake on the Outer Hebrides from early May, so by these dates we know where the birds have been showing, with excellent chances to see them before the vegetation grows too high and obscures the view. On this brief visit Corncrake are our principal target, though with a full day to explore, both White-tailed and Golden Eagle can be expected in reasonable weather. Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl are frequently seen, and on our ferry crossings we can expect any (or all!) of the four skuas plus auks including Puffin and Black Guillemot, Gannet, Manx Shearwater, Shag, Fulmar and Kittiwake. Waders in bright breeding plumage and birds of the ‘machair’ including perhaps Corn Bunting will add to a memorable experience.

Back home in Strathspey, all the specialities are settled and breeding, and we search with care for Black Grouse, Red Grouse, Ptarmigan, Dotterel, Snow Bunting, Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill, Osprey, Ring Ouzel, Dipper, Goldeneye, Black-throated Diver, Red-throated Diver, Slavonian Grebe, and many more. Capercaillie are increasingly scarce, and we no longer look for them at this time of year, though incidental sightings are possible. We visit a variety of habitats from the Caledonian pinewoods adjacent to Mountview Hotel, open moorland, lochs, rivers and fields of Strathspey and neighbouring areas which hold these special birds. We will spend most of one day on the Cairngorm plateau targeting key species and another birding the Moray Coast where farmland birds and perhaps a rarity may feature!

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Birding the Highlands in May (p17), Highlands & Corncrake (p18).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North Ronaldsay & Orkney in Spring for birders (p32), Outer Hebrides in Spring (p33).

Total species c. 120. Mammals may include Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal. Otter, Mountain Hare, Minke Whale, Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are possible.

Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights on the Outer Hebrides.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Birding the Highlands in May (p17), High Season across the Highlands (p19).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Outer Hebrides in Spring (p33), Shetland in Spring for birders (p33), Shetland Island Explorer (p34), Islands on the Edge (p35).

HIGH SEASON ACROSS THE HIGHLANDS

SAT 20 MAY – SAT 27 MAY, SAT 27 MAY – SAT 3 JUNE 2023

SAT 25 MAY – SAT 1 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Early Birder Prices from £1545pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

A tremendous two-centre holiday for all the species that make Scotland so special. We visit many habitats including the seabird colony of Handa Island. It really is time to enjoy High Season ACROSS the Highlands!

In the Abernethy we seek Crested Tit and Scottish Crossbill, where adults with fledged young may be found at this time. Forests also hold migrant Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher and Tree Pipit and resident Treecreeper and Goldcrest. Lochs and rivers, birchwoods and moorland may produce Osprey, Dipper, Buzzard, Goldeneye, Red Grouse, Blackthroated Diver, Lesser Redpoll, breeding waders and Slavonian Grebe.

Handa is a birding treat. Puffin, Guillemot and Razorbill mingle with Fulmar, Kittiwake and Shag on the cliffs. Arctic Skua ‘dive-bomb’ the boardwalk if we are too close, and with Gannet, Great Skua, Black Guillemot, Raven, Red Grouse, ‘real’ Rock Dove, Snipe, Lesser Redpoll, Sedge Warbler, Eider, Hooded Crow and Great Northern and Red-throated Diver too, every minute is absorbing. We stay overnight on the west, giving maximum time on Handa, and a second day to explore the under-watched north-west coast. Your guides choose the best locations in the freedom of the most stunning landscape in Scotland. Black-throated Diver are on remote lochs, Twite, Wheatear and Whinchat on the moorland and Golden and White-tailed Eagles soar over imposing crags.

We visit secluded locations with Golden Eagle, Peregrine, Merlin, Red Kite and Ring Ouzel in mind. On the high plateau we head to the right spots for Ptarmigan and Dotterel, and our record in May and June is very good. We also look for breeding Snow Bunting.

At the coast Osprey fishing, Common Eider, Goosander, Red-breasted Merganser, Stonechat, Red-throated Diver, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, occasional summering Common Scoter, Sandwich, Common, Arctic and Little Tern can be found. We also seek rarities within reach, perhaps a rare wader at this time. A fitting finale to a great week’s birding!

Total species c. 120. Mammals may include Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal. Otter, Mountain Hare, Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are possible.

HIGHLANDS and ORKNEY

SAT 3 JUNE – SAT 10 JUNE 2023

SAT 1 JUNE – SAT 8 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Early Birder Prices from £1545pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Further details and a Trip Report are on our website.

Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

As Scottish summer gets into full swing we visit Orkney, where special breeding birds include Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Red-throated Diver and Twite. With auks, skuas, terns and gulls, our three-day journey is full of excitement amid stunning coastal scenery. We also search the Caledonian pinewoods and rugged glens to find many special birds.

We begin locally, looking for Crested Tit and Scottish Crossbill in the forests. Your list may include Osprey, Dipper, Buzzard, Goldeneye, Red Grouse, Black-throated Diver, Lesser Redpoll, Peregrine, breeding waders and Slavonian Grebe. The beauty of divers and grebes in breeding plumage spellbinds many of our guests, and we often admire at close quarters. Capercaillie are increasingly scarce, and we no longer look for them at this time of year, though incidental sightings are possible. We enjoy two nights on Orkney giving us a real flavour of this fertile archipelago. We visit tiny fishing villages where a late staying Iceland Gull or breeding Black Guillemot is possible. Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl breed, and we often enjoy great views of both quartering rough grasslands and heaths. With the sound of Skylark and Meadow Pipit all around, we may add hunting Merlin to our lists too. We have a full day to visit the stunning seabird colony of either Marwick Head or Brough of Birsay, as well as birding numerous bays where we often find summer-plumaged Sanderling and Turnstone and a late Great Northern Diver. Although primarily a birding trip, there may be the option to visit World Heritage sites such as ‘Ring of Brodgar’ and ‘Stones of Stenness’. Ferry crossings should yield Great and Arctic Skua among the seabirds and in recent years we have seen Orca, Minke Whale, dolphins and Otter, so don’t miss a minute!

Later we seek Golden Eagle, Peregrine and Ring Ouzel to complete a lovely day. At coastal haunts, expect Osprey, Eider, Goosander, Red-breasted Merganser, Stonechat, Red-throated Diver, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer and Grey Partridge, plus any rarities within reach. NB, we don’t visit the Cairngorm plateau during this itinerary.

Total species approx. 110. Other wildlife should include Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal and Otter. Mountain Hare, Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are possible.

Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights at a comfortable hotel on Orkney.

Six nights at Mountview Hotel. One night at a comfortable hotel on the west.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands and Corncrake (p18), Highlands and Orkney (p19).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Shetland Island Explorer (p34), Islands on the Edge (p35), Outer Hebrides in Spring (p33), Birding the North Coast 500 (p18), Mull, Iona and Treshnish (p34), Orkney Island Explorer (p36), Arran and Ailsa Craig (p35).

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

High Season across the Highlands (p19).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Orkney Island Explorer (p36), Shetland & Orkney (p36).

NEW! Wildlife of Argyll and Inner Hebridean Islands (p37).

THE OUTER LIMITS in SUMMER

SAT 17 JUNE – SAT 24 JUNE 2023

SAT 8 JUNE – SAT 15 JUNE, SAT 15 JUNE – SAT 22 JUNE 2024

PRICES: £1795pp

Early Birder Prices from £1645pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

An exciting summer itinerary to see the birdlife of mountain, moor, forest and coast, with special attention paid to the rugged beauty and desolate vistas of the islands of Harris and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, voted as the best island destination in Europe!

On this two-centre holiday we enjoy glorious scenery, long evenings and some of the best summer birding in Britain as we combine the summer birds of the mainland with a three-day, two-night visit to the northern Outer Hebrides, one of the most spectacular island destinations in the world!

During our time at the Mountview Hotel, we comb all the special habitats, including tranquil pinewoods and the vast Cairngorm mountain plateau. Target birds include Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill, Osprey, Dipper, Buzzard, Goldeneye, Red Grouse, Black-throated Diver, Lesser Redpoll, Peregrine, breeding waders and Slavonian Grebe. Capercaillie are increasingly scarce, and we no longer look for them at this time of year, though incidental sightings are possible. We spend a full day on the Cairngorm plateau for Ptarmigan and Dotterel, and at the inner Moray Firth seek fishing Osprey, Eider, Goosander, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-throated Diver, Yellowhammer, Sandwich, Common, Arctic and Little Tern, Gannet, Guillemot and Razorbill, and waders may include Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit and Red Knot in breeding plumage.

On Harris and Lewis our activities will suit the weather and any known rare birds. We visit the Butt of Lewis to search for seabirds and vagrants and explore the remote west coast and the peatlands, checking a few hidden lochans that hold nesting waders. White-tailed and Golden Eagle, Merlin and Hen Harrier are realistic targets on the vast moorlands, with Golden Plover and the occasional Greenshank and divers on the peatlands. Our last morning may be spent looking for eagles, Otter and perhaps Cetaceans from viewpoints such as Tiumpan Head. Two very different ferry crossings promise varied and exciting birding, with Manx Shearwater, Great and Arctic Skua, Black Guillemot, other auk species, gulls, terns and Gannet to entertain. A great birding adventure!

Total species for the holiday approx. 110. Other wildlife should include Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal and Otter. Mountain Hare, Minke Whale, Basking Shark, Bottlenosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are possible.

Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights at a comfortable hotel on the Outer Hebrides.

HIGHLANDS and the ISLE of MAY

SAT 22 JUNE – SAT 29 JUNE 2024

PRICES: £1795pp

Early Birder Prices from £1595pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full holiday details are available on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

On this two-centre holiday we offer some of the best birding available in the Highlands, including a visit to the wonderful Isle of May. Just over one mile in length, the island is located in the north of the outer Firth of Forth, about five miles off the coast of Fife, and is owned and managed by Scottish Natural Heritage as a National Nature Reserve.

During our visit at the height of the breeding season, the Isle of May can host around 200,000 seabirds, including Puffin, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Razorbill, Shag, Fulmar, Eider, Oystercatcher plus several gull and tern species. We plan to spend time on the island, working closely with the Observatory team to search out other the best wildlife including any late migrants. Seabirds will feature highly; the Isle of May is famed for its Puffins and other nesting species and we enjoy birding from both land and sea.

On our three-day adventure south to Fife we’ll also explore coastal hotspots for waders and farmland birds, enjoy summering Common and Velvet Scoter, with Little Gull and Roseate Tern also possible. In the Highlands, summer months are a good time to see many speciality species including Crested Tit. Also present are Scottish Crossbill and summer migrants deep into their breeding season. We’ll look for scarce Black-throated Diver and Slavonian Grebe on local Lochs, plus Golden and Whitetailed Eagle, Osprey and Peregrine in the hills. Capercaillie are increasingly scarce, and we no longer look for them at this time of year, though incidental sightings are possible. We plan to spend a day on the Cairngorm mountain, exploring the plateau for Ptarmigan, Dotterel and Snow Bunting. Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights at a comfortable hotel in Fife.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands and Orkney (p19), Highlands & the Isle of May (p20), Highland Wildlife in Early Summer (p21).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Islands on the Edge (p35), NEW! Wildlife of Argyll and Inner Hebridean Islands (p37), Shetland and Orkney (p36), North West Scotland Explorer (p38).

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Outer Limits in Summer (p20), Eagles, Divers & Dotterel (p21).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Outer Hebrides and Shiants (p39), Ultimate Outer Hebrides (p38).

HIGHLAND WILDLIFE in early summer

Birds, mammals, insects and plants – ideal for the all-round enthusiast!

SAT 24 JUNE – SAT 1 JULY 2023

SAT 22 JUNE – SAT 29 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £1595pp

Early Birder Prices from £1445pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

A cracking celebration of wildlife covering the birds, mammals, insects and plants of this fantastic area. Aimed at the natural history all-rounder and the birder who wants to see something extra, our itinerary is designed to be a leisurely and thoroughly enjoyable exploration at a relaxed pace. Stretching from the high tops of the Arctic-alpine mountains, to the summer plants and birdlife of the Moray Coast, this will be a celebration of all the wildlife of the Cairngorms National Park and beyond.  We also visit key sites outside the Park for rare dragonflies, butterflies and flora.

In our hotel grounds you may see Moonwort, Northern Marsh Orchid, Creeping Ladies’ Tresses and Chanterelle. We check our moth trap daily, finding nationally scarce moths, though for many Poplar Hawk-moth is a highlight. We bird for Scottish Crossbill and Crested Tit, and see Twinflower, Serrated and Common Wintergreen, Field Gentian and orchids including Fragrant, Coralroot, Greater and Lesser Butterfly. At the coast we search for orchids and wintergreens plus Scots Lovage. Insects include Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Northern Brown Argus, Dark Green Fritillary, Common Hawker, White-faced and Black Darter, Northern Damselfly, Four-spot Chaser and Northern Emerald.

On the mountain are Ptarmigan, Dotterel, Ring Ouzel, Snow Bunting and Mountain Hare, and rare alpines including Moss Campion, Trailing Azalea, Dwarf Cornel, Alpine Ladies’ Mantle, Alpine Saw-wort, Lesser Twayblade, Scottish Asphodel, Alpine and Interrupted Clubmoss and Climax forest of Least Willow, with a chance of Black Mountain Moth.

We visit Troup Head by boat to see Scotland's only mainland Gannetry with breeding Guillemot, Razorbill, Puffin, Black Guillemot, Kittiwake, Shag, Fulmar, and occasional marauding Great Skua or flashing Peregrine. Minke Whale, Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are also possible.

In moorland habitats we seek Osprey, Golden Eagle, Peregrine, Red and Black-throated Diver, Slavonian Grebe and Red Grouse. Orchids include Frog and Small White, plus Grass of Parnassus, Starry Saxifrage, Sundew, Butterwort, Intermediate Wintergreen, Water Lobelia and Stagshorn Clubmoss. Beautiful Yellow Underwing is a speciality moth, and we visit a loch famous for rare dragonflies. We should see Red and Roe Deer, and perhaps White-tailed Eagle.

In Highland Perthshire our top target is Mountain Ringlet butterfly, plus Golden-ringed Dragonfly and ‘scotica’ Large Heath. Later we visit one of the best flower meadows in the UK, hoping to see Small Cow-wheat and Birds-nest Orchid.

The holiday is perhaps focused 25% on birdlife, 10% on mammals, 35% on insects and 30% on flora, though these are rough approximations!

Seven nights at Mountview Hotel.

Please also see ‘HIGHLAND WILDLIFE in high summer’ on page 23, timed just three weeks later. The two tours should witness a marked change in seasonal wildlife.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Outer Limits in Summer (p20), Eagles, Divers and Dotterel (p21).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Outer Hebrides and Shiants (p39), Ultimate Outer Hebrides (p38).

EAGLES, DIVERS and DOTTEREL including Mull

SAT 1 JULY – SAT 8 JULY, SAT 8 JULY– SAT 15 JULY 2023

SAT 6 JULY – SAT 13 JULY 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Early Birder Prices from £1545pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

Where do you go in the ‘quiet’ birding weeks of summer?

Glorious scenery, long evenings and the best summer birding in Britain await you with Heatherlea in July. We take you from magnificent mountain-top to the scenic grandeur of Mull, where we search for Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Peregrine, fishing Osprey, Slavonian Grebe, Red and Black-throated Diver, Ptarmigan, Dotterel and more.

Crested Tit and Scottish Crossbill are among our early targets, followed by Dipper, Buzzard, Goldeneye, Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher and Tree Pipit. Rocky crags may hold Ring Ouzel, Stonechat and Wheatear, plus upland specialities including Red-throated Diver, Lesser Redpoll, Red Grouse, Slavonian Grebe, Stonechat, Common Sandpiper and Osprey plus both Brown and Mountain Hare and Red Deer stags are coming into full velvet.

Land of eagles and otters, Mull is truly magical in High Summer, with young eagles newly on the wing. We should enjoy excellent views of both White-tailed and Golden Eagle, with good chances of other raptors including Hen Harrier, Peregrine, Merlin and Short-eared Owl. We aim to find Otter and usually pick up a selection of warblers and chats, with good chances of Twite. As we travel the coast, watch out for Black Guillemot, Common Seal and Hooded Crow. A great adventure!

If weather allows, we head up the hill for Ptarmigan and particularly Dotterel, both perhaps with piping young running behind. We also visit Troup Head, to see breeding Gannet at close quarters. Amongst the Guillemot, Razorbill and Kittiwake will be a few breeding Puffin, and the occasional passing Great or Arctic Skua and Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, Tree Sparrow and Rock Pipit are also

present. We also round-up any rarities within reach on this coastline, perhaps a scarce wader or gull featuring at this time.

Total species approx. 110. Other wildlife might include Red Squirrel, Roe Deer, Red Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal and Otter. Mountain and Brown Hare, Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are possible. Six nights at Mountview Hotel. One night at a comfortable hotel on Mull.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands & the Isle of May (p20), Highland Wildlife in Early Summer (p21), NEW! Butterflies, Dragons and Birds (p22), Highlands & Wester Ross (p22).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North West Scotland Explorer (p38), Outer Hebrides and the Shiants (p39), Ultimate Outer Hebrides (p38), Coll & Tiree in Summer (p40), Shetland Wildlife in Summer (p39), Orkney in High Summer (p41).

NEW! BUTTERFLIES, DRAGONS & BIRDS

SAT 8 JULY – SAT 15 JULY 2023

SAT 6 JULY – SAT 13 JULY 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Early Birder Prices from £1495pp (subject to availability).

Contact us before booking!

No single supplement. Full details are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

A new holiday aimed at the general naturalist, celebrating some of the special birds, butterflies and dragonflies found during the short Highland summer. Dividing our time between our own base at Mountview Hotel in Nethy Bridge and the stunning west coast, we enjoy the best wildlife experiences available, focusing specifically on key birdlife and two fascinating insect orders.

Late-summer birding is good, with many of the Highland specialities present in high numbers after the breeding season. We scan for eagles and divers in the west while return wader passage will be well under way at coastal haunts. Amongst the butterflies, tricky to find Mountain Ringlet is the ultimate prize, with Northern Brown Argus and Large Heath also high upon our wish-list. Desirable dragons include Azure Hawker, Northern and Brilliant Emerald, White-faced Darter and range restricted Northern Damselfly. The weather is of course key, and by visiting as many sites as possible we have every chance of success!

Our most comprehensive butterfly and dragonfly itinerary to date, we devote more time to scarce and range-restricted species than any other tour. Please be aware that this is a very weather dependent tour, and sunny days will be dedicated to butterflies and dragons, though our itinerary may need to be quite flexible. Strictly limited to just one group, with maximum seven clients.

HIGHLANDS and WESTER ROSS

SAT 15 JULY – SAT 22 JULY 2023

SAT 13 JULY – SAT 20 JULY 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Early Birder Prices from £1545pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking!

No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

An exceptional holiday, combining birding with three days exploring remote places on the rugged west coast. We take our time in picture-postcard villages including Applecross, Shieldaig, Pennan and Crovie, giving a different flavour of wildlife and culture on an easy-paced birding tour.

We enjoy two nights on the west coast, watching for Golden and White-tailed Eagle in stunning mountain scenery. Here, Black-throated Diver are gathering in sheltered bays and we scout the shore for waders and Otter. An exhilarating boat trip into the Minch will be a highlight, where all manner of hard to see birds, including skuas, petrels and shearwaters may be enjoyed at close range and we might also find Minke Whale, Harbour Porpoise, dolphins and Basking Shark. In the Applecross hills we hope to find Ptarmigan, enjoying magnificent views across to Skye, and even the Outer Hebrides on a clear day.

In the Scottish Highlands we seek Slavonian Grebe, Red-throated Diver, Crested Tit and Scottish Crossbill. On the Black Isle we look for Red Knot and Bar-tailed Godwit in bright colours, with perhaps a scarce wader like Curlew Sandpiper hiding among their number. Red Kite and Tree Sparrow are found at favoured sites, and we may see Bottle-nosed Dolphin on the turning tide. On the east coast, Gannets are probably the most populous bird on the cliffs, which may also hold a few Razorbill, Guillemot, Fulmar, Kittiwake and Shag. We may see Short-eared Owl feeding large chicks on the open moorland, find Black Grouse beginning to return to their lek, Red Grouse in families with large chicks or a returning Hen Harrier - there are many possibilities!

Total species approx 110. Mammals may include Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal. Otter, Mountain Hare, Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are possible.

Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights at a comfortable hotel on the west coast.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Eagles, Divers and Dotterel including Mull (p21), Highlands & Wester Ross (p22).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Outer Hebrides and the Shiants (p39), Ultimate Outer Hebrides (p38), Orkney in High Summer (p41).

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Eagles, Divers & Dotterel (p21), NEW! Butterflies, Dragons and Birds (p22), Birds and Mammals inc Perthshire (p23), Highland Wildlife in High Summer (p23).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Shetland Wildlife in Summer (p38). NEW! Mull and Ardnamurchan Wildlife Spectacular (p41).

HIGHLAND WILDLIFE in high summer

Natural History of Northern Scotland

Birds, mammals, insects and plants – ideal for the all-round enthusiast!

SAT 22 JULY – SAT 29 JULY 2023

SAT 20 JULY – SAT 27 JULY 2024

PRICES: £1595pp

Early Birder Prices from £1445pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking!

No single supplement. Full details are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

A high summer natural history tour of the Highlands, where changes in the season mean a whole host of different wildlife, especially flora and insects. This tour celebrates all we encounter during our short and exciting Highland summer.

The holiday is slow paced, working sites well, looking at birds, mammals, invertebrates and flowers, all in stunning scenery. We start each day with a moth trap, with good chances of hawkmoths and tiger-moths among many others. Local birding includes Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill, Red Grouse, Black Grouse, Blackthroated Diver, Short-eared Owl, Ring Ouzel and Golden Eagle. Flowers include Field Gentian, Bog Asphodel and many varieties of heather. Butterflies include the first emerging Scotch Argus, Large Heath, Dark Green Fritillary, Mountain Ringlet and Northern Brown Argus with several dragonflies on the wing. Troup Head is fascinating from the water, with towering cliffs covered in thousands of noisy and smelly Gannets! Many auks will have fledged, but we should see groups of Razorbill, Guillemot and perhaps a few lone Puffin and Black Guillemot, with chances of Great and Arctic Skua, terns and perhaps even a Manx Shearwater, Minke Whale, Basking Shark, Bottle-nosed Dolphin or Harbour Porpoise.

In Perthshire, we look for Whinchat, Hen Harrier and Golden-ringed Dragonfly. At Kelteney Burn we look for orchids still in flower, and at Fortingall visit one of the oldest (if not the oldest) tree in the British Isles, the Fortingall Yew.

In the Cairngorms, we look for Red-throated Diver, Slavonian Grebe, Ptarmigan, Black Mountain Moth and alpine flowers, which may include Frog Orchid, Dwarf Cornel, Alpine Saw-wort, Starry Saxifrage, Roseroot, Trailing Azalea, Moss Campion and Least Willows. Later we search for Long-eared, Daubenton’s and two species of Pipistrelle Bats, and may see Badger. On the Black Isle hundreds of wading birds include Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and Curlew, and perhaps Greenshank, Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper or Little Stint. There will be excellent chances of Osprey fishing, and rural backroads hold Red Kite, Yellowhammer, Linnet and Tree Sparrow. Other delights include Atlantic Salmon, Mountain and Brown Hare, Roe and Red Deer and Red Squirrel. Flowers include Grass of Parnassus amongst others.

Seven nights at Mountview Hotel.

Please also see ‘HIGHLAND WILDLIFE in early summer’ on page 21. Timed just three weeks earlier, this tour features a marked change in seasonal wildlife.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands & Wester Ross (p22), Highlands & Outer Hebrides (p24). Birds & Mammals ft Eigg & Muck (p24).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Orkney in High Summer (p41), NEW! Wildlife of The Minch (p42).

BIRDS & MAMMALS featuring PERTHSHIRE

SAT 22 JULY – SAT 29 JULY 2023

SAT 20 JULY – SAT 27 JULY 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Early Birder Prices from £1545pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking!

No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

An exciting summer holiday, targeting Pine Marten, European Beaver and Highland birdlife. We divide our time between Strathspey and under watched Angus and Perthshire, with a daytrip to the spectacular west coast. Dedicated evening visits to a Pine Marten hide and a Beaver viewpoint give us good chances of connecting with these key species, and we also hope to see Otter, Mountain Hare, Red Squirrel, seals, cetaceans and commoner mammals too. Highland birds might include Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill, White-tailed Eagle, Slavonian Grebe and Blackthroated Diver amid spectacular surroundings.

In Angus and Perthshire, we seek Ptarmigan at close quarters, Black and Red Grouse, Ring Ouzel, Wheatear and raptors perhaps including Golden Eagle and Goshawk. On the coast, Little Gull can be present in high numbers and we search through tern flocks for postbreeding Roseate and Little Tern. Montrose Basin is a famous birding destination, and late summer is a good time to see returning wader flocks on migration (perhaps holding a rarity), with many still in summer plumage. Moulting Common and Velvet Scoter flocks can often contain a Surf Scoter and we also search for Osprey, Dipper, Whinchat and Common Crossbill in the extensive Perthshire forests.

Total species c.120. Mammals may include European Beaver, Pine Marten, Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal, Otter, Mountain Hare, Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are possible.

Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights at a comfortable hotel in Angus or Perthshire.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands & Wester Ross (p25), Birds & Mammals featuring islands of Eigg & Muck (p27), Highlands & the Outer Hebrides (p27).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

NEW! Wildlife of the Minch (p42).

BIRDS & MAMMALS featuring the Islands of EIGG & MUCK

SAT 29 JULY – SAT 5 AUGUST 2023

SAT 27 JULY – SAT 3 AUGUST 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Early Birder Prices from £1545pp (subject to availability).

Contact us before booking!

No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

A holiday for the wildlife enthusiast with a special emphasis on some of the most sought-after mammals of the Highlands. We seek Otter, Common and Grey Seal, cetaceans including Minke Whale, Harbour Porpoise and dolphins during a two-night three-day excursion to the stunning west coast. We use our contacts and experience in west coast areas to give us the best possible chance of success. While in our Nethy Bridge base, we have more opportunities to add to our mammal list, with Mountain and Brown Hare, Red Squirrel and three species of deer possible plus evening excursions locally for Daubenton’s Bat and/or to watch Badgers.

Speciality birds include Ptarmigan, Black Grouse, Golden and White-tailed Eagle, Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill, Slavonian Grebe, Black-throated Diver, Dotterel and perhaps breeding Snow Bunting. On a dedicated boat trip visiting the islands of Muck and Eigg, we aim to see a variety of seabirds including Puffin and Black Guillemot, rafts of Manx Shearwater, all three divers in summer plumage, raptors including Merlin, Peregrine, Hen Harrier and both eagles plus breeding Twite, Wheatear, Whinchat and Rock Pipit. With over 100 species of bird and 15 species of mammal possible, this is a trip designed to give us many chances to see exciting mammals with great birding along the way!

Total species c.120. Mammals may include Daubenton’s Bat, Badger, Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal. Otter, Mountain and Brown Hare, Bottlenosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are possible.

Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights at a comfortable hotel on the West Coast.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highland Wildlife in High Summer (p23), Birds and Mammals incl Perthshire (p23), Highlands & the Outer Hebrides (p24).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

NEW! Mull and Ardnamurchan Wildlife Spectacular (p41).

HIGHLANDS and the OUTER HEBRIDES

SAT 29 JULY – SAT 5 AUGUST 2023

SAT 27 JULY – SAT 3 AUGUST 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Early Birder Prices from £1545pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

The Scottish Highlands, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Skye, all in one action packed holiday! We target specialities in Strathspey and enjoy raptors, waders, flocks of passerines, seabirds and sea mammals on the Outer Hebrides.

Locally we seek Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill, Siskin, Tree Pipit, Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher and Lesser Redpoll. On the Cairngorms, Ptarmigan are skulking in the corries and we explore the moorlands, with Golden Eagle, Raven, Slavonian Grebe, Red Grouse and perhaps Shorteared Owl and Black-throated Diver to entertain.

We head west to our ferry and as we cross The Minch watch for passage seabirds, including petrels, skuas and shearwaters, perhaps with a Sabine's Gull, Great Shearwater or Basking Shark to cap an exciting voyage. On arrival we have a full day to enjoy the delights of the Outer Hebrides in High Summer. Large numbers of migratory waders can be found on the machair, beaches and mudflats, divers feed offshore and good numbers of Twite, Linnet and hopefully Corn Bunting in the arable areas. We have good chances of Hen Harrier, Merlin and Short-eared Owl, and all should have fledged young on the wing. Corncrake and Red-necked Phalarope are present but very hard to see this late in the season. A scarce migrant could feature, perhaps Pectoral Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs or White-rumped Sandpiper and we have even been lucky to see Snowy Owl on this trip in the past! We make the most of the long summer day with extended time in the field, returning via Skye to target any species outstanding plus Golden and White-tailed Eagle once more.

Later we visit the Moray Coast or head east to Aberdeenshire. Expect Gannet, fishing Osprey, gulls, terns and auks, plus occasional Great or Arctic Skua. Passage waders might include Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and Ringed Plover, many in breeding plumage. We look for farmland birds and round-up rarities within reach.

Total species approx. 110. Mammals may include Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal, Otter, Mountain Hare, Minke Whale, Basking Shark, Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise.

Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights on the Outer Hebrides.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands Wildlife in High Summer (p23), Birds and Mammals incl Perthshire (p23), Birds & Mammals featuring Eigg & Muck (p24) Autumn in the Highlands with ‘Easy Walking’ (p25).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

NEW! Mull and Ardnamurchan Wildlife Spectacular (p41), NEW! Wildlife of the Minch (p42).

AUTUMN in the HIGHLANDS with EASY WALKING

SAT 12 AUGUST – SAT 19 AUGUST, SAT 19 AUGUST – SAT 26 AUGUST 2023

SAT 10 AUGUST – SAT 17 AUGUST, SAT 17 AUGUST – SAT 24 AUGUST 2024

PRICES: from £1595pp

Early Birder Prices from £1445pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

Would you like to see all the special birds of Scotland, but without too much exertion? On this new ‘Easy Walking’ itinerary, we look for all the Scottish specials including Ptarmigan, perhaps the most inaccessible of our native birds. We explore the dramatic west coast, search for southbound migrants and enjoy a fantastic seabird trip to the Outer Hebrides, on a tour which involves very little walking, and on some days hardly any walking at all. We are based entirely at the Mountview Hotel, giving us flexibility to choose the best day for each of our activities.

You can enjoy all the great birding the Scottish Highlands has to offer, visiting many special places by comfortable minibus and getting close to the best birding sites. As well as Ptarmigan we seek Highland specialities including Black Grouse, Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill, Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Osprey and much more. Early Autumn is a great time of year when bird numbers and diversity are high, with local breeders joined by migrants originating from Scandinavia as they begin to flood south towards warmer climes. We visit a range of superb coastal sites to search for birds within some of the most attractive regions of Scotland while our boat trip should give us exciting encounters with seabirds including Gannet, Sooty and Manx Shearwater, Storm Petrel, any of four skuas, auks and perhaps a rarity. The Minch is a great stretch of sea for Cetaceans, with Common, Risso’s and Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Harbour Porpoise and Minke Whale all possible at this time of year. Seven nights at Mountview Hotel.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands & Outer Hebrides (p24), Twenty Scottish Specials (p26), NEW! Highland Migration by land and sea (p25).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North Ron & Orkney in early Autumn for birders (p42), Outer Hebrides in early Autumn for birders (p43).

NEW! HIGHLAND MIGRATION by LAND & SEA

SAT 19 AUGUST – SAT 26 AUGUST, SAT 26 AUGUST – SAT 2 SEPTEMBER 2023

SAT 17 AUGUST – SAT 24 AUGUST, SAT 24 AUGUST – SAT 31 AUGUST 2024

PRICES: from £1595pp

Early Birder Prices from £1445pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

Autumn is an exciting time of year, and on this tour we explore the Highland coastline to its fullest, offering some of the best migration-based birding available in Scotland. Our award-winning hotel is ideally placed and on this highly flexible itinerary our daily routine will very much depend on weather conditions and up to date bird news. Local knowledge is key, and our guides will choose the right day to visit sites accordingly, dedicating time to both land and sea. Resident populations are at their peak and with incoming migration, bird numbers and species variety are at their highest.

Day visits to the Moray Coast and Black Isle yield waders, seaduck, divers and grebes, while rich farmland ensures there is plenty to seek inland. Higher numbers of seabirds are more likely in the Minch after westerly storms or in poor visibility, with skuas, shearwaters and petrels featuring. The Aberdeenshire coast or Tarbet peninsula both support a variety of habitats, with many species possible, including those rarely seen on other tours and ‘drift’ passerines after easterly winds. Will we get lucky with a rarity or two?

With migration the priority, this is a unique tour. We do not plan to seek Ptarmigan in the high hills or elusive Capercaillie in the forests, and instead devote more time to choose the best days to look for seabirds, the best tides to check for waders and the best winds for passerines. We may single out an exciting rarity, and be prepared to travel for that one special bird if necessary! It’s an exciting time for keen birders to be out in the field, and our Guides especially enjoy these days so come and join them!

Seven nights at Mountview Hotel.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Autumn in the Highlands with Easy Walking (p25), Twenty Scottish Specials (p26), Raptors & Grouse (p27), Autumn Migration in the Highlands (p26).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North Ron & Orkney in early Autumn for birders (p42), Outer Hebrides in early Autumn for birders (p43).

TWENTY SCOTTISH SPECIALS in AUTUMN

SAT 26 AUGUST – SAT 2 SEPTEMBER 2023

SAT 24 AUGUST – SAT 31 AUGUST 2024

PRICES: from £1595pp

Early Birder Prices from £1445pp (subject to availability) Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

A holiday designed for those who would like to see the Scottish speciality birds and we name 20 to give the holiday a fun focus. Ideal whether you keep a UK birdlist or not, on this holiday we look for key species in this part of the world at a relaxed pace. Key targets;

1. Golden Eagle

2. White-tailed Eagle

3. Osprey

4. Black Grouse

5. Red Grouse

6. Ptarmigan

7. Crested Tit

8. Scottish Crossbill

9. Dipper

10. Slavonian Grebe

11. Black Guillemot

12. Hooded Crow

13. Raven

14. Black-throated Diver

15. Red-throated Diver

16. Capercaillie’

17. Great Skua

18. Arctic Skua

19. Tree Sparrow

20. Hen Harrier

... and perhaps a few mammals too, including Otter, Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Brown Hare, Mountain Hare, Red Squirrel, Grey Seal, Common Seal, Red Deer and Roe Deer.

Early September is a great time to visit the Highlands; all our Scottish specials have fledged chicks, so bird numbers are at their peak and with dependent young it also means they can be easier to find than in the middle of summer. We also have the excitement of migration, with waders and wildfowl numbers building and chances of rarities being found too. We visit the West Coast to find Red and Black-throated Diver, Black Guillemot, Hooded Crow and Whitetailed Eagle amid stunning late summer scenery. We also have two days around more local coastlines, visiting the Black Isle or Moray Coast to give us the best chances of skuas chasing the soon to depart terns and Kittiwakes, and also to see Ospreys fishing before they head back to Africa for the winter. The rich arable farmland here is good for Tree Sparrow, and with luck we should find Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer and Grey Partridge too. Around the Cairngorms we work hard to find all four UK grouse species, as well as pinewood specialities such as Crested Tit and Scottish Crossbill, with good chances of Golden and White-tailed Eagles over the crags, and the possibility of a roaming Hen Harrier over the moorland.

*While we are still seeing Capercaillie, and they remain on this list, please regard sightings of this species as 'incidental'.

Seven nights at Mountview Hotel.

combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Autumn in the Highlands with Easy Walking (p26), NEW! Highland Migration by Land and Sea (p25), Raptors & Grouse (p27), Autumn Migration in the Highlands (p26).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North Ron & Orkney in early Autumn for birders (p42).

AUTUMN MIGRATION in THE HIGHLANDS

SAT 2 SEPTEMBER – SAT 9 SEPTEMBER 2023

SAT 31 AUGUST – SATURDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2024

PRICES: from £1595pp

Early Birder Prices from £1445pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

A fantastic holiday featuring the special resident birds and exploring migration on both the west and east coasts of the Highland. With Northern breeders on the move, it is an exciting time, and we visit some of the best places and habitats for birdwatching on both land and sea. Close to our Highland base we seek Ptarmigan, Black Grouse, Crested Tit, Osprey, Scottish Crossbill and more. It’s a great time of year, with bird numbers at their highest as juvenile birds boost the local populations.

At this time anything can turn up and on a dedicated day we explore the attractive Tarbet Peninsular and we will also likely visit the Moray and Black Isle coasts too. All support high densities of farmland birds at the same time offering vast potential for migrant passerines and with busy estuaries and sea lochs nearby, we will accumulate a high day list on these days. An overnight stay on the west coast, gives us more time to search for top quality birds including Golden and White-tailed Eagle, three species of diver, seaduck and perhaps Twite if we are lucky. Otters are possible too and on our seatrip across the Minch we have chances of cetaceans and hope to see Petrels, Shearwaters, Skuas or perhaps a rarity among commoner seabirds. Absorbing birding during a busy period in the Scottish birding calendar. Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights on the West Coast.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

20 Scottish Specials (p26), NEW! Highland Migration by Land and Sea (p25), The Outer Limits Adventure (p27), Raptors and Grouse (p27).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North Ron & Orkney in Autumn for birders (p42), Outer Hebrides in early Autumn for birders (p43).

RAPTORS & GROUSE

SAT 2 SEPTEMBER – SAT 9 SEPTEMBER, SAT 9 SEPTEMBER – SAT 16 SEPTEMBER 2023

SAT 31 AUGUST – SAT 7 SEPTEMBER, SAT 7 SEPTEMBER – SAT 14 SEPTEMBER 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Early Birder Prices from £1545pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

This is a superb time to come to Scotland – autumn migration is in full swing; the tree and heather colours are turning, and our target birds are at their highest numbers with all youngsters fledged. On this itinerary we seek an ambitious list of raptors heading to the best sites to look for them. The list is mouth-watering: White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Buzzard, Osprey, Red Kite, Hen Harrier, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel with chances of Merlin, Goshawk and Short-eared Owl. To maximise our chances, we include an overnight stay on Magical Mull, a superb place to gain close views of many raptors in stunning Hebridean scenery! Our grouse targets are Capercaillie, Ptarmigan, Black Grouse and Red Grouse, the four naturally occurring species in the British Isles. The Highlands of Scotland is the only place to see them all!

We visit our exclusive private estate woodlands where we have incidental chances of Capercaillie, though these birds are now very rare. Ptarmigan will be in high corries of the Cairngorms and this is the time of peak numbers so we stand a good chance. Red Grouse are found commonly on the moors around our Hotel in Nethy Bridge, while rarer Black Grouse are active locally. Other specialities inland include Crested Tit and Scottish Crossbill while other birds likely on our Mull adventure include Black Grouse, Black Guillemot, Hooded Crow, Red-throated Diver, Slavonian Grebe, Goosander, Redpoll, Stonechat, Twite and more.

September birding along the Moray Coast and on the Black Isle is particularly enjoyable, as newly arriving winter migrants complement remaining summer visitors. Birds may include Osprey fishing, rafts of Common Eider, Goosander, Red-breasted Merganser, Stonechat, returning Common and Velvet Scoter, Black and Red-throated Diver, autumn waders including Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and Ringed Plover. We search for any rarities within reach and have seen Pectoral Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper and Little Gull at this time. In farmland habitats there are building numbers of Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Linnet and Tree Sparrow, and Merlin visit, perching on bales and fenceposts waiting for flocks of Meadow Pipits and other passerines.

Total species c. 120. Mammals may include Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Common Seal. Otter, Mountain Hare, Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise are possible. Six nights at Mountview Hotel. One night on Mull.

THE ‘OUTER LIMITS’ ADVENTURE

SAT 9 SEPTEMBER – SAT 16 SEPTEMBER, SAT 16 SEPTEMBER –SAT 23 SEPTEMBER, SAT 23 SEPTEMBER – SAT 30 SEPTEMBER 2023

SAT 7 SEPTEMBER – SAT 14 SEPTEMBER, SAT 14 SEPTEMBER –

SAT 21 SEPTEMBER, SAT 21 SEPTEMBER – SAT 28 SEPTEMBER 2024

PRICE: from £1795pp

Early Birder Prices from £1645pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking!

No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

A real adventure, including two nights in the island wilderness of Lewis, Harris and Skye. With Black Grouse, Ptarmigan, Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Crested Tit and Scottish Crossbill, seabird flocks, migration all around the coast and the possibility of rarities, this is a unique and very exciting holiday.

In the Caledonian pinewoods there are good numbers of Crested Tit with roaming Scottish Crossbill also in small flocks. Golden Eagle, Peregrine, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel are in the glens and the Red Deer rut reaches its peak.

We make a three-day visit to the northern Outer Hebrides, frequently chosen by guides and guests as one of the highlights of the Heatherlea year. We scan for Manx Shearwater, Great and Arctic Skua, Storm Petrel, Gannet, auks and more from our ferry. Sooty Shearwater, Leach’s Petrel, Pomarine and Long-tailed Skua, Grey Phalarope plus Minke Whale, Bottle-nosed, Risso’s and Common Dolphins, Harbour Porpoise and Grey and Common Seal are all possible too. On Harris we may see eagles and checking sheltered bays for seaduck may reveal rare Surf Scoter, King Eider, three diver species and Slavonian Grebe. On Lewis we visit headlands for seabirds, waders, Twite and migrant passerines, walk the woods for Hebridean races of Wren and Song Thrush and target boggy lochans for American vagrants. We may get falls of southbound migrants with Pink-footed Goose, Snow and Lapland Bunting possible. Golden and White-tailed Eagles, Hen Harrier and Merlin are also frequently seen.

Back in the Strath, Black Grouse are returning to the lek and in our exclusive private estate woodlands we have incidental chances of Capercaillie, though these birds are now very rare. We also visit the Moray Firth to search the concentrations of seabirds that make this coast such a magnet for birders. Common and Velvet Scoter, Long-tailed Duck and Red-throated

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

20 Scottish Specials (p26), NEW! Highland Migration by Land and Sea (p25), Autumn Migration in the Highlands (p25), The Outer Limits Adventure (p27).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North Ron & Orkney in Autumn for birders (p42), Outer Hebrides in early Autumn for birders (p43), Shetland in Autumn for birders (p44).

Divers are all possible, as are many waders in autumn. Ptarmigan are our target on the mountain day and Snow Bunting may be seen.

Total species approx. 115. Other wildlife should include Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Mountain Hare and other sea life.

Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights at a comfortable hotel on the Outer Hebrides.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Autumn Migration in the Highlands (p26), Raptors & Grouse (p27), Highlands & Skye in Autumn (p28).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North Ron & Orkney in Autumn for birders (p42), Shetland in Autumn for birders (p43), Unexplored Orkney (p44), Outer Hebrides in Autumn for birders (p44).

HIGHLANDS and SKYE in AUTUMN

SAT 30 SEPTEMBER – SAT 7

SAT 28 SEPTEMBER –

PRICES: from £1795pp

Early Birder Prices from £1645pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

Autumn on Skye is magical from mountain top to sea, and perhaps the best time for eagles as young birds make the most of autumnal winds. Waders move through in good numbers and moorland birds have formed flocks, ranging on the coast. Back home in Strathspey specialities and newly arriving thrushes, geese and waders provide superb birding during a classic week.

An early morning visit to the Black Grouse lek will get us off to a great start, and later we visit exclusive private estate woodlands for Capercaillie where staying inside our minibus we have incidental chances to see the 'horse of the forest' responsibly. A walk in the nearby Abernethy Forest may produce Crested Tit and Scottish Crossbill, and moorland specialities include Peregrine, Red Grouse, Merlin and Hen Harrier, with Goosander and Dipper on the rivers. Heading towards Skye we work slowly west via mountainous Torridon with its long sealochs and quaint villages, favoured coastlines for Otters, waders and wildfowl. In autumn on Skye, magical low light and changing weather give us picture-postcard views around every turn, with concentrations of Golden and White-tailed Eagles and good chances of Hen Harrier and Merlin. Divers will be returning to the coastline with good numbers of Great Northern in particular and a wide range of birdlife including Black Guillemot and Twite.

In the hills we concentrate on Ptarmigan and rarely fail to find the birds. Local birding gives excellent chances of Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Bullfinch and woodland species, already in winter flocks. Nearby fields often hold freshly arrived Redwing and Fieldfare and flocks of finches and buntings may contain Brambling. Autumn along the Moray Coast can be stunning. Rafts of seaduck include Velvet and Common Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Eider and Red-breasted Merganser. We search for rarities, which in recent years have included Surf Scoter, King Eider and (just once), Steller’s Eider. Geese will be in good number, and waders should include Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and Ringed Plover. With luck farmland will be busy, with chances of Grey Partridge, Corn Bunting and perhaps Whooper Swans. A marvellous feast of autumn birding!

Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights at a comfortable hotel on Skye.

HIGHLAND AUTUMN BIRDING

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

The Outer Limits Adventure (p27), Highland Autumn Birding (p28).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Shetland in Autumn for birders (p43), Unexplored Orkney (p44), Outer Hebrides in Autumn for birders (p44).

SAT 14 OCTOBER – SAT 21 OCTOBER, SAT 21 OCTOBER – SAT 28 OCTOBER 2023

SAT 12 OCTOBER – SAT 19 OCTOBER, SAT 19 OCTOBER – SAT 26 OCTOBER 2024

PRICES: from £1595pp

Early Birder Prices from £1445pp (subject to availability). Contact us before booking! No single supplement. Full details and a Trip Report are on our website. Please read FIELD NOTES on page 9.

Exciting ‘local’ birding plus a three day adventure to remotest Aberdeenshire, one of the best yet most under watched birding counties in the UK! We cover all habitats from mountain to sea, giving a full flavour of how good birding can be in the Highlands in Autumn. Particular focus is given to the key spectacle of large numbers of wildfowl recently arrived from breeding grounds. We enjoy the numbers and look closely for rarities hidden amongst the commoner species! With big rafts of seaduck, fields full of geese and a good range of migrant and resident birds, this is an unforgettable week.

An early morning visit to the Black Grouse lek will get us off to a great start, and later we visit exclusive private estate woodlands for Capercaillie where staying inside our minibus we have incidental chances to see the 'horse of the forest' responsibly. A walk in the nearby Abernethy Forest for Crested Tit and Scottish Crossbill is followed by a search for moorland specialities including Peregrine, Red Grouse, Merlin, Hen Harrier and Golden Eagle. Mountain Hare, Raven, and White-tailed Eagle are frequently seen.

We head east to the Ythan estuary, where goose flocks can be in the thousands, perhaps containing rarities such as Snow or Red-breasted Goose. Vast rafts of Common and Velvet Scoter are possible, with good chances of rarer Surf, Black or White-winged Scoter and King Eider. More usual are Great Northern and Red-throated Diver and seabirds, sometimes being chased by a late Pomarine or Great Skua. Waders include Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and Ringed Plover and just about anything can turn up. Passerines originating in Scandinavia can arrive en masse in east winds and in favourable conditions we spend time in coastal scrub searching for them.

We work the under-watched Loch of Strathbeg carefully. Often there is a bigger autumn birdlist here than at Titchwell or Minsmere! Scarce wildfowl are regular, and we spend time looking through ducks in particular. In arable farmland we hope to find Grey Partridge, Corn Bunting and Tree Sparrow, and in busy harbours Iceland and Glaucous Gull. Royal Deeside, famous for Balmoral Castle, is good for crossbills, Goshawk and Golden Eagle and moors hold Red Grouse and a few Mountain Hare. On high hills we search for Ptarmigan and rarely fail to find them. Snow Bunting are possible too, especially when the tops are snow covered. Five nights at Mountview Hotel. Two nights at a comfortable hotel on the east coast.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands and Skye in Autumn (p28), Short Breaks – Scottish Birding in Autumn (p12).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Outer Hebrides in Autumn for birders (p44), Islay and Jura (p45).

SCOTTISH ISLAND HOLIDAYS

Birding and wildlife

The Scottish islands are simply stunning, and with Heatherlea the best wildlife watching experiences are readily available. Fancy seeing Corncrake on Iona? How about shearwaters as you cruise to Canna? Many itineraries are unique, and in 2023 we offer more holiday choice than ever, all designed to give you the best of wildlife at the best time of year. You don’t even need a car to visit some of the most beautiful and wildlife-rich places on earth, we take care of your travel arrangements by including transfers (see below).

Ideal for birders and general wildlife enthusiasts alike

These holidays are ideal if you want to see some of the rarest and difficult-to-find birds of the British Isles. Some holidays target specific species, including Corncrake and White-tailed Eagle, though on all we are keenly interested in mammals (especially Otter and cetaceans), insects, flora and more. We move at a leisurely pace, giving you time in the evenings before a relaxed dinner, though we move quickly when rare migrants and vagrants are in our sights. We also take time to enjoy the scenery; after all, we are visiting some of the most beautiful places on the planet!

Personal Service

We have a maximum number of seven clients per guide for most holidays. This means more personal attention, and more time with your Guide to help you get the best possible sightings. Heatherlea is a small company run BY birders FOR birders, where our clients really do come first. Come and see!

What’s included in each holiday

• comfortable en-suite accommodation. Any exceptions will be identified in advance. We choose from our personally inspected shortlist, where birders are welcome, and the hospitality is special. Guests are never expected to share. Full details with your joining pack.

• all meals from dinner on arrival, then packed lunch each day, until breakfast on the final day.

• all ferries, other boat trips and flights as stated in the itinerary. Please note that transport to the joining point is not included, nor are flights from mainland airports to islands (eg Aberdeen – Shetland). All access fees.

• the services of your Heatherlea Guide.

• transfers from Nethy Bridge (See below).

Transfers included

Many holidays, particularly to northern islands, begin here in Nethy Bridge, with courtesy transfers to ferry points or airports, saving you money. This is often the most economical way to visit the remotest parts of Scotland – Heatherlea make it easy and give you real savings.

You may book an extra night’s stay at either end of your holiday, and drivers may leave vehicles safely parked at Mountview Hotel free of charge. Please note that extra nights are rarely available within Mountview Hotel, which has only twelve guest rooms. Our near neighbours Nethy Hotel are within easy walking distance, and we can transfer luggage on request. See ‘Getting Here is Easy’ on p7 for suggestions to help you reach Nethy Bridge.

If using public transport, we provide a courtesy transfer service between Aviemore and The Mountview Hotel. We pick-up at 16.30 hours and 19:30 hours, on SATURDAYS ONLY. If arriving by public transport on a different day, you can transfer to your overnight hotel by taxi (please contact us for up-to-date taxi details). Morning dropoffs to Aviemore train station are until 10.30am on the day of departure. As an alternative you can join the holiday at a point closer to our destination if that is more convenient - Oban, Aberdeen, Fort William and Uig on Skye are regular meeting points on some itineraries.

Combination holidays

You can take any SCOTTISH ISLAND holiday singly, but most are conveniently arranged to be enjoyed alongside either a Heatherlea week in the Highlands, or a second holiday elsewhere on the islands. If you combine, you make good use of time and minimise travel expenses too. Many Heatherlea clients choose this option, and there are lots of possible combinations; please see individual holiday text for suggestions.

More Detail

We can’t put everything in this brochure, there just isn’t space! To read an ‘Tour Info Pack’ or a ‘Trip Report’ with more information, please visit www.heatherlea.co.uk or ask our office for a printed copy.

OUTER HEBRIDES

NORTH RONALDSAY

SOLWAY FIRTH

ST KILDA

ORKNEY TIREE

COLL

SKYE ISLAY

MULL

ABERDEEN

COLONSAY

CANNA

The Scottish islands are wonderful for wind-blown rarities and sometimes ‘mega’ birds, perhaps never before or very rarely seen in the UK. Many Heatherlea birders have enjoyed exceptional birding on the islands, where we always expect the unexpected!

Heatherlea offer several spring and autumn itineraries where we concentrate particularly on the birds which can take your British list to new heights, and these are designated ‘for birders’ in this Brochure. Select specific ‘for birders’ holidays to North Ronaldsay, Outer Hebrides, Cornwall, Isles of Scilly and Shetland!

During these holidays we maintain our ‘less intensive’ approach, and sometimes birds are trapped at observatories where we can observe them closely at leisure or are available in roadside locations. At other times, birds are flighty or in places which might be difficult to reach, and then

we change plan and move more quickly to find them. You will need a reasonable level of mobility to appreciate these holidays to the full. At all times, we observe the Birdwatchers’ Code of Conduct, following common sense and good practice in the interests of both wildlife and wildlife enthusiasts.

Our exceptional guides have a massive amount of experience in finding rare birds in Scotland. Mark Warren was previously employed at North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory (where Heatherlea’s George Gay is now Assistant Warden), Peter Cosgrove works in conservation on Shetland, and Mike Coleman, Ian Ford, Scott O’Hara and Toby Green have been birding Scotland’s outlying islands for many years. Keep in touch with our sightings by subscribing to our social media.

For birdwatchers across the UK, autumn can be an exciting time and especially so here on the islands. With holidays on the Shetlands, Orkneys and Outer Hebrides there is a great variety!

The first rarity of the second half was a Sabine’s Gull found by Mike in mid-July, and by August it was seabirds to the fore, the unprecedented numbers of Sooty Shearwater the main talking point. Our early-autumn tour of North Ronaldsay enjoyed some 500 in just a few hours, a tally you wouldn’t imagine beatable until a conservative 700 were logged crossing the Minch, a Great Shearwater among them. An unseasonal adult Woodchat Shrike was found out in the wilds by Holly and her bespoke American group, arguably bird of the month. Goes to show what might be out there! Much more familiar (to our American friends at least) was the Pectoral Sandpiper she found two days later! North Ronaldsay was clearly the place to be in August, easterly winds bringing a nice selection of scarcities to the island. Mike and his early-autumn group again profited scoring sightings of Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, American Golden Plover and Little Ringed Plover, the latter the rarest of the lot in the Orkney archipelago!

The spell of easterly winds continued into September, Mark and our Autumn Migration group really hitting the jackpot with migrants and rarities on both the east and west coasts. Featuring were a stunning female Brown Shrike, three Red-backed Shrike, Melodious Warbler, Common Rosefinch plus Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, and common warblers in good numbers. Birds were everywhere, while the Minch delivered again with eight Great Shearwater on the crossings. Nearctic waders often feature this month, and we scored on two consecutive days. Firstly, Jenna and the Outer Limits group found a juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper on Lewis, followed by Chris and the North Ronaldsay group with a lovely Long-billed Dowitcher. Other successes included Nightjar and more Great Shearwaters.

Being in Shetland for two weeks at the end of September had its advantages for Holly, as her first group enjoyed Citrine Wagtail, Wryneck, Barred, Yellow-browed, Wood and Western Bonelli’s Warbler to name but a few. Her second, late-September tour with Mark enjoyed at least one rarity daily. Top billing went to a late afternoon Swainson’s Thrush, although the rarest bird (and Heatherlea’s entire autumn) was a homeyeri Great Grey Shrike, a likely first for Britain identified retrospectively.

With a supporting cast including King Eider, Surf Scoter, Wryneck, Woodchat and Red-backed Shrike, Blyth’s Reed, Barred and Yellow-browed Warbler, Hornemann’s Arctic Redpoll and Common Rosefinch, this was a wonderful tour; Shetland will always be a favourite for Heatherlea clients! Also in September, Lewis and Harris really came up trumps for our Outer Limits group, guides Chris and Dave barely believing their own eyes when a superb whitemorph Gyr flew over their heads and perched on a hillside! An epic raptor for sure, and with Leach’s Petrel, masses of Sooty Shearwaters and the world’s second largest mammal – a Fin Whale also featuring, there were plenty of ‘write-ins´ on the weekly checklist!

Still in the west, a Ring-necked Duck was a nice rarity from the west, with point blank views of Grey Phalarope, Lapland Bunting and one of the only Long-tailed Skuas of the autumn too. What a wonderful autumn!

SCOTTISH ISLAND HOLIDAYS

UP HELLY AA! – SHETLAND in

FRI 26 JANUARY – THURS 1 FEBRUARY 2024

GUIDE PRICE: £1845pp

Single supplement: £195. Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader from our experienced team Price excludes flight from Aberdeen.

Rugged Shetland is a wild and beautiful place throughout the year, and this new trip explores the isles in winter, its hardy wildlife and the unique Viking heritage. The Up Helly Aa Viking Fire Festival is famous the world over, a real spectacle which will be a feature of this holiday as we take in cultural experiences and marvel at the parades finishing with the burning of the Galley ship.

We mainly focus on coastal wildlife, wildfowl featuring strongly as we search local goose flocks for scarcer species such as Tundra and Taiga Bean, Barnacle and Whitefronted (both races) Goose. Birdwatching in sheltered bays can offer Great Northern and Red-throated Diver, Slavonian Grebe, Long-tailed Duck, Eider, Black Guillemot (Tysties), Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone. Glaucous and Iceland Gull occur anywhere the fishing industry is active and there is a chance of Little Auk too. Passerines are scarce at this time but we should see Twite and Rock Pipit, with Snow Bunting and Waxwing possible, while raptors are likely to include Merlin and Peregrine. Shetland is renowned for rarities and in recent winters White-billed Diver, Pied-billed Grebe, Lesser Scaup, Ring Necked Duck, King Eider, Surf Scoter, Brunnich’s Guillemot, Snowy Owl and Gyrfalcon have all been recorded.

WINTER

On the moors a few Red Grouse might stand out from the heather and Mountain Hare can be found on higher ground such as at Ronas Hill. It’s a great time of year to look for Otter as individuals wander the coast and lochs in search of food. Cetaceans are fast becoming a feature of a Shetland winter too with Humpback, Fin and Killer Whale more regular in recent years. We will be keen to follow up on any reported animals and we may well see dolphins, Harbour Porpoise, Common and Grey Seal too. With dark skies and little light pollution, winter can also be one of the best periods to witness the stunning Aurora Borealis – there can be no guarantees of course, but with luck we might get a show!

MULL & ISLAY

SAT 25 FEBRUARY – FRI 3 MARCH 2023

SAT 24 FEBRUARY – FRI 1 MARCH 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Single supplement: £125. Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader: Ian Ford (2023)

A late-winter itinerary combining two of our favourite island destinations! We have timed this holiday so the winter wildfowl spectacle of tens of thousands of geese, ducks and waders on Islay can be coupled with both White-tailed and Golden Eagle, plus Hen Harrier, divers and Otters on Mull. Both islands are incredibly beautiful, scenic and wildlife rich and with the lovely glow of Scottish light at this time of year, this is a photographer’s dream.

We start on Mull, enjoying relatively empty roads to cover many of our favoured wildlife watching areas. Heatherlea have been visiting Mull in March for many years, and we know just the right spots to find our key targets whatever the weather or tides. After a few days of gentle exploration we head back to the Mainland, making a slow transfer to deepest Argyll. We then board the ferry for our transfer to Islay. The crossing takes around two hours, heading first down West Loch Tarbert, excellent for Great Northern Diver and Slavonian Grebe. This is a stunning voyage and in the right light a breathtaking way to arrive on Islay.

Islay is rightly famous for its wildfowl, we should see many thousands of geese, plus good numbers and diversity of waders and ducks. Islay is much more fertile and low lying than Mull, though we still expect to see eagles. With so much wildfowl diversity the raptors can’t stay away! This period is a key time for scarce winter visitors too, with good chances of Glaucous and Iceland Gull, Purple Sandpiper and Long-tailed Duck with every possibility of a rarity. In recent years Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, Cackling Goose and Gyr Falcon have all been recorded at this time of year. Number of centres: 2.

Combine with: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highland Winter Birding (p13), Highlands & the East Coast (p13).

NORTH RONALDSAY and ORKNEY in Spring for birders

SAT 6 MAY – FRI 12 MAY 2023

SAT 4 MAY – FRI 10 MAY, SAT 11 MAY – FRI 17 MAY 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Single Supplement £130. Deposit: £300pp Max 7 clients. Leader George Gay (2023)

This holiday features the best of Orkney in spring, including the fabulous migration outpost of North Ronaldsay. The birding potential here is tremendous, who can forget the 2017 Red-winged Blackbird or the 2019 Mourning Dove! – both enjoyed by Heatherlea groups! We hope to tap into prime-time spring passage, when this tiny island is a magnet for large numbers and a great variety of birds.

We transfer from Heatherlea to mainland Orkney with our ferry crossing offering a variety of seabirds. Our first full day in the field will be spent birding Mainland Orkney where we hope to find nesting birds including Red-throated Diver, Hen Harrier, Shorteared Owl and an abundance of waders. We will take in some of the seabird colonies and if we get word of any scarce migrants or Orca nearby can be flexible to try and target them too.

The short (15 minute) flight to North Ronaldsay, in the 8 seat, Islander plane offers a unique opportunity to see the beautiful Orkney Islands from above. We stay at the Bird Observatory, the perfect base where we can witness and learn about the daily ringing and bird census throughout our stay. Our birding schedule will be dictated by weather on a largely flat island, with good roads and easy access to most ‘hotspots’. In the right conditions, fantastic falls of Scandinavian bound migrants can arrive, with Tree Pipit, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart and a wide variety of warblers and finches. Scarcities including Dotterel, Wryneck, Bluethroat, Red-backed Shrike, Icterine Warbler, Lapland Bunting and Common Rosefinch may be found during this period. We have timed our visit with one of the best periods for both migrants and rarities – our tours have certainly been lucky in the past! Local breeding birds include Twite, Black Guillemot, Raven, Arctic Tern and Fulmar, while thousands of migrant waders can be present with huge flocks of Turnstone, Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin, Knot and Sanderling lining the beaches, mostly in stunning summer plumage.

Please note that this is a ‘for birders’ tour, principally focused on finding and identifying rare birds of our own. For those who would like a more general tour of North Ronaldsay & Orkney, we recommend our Orkney Island Explorer (p36) or Orkney in High Summer (p41) holidays.

Total species c. 90. Number of centres: 2.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands and Skye (p17), Birding the Highlands in May (p17).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Outer Hebrides in Spring (p36), Shetland in Spring for birders (p36).

OUTER HEBRIDES in SPRING

SAT 6 MAY – FRI 12 MAY, SAT 13 MAY – FRI 19 MAY, SAT 20 MAY – FRI 26 MAY 2023

SAT 11 MAY – FRI 17 MAY, SAT 18 MAY – FRI 24 MAY 2024

PRICES: from £1745pp

Single supplement: £225. Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients per leader. Leaders Holly Page & Ian Ford (2023)

This cracking holiday celebrates the tremendous birding available here in spring. We stay for six nights on the Outer Hebrides and popular target species include Corncrake, both eagles, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, four Skuas, waders in summer colours, Otter and perhaps the first returning Red-necked Phalarope or lekking Ruff, on the islands of South Uist, Benbecula, and North Uist. We also target any rarities on the southern Hebrides during our visit, and these can be special; Black-billed Cuckoo, White-winged Tern, Snowy Owl, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling, Arctic Redpoll, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and American Wigeon have all been recorded in recent years, and Dotterel are possible too – a great six days!

We cross the famous Skye Bridge, travelling through the island to Uig. Sea-watching as we cross The Little Minch to Lochmaddy might include skuas, Manx Shearwater and Fulmar, Gannet, Black Guillemot and the other breeding British auks are expected.

Everyone who has ever joined this holiday has seen Corncrake, and we target this special bird almost as soon as we arrive. Corn Bunting, Ringed Plover, Meadow Pipit and Skylark make the machair a special habitat – full of song! Summer-plumaged Great Northern Diver are likely, as are ‘real’ Rock Dove and Raven. Arctic Skua breed, Great Skua are usually seen, and in westerly winds often see passage of Pomarine and Long-tailed Skua offshore, sometimes by the hundreds –unforgettable! Gull numbers are good, with a scattering of scarcities thrown in, such as Iceland and Glaucous Gull. Mountains hold both Golden and White-tailed Eagle, meadows and fields support Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl, and we often watch Otters playing on the coastline. Rare and delicate Red-necked Phalarope are expected from the middle of the month, and other waders should include Whimbrel, both godwits, and thousands of Dunlin, Knot, Sanderling and Turnstone, many in summer plumage. We return via Skye, before driving to Nethy Bridge on Friday evening after a feast of birds! We stay in comfortable en-suite accommodation throughout.

Total species c. 90. Number of centres: 1.

SHETLAND in SPRING for birders

SAT 6 MAY – SAT 13 MAY 2023

SAT 11 MAY – SAT 18 MAY 2024

PRICES: from £1895pp

Single supplement: £230. Deposit: £300pp

Price excludes flight from Aberdeen. Max 7 clients. Leader Mark Warren (2023)

This holiday combines the long days of late spring with superb birding. May is a great time, with migrants arriving daily (sometimes in impressive 'falls' of hundreds of birds), many in fine breeding colours. We dedicate time to searching for our own rarities, and typical scarce birds include Red-backed Shrike, Bluethroat, Common Rosefinch, Wryneck, Rustic Bunting and Subalpine Warbler, with ‘overshoots’ from the Mediterranean expected. If the winds shift to the south-east, birds of Eastern Europe or even Siberia might be found. Anything is possible!

A visit to Hermaness on Unst is always superb, with Great and Arctic Skua and nesting waders such as Golden Plover, Snipe and Dunlin at close range on a moorland walk. At the cliffs we have incredible views down into a bustling gannetry and enjoy other seabirds in high numbers at the most northerly part of Britain! Other key destinations include Sumburgh Head, one of the best land-based watchpoints for Killer Whales, under-watched West Mainland for migrants and the island of Fetlar, a good place for Otters and famous for nesting Red-necked Phalarope, which in an ‘early spring’ can return about this time.

We take time to bird many of the voes and inlets, looking for passage seaduck and Great Northern Diver. White-billed Diver and King Eider are annual, and on headlands in the west we may see a late Snow or Lapland Bunting, or perhaps passing Dotterel. There is the possibility of Pomarine and Long-tailed Skua on passage in westerlies and our groups have struck lucky in the past, such as in 2019 when they found a spring Buff-breasted Sandpiper! There are many nesting waders, with Redshank, Lapwing, Curlew, Oystercatcher and Ringed Plover at high densities, large numbers of Twite, Rock Pipit and Wheatear, and rare nesting birds including plentiful Red-throated Diver, Whooper Swan and Whimbrel; a feast of birding!

This holiday is best suited to birders because should a rarity turn up, or if we need to spend time identifying a tricky bird that takes precedent. Historical sites, shops and cultural aspects take a backseat on this holiday in favour of superb birding! Number of centres: 2.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands and Skye (p17) Birding the Highlands in May (p17), Highlands & Corncrake (p18), Birding the North Coast 500 (p18).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North Ronaldsay & Orkney in Spring for birders (p32), Shetland in Spring for birders (p33), Shetland Island Explorer (p34), Islands on the Edge (p35).

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Birding the Highlands in May (p17), Highlands & Corncrake (p18).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North Ronaldsay & Orkney in Spring for birders (p32), Outer Hebrides in Spring (p33), Shetland Island Explorer (p34).

SHETLAND ISLAND EXPLORER

SAT 13 MAY – SAT 20 MAY, SAT 20 MAY – SAT 27 MAY 2023

SAT 18 MAY – SAT 25 MAY, SAT 25 MAY – SAT 1 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £2045pp

Single supplement: £230. Deposit: £300pp

Price excludes flights from Aberdeen to Sumburgh Max 7 clients. Leader Scott O’Hara (2023)

Shetland is rugged, windswept and wild yet superb when explored in late spring, when long evenings give way to an ethereal twilight known as the ‘Simmer Dim’. There will be lots of highlights on this trip. We stand on the very far north of Unst, with views past white rocks covered with nesting Gannets to the lighthouse at Muckle Flugga, the most northerly British islands. Another day, we stand by the lighthouse at Sumburgh, Shetland’s most southerly tip, with views to Fair Isle. In-between, our time is devoted to these islands of rolling hills, jagged sea-cliffs and secluded sheltered havens for windblown birds. We also take several spectacular boat trips to visit the more remote offshore islands, all busy with birds.

The Shetland Isles are the summer home to some of the biggest seabird colonies in Britain. At this time Gannet, Puffin, Guillemot, Razorbill and Black Guillemot number over half a million in total. Offshore Kittiwake, Common and Arctic Tern are harassed by marauding Great and Arctic Skua to relinquish their catch. The (endemic) ‘Shetland’ Wren is common, as are breeding Wheatear, Meadow and Rock Pipit and Twite. Moorland lochs host Redthroated Diver in stunning breeding plumage, plus wildfowl and waders. Two birds of national significance which breed here are Whimbrel and Red-necked Phalarope, both with very small populations but we have every chance of finding them at known sites. Many guests list a visit to the Storm Petrel colony on Mousa as their highlight. To stand in the best kept iron-age broch in the world at dusk, as tiny Storm Petrels flit around and churr from the walls and stone beaches is truly magical. Shetland is a very good place to see Otters, Common and Grey Seal while cetaceans including Harbour Porpoise, Minke Whale and Orca occur annually, and we will follow up on reports if nearby. We take two dedicated birding boat trips plus several scheduled ferries as we cover the birdlife of at least six islands. You will visit Fetlar, Mousa and Noss (non-landing), as well as birding extensively on Unst, Yell and Mainland. Truly a holiday for the ‘island explorer’, as we witness some of the most impressive scenery and wildlife in the country; a fantastic experience in the long, northern summer. Total species c. 65. Number of centres: 2.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Birding the Highlands in May (p17), Highlands and Corncrake (p18), High Season across the Highlands (p19).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Outer Hebrides in Spring (p33), North Ronaldsay & Orkney in Spring for birders (p32), Shetland in Spring for birders (p33).

MULL, IONA and the TRESHNISH ISLES

TUES 16 MAY – SAT 20 MAY 2023

TUES 14 MAY – SAT 18 MAY 2024

PRICES: from £1595pp

Single supplement: £225. Deposit £300pp Max 7 clients. Leader Barry Embling (2023)

Mull is a wildlife paradise, with higher densities of Golden and White-tailed Eagles than anywhere else in Britain, plus Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Raven and a range of northern moorland species. The fields hold many waders, including Snipe, Golden Plover, Curlew, Lapwing and Oystercatcher, and we always plan to spend time Otter watching. All this amongst magnificent scenery, featuring towering cliffs, picturesque shorelines, rocky foreshores, and beautiful pristine beaches.

The coastal habitat is extra special, and we enjoy a thrilling boat trip to the Isle of Staffa, where we have enough time to visit Fingal’s Cave, scanning for Great Skua too. Later we go to the tiny isle of Lunga, where the ‘Puffin experience’ is one of the best in the British Isles. Passing right by the burrows, the birds are tolerant, and a careful birder can enjoy views at just a few feet. Further along, other auk species, Shag and gulls can be safely appreciated at close range. Photographers will love this! A quiet walk away from the main cliffs and we may hear Twite, Rock Pipit and Wheatear singing. From the boat, we enjoy the breeding seabirds at ‘their level’ perhaps seeing Kittiwake, Manx Shearwater Arctic Tern and perhaps tiny Storm Petrel or cetaceans too

As well as thoroughly exploring Mull itself, including some lesser-known hotspots, we visit the small island of Iona. Any lingering Great Northern Diver will be superb in summer finery, and an absorbing day should once again include both eagle species and perhaps Otter. The grassy fields on Iona hold Corncrake, the meadows around the Abbey often a favoured location. There can be up to 20 males calling, and although we can’t guarantee a sighting, we are often rewarded with a glimpse or two and should hear the birds rasping. On recent trips we have seen Common Dolphin, Minke Whale, Killer Whale, Basking Shark and even a Bearded Seal – a really exciting holiday. Total species c. 70. Number of centres: 1.

Combine with: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS Highlands & Corncrake (p18).

ISLANDS ON THE EDGE from Coll and Tiree to the Uists

SAT 20 MAY – SAT 27 MAY, SAT 3 JUNE – SAT 10 JUNE 2023

SAT 25 MAY – SAT 1 JUNE, SAT 8 JUNE – SAT 15 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £2095pp

Single supplement: £245. Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients per departure. Leader Chris Rodger (1st departure), Ian Ford (2nd departure).

This eight-day, nine-island tour takes us to North Uist, South Uist, Benbecula, Berneray, Barra and Eriskay and boasts three nights on Coll and Tiree. With the machair coming into full bloom, Corncrake rasping, Snipe drumming, Redshank, Arctic and Little Terns vociferously guarding territories, and Basking Shark, Minke Whale and Common and Grey Seals around the white, sandy shorelines, this holiday really is a wonderful celebration of Scottish island wildlife. The holiday begins in Nethy Bridge, drive across Skye and take the ferry to the Outer Hebrides, watching for cetaceans and seabirds in ‘The Minch’ as we go. We explore North and South Uist, Berneray, Benbecula and Eriskay, to see Otter, Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Red-necked Phalarope, terns, skuas, auks, waders, Corncrake, Great Northern Diver, Common Redpoll, and Black Guillemot. Rarities could include Ring-necked Duck, American Wigeon, Glaucous or Iceland Gull, or even Snowy Owl. We reach Barra via Eriskay, and after exploring this small island take the ferry to Tiree, watching again for cetaceans, Basking Shark, auks, divers, Gannet and perhaps Storm Petrel.

Everyone loves to see Corncrake, and Tiree is home to more calling males than anywhere else in Britain. Tiree also has a nationally important population of breeding waders, and the machair is full of Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Snipe and Ringed Plover chicks. Pintail is a rare breeder and sounds at night could include the buzzing song of Grasshopper Warbler, the bizarre call of Water Rail, the liquid song of Quail or even the ‘whip-lash’ call of rare Spotted Crake. On nearby Coll, we listen and look for Corncrake, and search for Basking Shark and Otter along the coasts. Perhaps the most under-visited of all large Scottish islands, Coll and Tiree are special places.

Our final ferry takes us between the Ardnamurchan Peninsula and Mull to Oban, keeping our eyes open for Harbour Porpoise, Bottle-nosed, Common and Risso’s Dolphins, Minke Whale and a host of seabirds including Manx Shearwater. From Oban, we drive back to Nethy Bridge. Total species c. 90. Number of centres: 4.

NEW! ARRAN & AILSA CRAIG

Late Spring Wildlife of two very special islands

SAT 27 MAY – FRI 2 JUNE 2023

PRICES: from £1795pp

Single supplement: £300. Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader from our experienced team

Arran and the Ailsa Craig are both rarely visited birding destinations, yet both offer a wealth of wildlife, especially in the spring! Arran is a special island, often referred to as ‘Scotland in miniature’ due to the diversity of habitats and scenery in such a small space. Quiet roads are laid out in a convenient figure of eight, allowing good access to coastal birding sites with the high peaks which dominate the interior and rugged Goat-fell habitats in the north-east of the island. We dedicate at least two full days to the island, easily covering all corners to find key species such as Golden Eagle, Hen Harrier, Merlin, Otter, Red Deer, Red Squirrel and more before relocating to Ayrshire. Our timing will be perfect for many migrant species, with a good range of newly arrived breeding Cuckoo, warblers, chats and flycatchers. You will really feel that you have enjoyed the very best of Arran on this holiday!

Once we have transferred to the mainland, a spectacular boat trip to the Ailsa Craig will be a real highlight. Sitting far out in the Firth of Clyde, this stunning seabird colony throngs with life. Its famous Gannetry is impossible to miss, and with luck we will see the full suite of seabirds with cetaceans and seals possible too! As with most large seabird colonies, the numbers are made up with Guillemot, Razorbill and Kittiwake, with smaller numbers of Fulmar, Shag and a handful of Puffin. We plan to have a full day on the mainland, with time and flexibility to either explore farmland and coastal wildlife on the Rhins of Galloway or the RSPB reserve at the Mull of Galloway situated at Scotland’s most southerly point. The rich woodlands on the edge of the Galloway Forest may be visited, where Golden Eagle, Goshawk, Redstart, Wood Warbler and Pied Flycatcher are all possible. With plenty planned, our Arran and Ailsa Craig tour may be busy, but the relaxed pace allows plenty of opportunity to enjoy lots of great wildlife in wonderful surroundings. Total species c. 90. Number of centres: 2

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands & Corncrake (p18), High Season across the Highlands (p19), Outer Limits in Summer (p20).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Outer Hebrides in Spring (p33).

Combine with: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS Highlands & Corncrake (p18), Highlands & Orkney (p19). SCOTTISH ISLANDS Islands on the Edge (p35).

ORKNEY ISLAND EXPLORER

Westray, Hoy, Rousay, Burray and both South and North Ronaldsay

SAT 27 MAY – SAT 3 JUNE 2023

SAT 25 MAY – SAT 1 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £2095pp

Single supplement: £195. Deposit £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader Mike Coleman (2023)

This dedicated trip to Orkney is a wide-ranging exploration of these fabulous islands. The main focus is on birding, though scenery and archaeology are important too on this enjoyable holiday. Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl will be settling to breed, and Peregrine and Merlin hunt along the meadow fringes. Eight species of duck, including locally uncommon Shoveler and Pintail plus a variety of waders, including breeding Black-tailed Godwit and Snipe and Water Rail also frequent these areas. We visit seabird cliffs, and see waders, divers and passerines including Twite, plus Brown Hare, and Common and Grey Seal.

Island hopping is a key feature of this thorough exploration of Orkney. We visit Westray for its special seabirds, Rousay is famed for archaeology and Hoy is unique in the archipelago; three very different islands all with very different habitats and associated flora and fauna. On Mainland we have many options selecting the best sites for increased variety, dedicating time to the excellent Birsay Moors, the Loons RSPB and other great wildlife hotspots known to our guides.

Another highlight will be our ‘Islander’ flight to the tiny island of North Ronaldsay. Famed for its seaweed eating sheep, we stay at the Bird Observatory, a perfect base to work closely with the wardening team and learn about ‘island life’. In previous years we have seen scarce migrants including Red-backed Shrike, Golden Oriole, Nightjar, Icterine or Marsh Warbler, Bluethroat, Common Rosefinch and even a summering Grey Phalarope. It isn’t all birding though, and we have plenty of time to enjoy the unique feel of this enchanting small island.

On this holiday we also visit some of the finest archaeological sites in Britain. The World Heritage Site settlement of Skara Brae is a must-see, as are Maes Howe, the 6-metre high Standing Stones of Stenness and the 5000-year-old Ring of Brodgar. All entry fees are included in your holiday price and we will also plan to visit the Italian Chapel, Scapa Flow Museum and historic Kirkwall for its sites and for a spot of souvenir hunting in the narrow lanes. Total species c. 80. Number of centres: 2.

SHETLAND and ORKNEY

A highlights tour of both archipelago,

SAT 10 JUNE – SUN 18 JUNE 2023

SAT 15 JUNE – SUN 23 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £2295pp

Single supplement: £240. Deposit £300pp

Price excludes flight from Aberdeen. Max 7 clients. Leader from our experienced team

Combine with: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands & Corncrake (p18), Highlands and Orkney (p19), Outer Limits in Summer (p20).

exploring a variety of islands and habitats

Join us to enjoy some of the most impressive scenery and wildlife in Britain, and indulge in the culture, history and archaeology of these ancient lands. A fantastic experience in the long northern summer. We fly Aberdeen to Sumburgh and explore south Mainland, including a seawatch where we hope to see Puffins, and have a chance of Minke Whale, Harbour Porpoise and Orca. A visit to local lochs should produce Red-throated Diver and skuas, breeding Golden Plover, Whimbrel and Curlew, Black Guillemot, Twite and ‘Shetland’ Wren. We make a late evening visit to the Storm Petrel colony on Mousa, a spectacular show of sight, sound and smell!

We expect close-up views of Gannet, Guillemot, Razorbill, Puffin and Kittiwake by the thousand, and it is the sheer numbers which impress the most. Confiding Great and Arctic Skua are present, and Harbour Porpoise are likely from land or boat. We make ferry trips to Unst, the most northerly inhabited island, and Fetlar too, where dainty Red-necked Phalarope may be seen. Both are good for Otter, and at Hermaness from the 400ft high cliffs we overlook the lighthouse of Muckle Flugga and around 140,000 breeding seabirds! At another site we look for Edmondston’s Chickweed (Shetland Mouse-ear), one of the world’s rarest plants, endemic to Shetland.

After a great few days on Shetland watching birds in the ‘simmer dim’, we transfer to Orkney. An entirely different archipelago, where Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl quarter moorland in search of Orkney Vole, and Peregrine and Merlin hunt waders and passerines along the meadow fringes. Uncommon breeders include Shoveler and Pintail, Black-tailed Godwit and Snipe, with Water Rail on inland pools. Rich in archaeological interest the six-meter high Standing Stones of Stenness, Ring of Brodgar, 5000 year old Skara Brae are must visit sites, and we will also plan to include Maes Howe, Scapa Flow, the Churchill Barriers and the Italian Chapel as we explore these amazing islands. All access fees included. Return by air to Aberdeen. Total species c. 75. Number of centres: 3.

Combine with: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS Highlands & Orkney (p19).

NEW! WILDLIFE of ARGYLL & INNER HEBRIDEAN ISLANDS

An exciting new tour for all natural history enthusiasts

SAT 10 JUNE – SAT 17 JUNE 2023

SAT 8 JUNE – SAT 15 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £2195pp

Single supplement: £295. Deposit £300pp Max 7 clients. Leader Mike Coleman (2023)

Scotland's west coast is a haven for wildlife in summer, and the middle weeks of June in particular offer much for the all-round naturalist. On this new and exciting holiday, we enjoy all this area's flora and fauna, including birds, mammals, butterflies, dragonflies and both night and day flying moths. On this tour we visit exciting places on the mainland in Argyll, and seven islands near Oban, including rarely visited Lismore, Easdale and the Isle of Seil. Better known are Mull for its eagles and otters, Staffa for spectacular geology while the ’Puffin experience’ on Lunga is arguably the best in the UK. Iona with its imposing Abbey is green and lush in June, and Corncrake is a possibility on our visit here Around the greater Oban area, rare Chequered Skipper and Marsh Fritillary butterflies and scarce dragonflies including Beautiful Demoiselle, Hairy Dragonfly, Northern and Downy Emerald, Southern and Azure Hawker are all targets! On Mull we look for Keeled Skimmer rare Transparent and Slender Scotch Burnet Moth, the latter endemic to Mull and neighbouring Ulva. We plan to run a moth-trap overnight whenever we can too.

Birdlife is naturally abundant around Argyll’s coast and islands. Raptors will be well represented with both Golden and White-tailed Eagle, Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl likely. Summer plumage divers, breeding waders including Greenshank and Golden Plover and woodland songsters such as Wood Warbler, Cuckoo, Redstart and Spotted Flycatcher also feature among our birding targets. Otters may be encountered anywhere and an exciting boat into the Firth of Lorn for cetaceans and seals, passing the unpopulated Gravellach Isles and the famed Corryvreckan whirlpool will be a highlight. A great new tour for the natural history all-rounder celebrating the vast range of birds, mammals, insects, wildflowers and the Islands of Argyll. Number of centres: 2

INNER HEBRIDES from Canna to Iona

An Island hoping adventure on the west coast of Scotland.

FRI 23 JUNE – FRI 30 JUNE 2023

FRI 21 JUNE – FRI 28 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £2195pp

Single supplement: £295. Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader Ian Ford (2023)

This exciting journey through the Inner Hebrides takes you to seven beautiful islands, Canna, Eigg, Muck, Mull, Staffa, Lunga and Iona. We also visit remote Ardnamurchan, and travel through the scenic west coast between Mallaig and Morvern, a wild area of spectacular natural beauty. The wildlife is truly outstanding, and our days will be filled with seabirds, eagles, otters and cetaceans. The holiday is relaxed, and we stay at three centres as we make our way south from Mallaig to Mull.

We enjoy a day exploring Canna by foot, looking for eagles, skuas and other birdlife of the basalt cliffs, sea caves, green meadows, stacks and sandy shores. Minke Whale is an important target on an unforgettable boat trip across the sea to Eigg and Muck, and Basking Shark, Manx Shearwater, Black Guillemot, Raven, and maybe a tiny Storm Petrel ensure a wildlife day to remember! We may see ‘real’ Rock Dove, Hooded Crow, Red-throated Diver, thousands of Guillemot, Razorbill, a few Puffin, lots of Gannet, Kittiwake... birds all the way! Ardnamurchan peninsula is often overlooked, yet blessed with wonderful wildlife, and we have access to remote wilderness sites here, where we seek Otter. On Mull, a true wildlife paradise awaits and with more eagles than anywhere else in Britain we can expect excellent views along with Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Raven and a range of northern moorland species. It is also excellent for flowers and insects, with a good range of species, including Marsh and Dark Green Fritillaries. We enjoy another thrilling boat trip, first visiting the Isle of Staffa, where we can see Fingal’s Cave and also scan for breeding Great Skua. Any lingering Great Northern Diver will be superb in summer finery and continuing on to the tiny isle of Lunga next, the ‘Puffin experience’ is one of the best in the British Isles! Finally, we visit Iona, where the grassy fields around the ancient Abbey hold Corncrake. There can be up to 20 males calling, and although we can’t guarantee a sighting, we should hear the birds rasping, and may get lucky with a glimpse or two! Total species c. 75. Number of centres: 3.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands & Orkney (p19), The Outer Limits in Summer (p20).

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands & Isle of May (p20), Highland Wildlife (p21).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Outer Hebrides and the Shiant Isles (p39).

Combine with:

NEW! NORTHWEST SCOTLAND EXPLORER

From mountain top to the sea, a thorough exploration of Scotland’s remote north-west.

SAT 24 JUNE – FRI 30 JUNE 2023

SAT 22 JUNE – FRI 28 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £1845pp

Single supplement: £195. Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader Toby Green (2023)

This is an exciting new itinerary, taking in the most underexplored and least populated corners of the British Isles. Featuring Lewis and Harris, at the top of the Outer Hebrides and North-West Mainland Scotland together for the first time, both are widely regarded as two of the most picturesque landscapes in Europe. We explore each thoroughly, the wildlife here reflecting the rich variety of the landscape, from Golden Eagle and Ptarmigan on high mountain tops, bird-filled meadows and croft-land to the bustling seabird colonies on offshore islands.

A holiday requiring a good level of fitness, two or three walks over undulating landscapes or rough ground get us to the more remote, and best places for wildlife. We explore the dramatic coastline of the North-west Highlands including its very tip at Cape Wrath, the bustling seabird island of Handa, the mountains and moors of Assynt and the wildlife rich, large island of Lewis and Harris. Our birding will be varied with raptors including eagles, a range of waders perhaps including Red-necked Phalarope, divers in summer plumage, scores of seabirds and plenty of passerines. The holiday is also timed so that floral diversity will be at its highest, including numerous orchids and scarce plants. Otters, seals and cetaceans are all likely too and we make time to enjoy our stunning surroundings and visit historic sites of importance. From the mountain top to the sea, a perfect new tour for the intrepid Heatherlea explorer! Total species c. 75. Number of centres: 2.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

The Outer Limits in summer (p20), Eagles, Divers and Dotterel (p21).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Inner Hebrides from Canna to Iona (p37), Ultimate Outer Hebrides (p38).

ULTIMATE OUTER HEBRIDES

The complete tour, from the rugged north to the scenic south.

SAT 1 JULY – MON 10 JULY 2023

SAT 6 JULY – MON 15 JULY 2024

PRICES: from £2495pp

Single supplement: £375 Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader Holly Page (2023)

A complete 10-day tour of the Outer Hebrides, from the Butt of Lewis at the northernmost point, to Mingulay at the southern end of the island chain. A comprehensive tour through the isles in high summer, we pay special consideration towards natural history, including birds, cetaceans, insect life, abundant flora and also key historical and cultural sites, all at a leisurely pace.

Lewis is a fascinating island, internationally important for divers, Greenshank, eagles and other raptors. We head to the northernmost point, the famous Butt of Lewis, a superb seawatching spot, then work our way down the west coast calling in at Dun Carloway broch and the Standing Stones of Callanish. We explore minor roads looking for Golden and White-tailed Eagle, also taking to the water to explore the coastline and sealochs thoroughly. With luck we may connect with cetaceans and perhaps our first Otter and seals. Harris is a scenic gem with a different feel to Lewis with a full range of rugged habitats, long sweeping beaches and dune systems. We spend a full day exploring, and have good chances of Raven, Peregrine, both eagles and perhaps a dashing Merlin.

Our ferry to the southern half of the Outer Hebrides takes a slow journey through islets in the Sound of Harris. We spend a morning on Berneray, and head south to Balranald RSPB reserve on North Uist. Famous for its nesting waders, rich machair and seascapes, this is a favourite place on our Hebridean adventures. We take a boat trip down to Mingulay, the largest of the uninhabited islands at the extreme south of the Outer Hebridean archipelago, superb for seabirds and general scenery, this promises to be an exciting day on the water. On South Uist we look for Otter and Hen Harrier, continuing south one afternoon to Eriskay, another beautiful island now joined by a causeway. We travel by ferry to Barra this island of rich, white sand backed by vibrant green crofting land dotted with outcrops of rock perhaps being one of the most photogenic destinations in Scotland. Finally, we take the ferry from Barra to Oban, with good chances of Minke Whale or a Basking Shark en-route. Number of centres 4.

Combine with: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands & Isle of May (p20), Highland Wildlife (p21). SCOTTISH ISLANDS Outer Hebrides and the Shiants (p39).

OUTER HEBRIDES and the SHIANT ISLES

Skye, Harris, Lewis, and the Shiant Isles

SAT 1 JULY – FRI 7 JULY 2023

SAT 29 JUNE – FRI 5 JULY 2024

PRICES: from £2145pp

Single supplement: £295. Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader Toby Green (2023)

A real adventure, taking in some of the most remote and isolated parts of the British Isles, including chartered boat trips to rarely visited Little Bernera, and the Shiant Islands. We travel across Skye, where highlights include both eagles, Otter and a quiet spot for Adders. We also search for Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl on remote back roads. Depending on weather, we may explore Harris, where stunning beaches and superb mountains make the island so famous, with picture-postcard views around every corner or head to Berneray across the Sound of Harris to see the dunes and machair. On Lewis, we take a RIB boat trip to Little Bernera, a fascinating and under visited island west of Lewis featuring good flora and fauna in breathtaking scenery. The overwhelming feel is of space and solitude and on Lewis we explore the rarely visited southwest corner, targeting Golden and White-tailed Eagle, Merlin, Twite, Wheatear, Red-throated and Black-throated Diver, Cuckoo, Eider, Greenshank and other waders, Common and Grey Seal and Otter. Other highlights are a visit to the Callanish standing stones and ancient Dun Carloway broch. At the Butt of Lewis, seabirds fly around the north-western edge of the British Isles and we enjoy great views as they pass. Twite, Rock Pipit and Wheatear breed and rarities can arrive at any time on this exposed headland.

A major destination is the Shiant Isles, twelve miles from the northern tip of Skye. This is a very important Puffin site, hosting around 240,000 birds, two percent of the world’s population! We charter our own RIB boat, and as we travel, the seas can teem with birds: Manx Shearwater, Arctic Skua, Great Skua around the ‘flurries’ of fish, many Guillemot, Razorbill, Kittiwake, the occasional Storm Petrel, and more! We have excellent chances of Rock Dove, Peregrine and White-tailed Eagle here and on our final morning during a visit to Tiumpan Head, a great seawatching spot, with a long list of recorded cetaceans. Our holiday concludes with a return crossing of the Minch with further wildlife opportunities. Total species c. 80. Number of centres: 3.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

The Outer Limits in summer (p20), Eagles, Divers and Dotterel (p21).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Inner Hebrides from Canna to Iona (p37), Ultimate Outer Hebrides (p38).

SHETLAND WILDLIFE IN SUMMER

A wide-ranging natural history holiday at the heigh of summer

SAT 8 JULY – SAT 15 JULY 2023

SAT 13 JULY – SAT 20 JULY 2024

PRICES: from £2195pp

Single supplement: £230. Deposit £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader Scott O’Hara (2023)

Price excludes flights from Aberdeen to Sumburgh.

With so much to do and see, summer is a superb time to visit Shetland. On this wide-ranging natural history tour there is something for all and our varied itinerary will be of interest to birdwatchers, general wildlife enthusiasts, botanists and island baggers alike. During the holiday you will see some of the most densely populated seabird colonies in the country. Gannet, Shag, Puffin, Guillemot, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Kittiwake, Arctic Skua, Common and Arctic Tern are all represented, some in abundance. An evening excursion to the Storm Petrel colony on Mousa will be an exciting highlight, as will a special boat trip to wild Foula off the west coast. There, the waters offer much potential for cetaceans and we also plan to cruise under the sheer cliffs plus explore on foot the home of the largest Great Skua colony in Britain!

Freshwater lochans host breeding Red-throated Diver and we seek rare breeding waders including Whimbrel, Golden Plover and delicate Red-necked Phalarope. Shetland is a good place to see both Otter and Grey Seal, while rare plants could include Oysterplant and Edmunston’s Chickweed, the latter growing only on Unst! We take in all the flora and fauna we encounter, with plenty of opportunity for scenic photography as we go. We intend to see as much of the rugged archipelago as possible, and this tour is definitely one for the island bagger. Visiting eight islands with dedicated trips to Mousa, Foula, Yell, Unst, Fetlar, Noss, Bressay and Mainland Shetland. At a relaxed pace, we take in some of the fascinating historical, cultural and archaeological heritage of the islands within Shetland. We plan to visit the Jarlshof site, Mousa Broch, a replica Viking longboat and longhouse on Unst and see the town of Scalloway, the ancient capital and home to the Shetland Bus operation during the Second World War. In July, long evenings give way to an ethereal twilight known as the ‘simmer dim’ – Shetland really is a fantastic place to experience the long, northern summer! Number of centres 2

Eagles, Divers & Dotterel (p21), Highlands & Wester Ross (p22).

Combine with: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

ST KILDA and the HEBRIDES

FRI 12 JULY – FRI 19 JULY 2024

PRICES: TBC

Deposit: £300pp

Max 10 clients. Leader TBC

A fabulous six-day cruise aimed at wonderful St Kilda, one of Scotland’s World Heritage Sites. From Nethy Bridge we cross The Minch to Stornoway, where we relax with a walk through nearby woodland looking for island races of Wren and Song Thrush. On Saturday, we board our comfortable vessel for six nights on the ocean wave, climaxing in our expedition westwards to the outpost of St Kilda. There are no guarantees, but in reasonable weather our chances of reaching the islands are excellent and we plan to moor overnight in village bay, and spend a full day on Hirta, the largest island. This should give us time to find St Kilda Wren, a distinctive subspecies, 2-3g heavier than mainland birds. Soay Sheep, St Kilda Field Mouse and the history of this remote community will also be of great interest, and sunrise and sunset are spectacular in good weather.

Everyone should visit St Kilda at least once and the islands are famous for its huge seabird colonies. The spectacle and clamour of a million birds at the height of their breeding season, in north-west Europe’s largest colony, is unforgettable. Highlights include Puffin (more than 250,000 – the largest colony in Britain), Manx Shearwater, Fulmar (more than 100,000 – the largest colony in Western Europe), Guillemot, Razorbill and Gannet (estimated at over 120,000 birds and the largest in the world!).

As we sail, Manx Shearwater, Arctic Skua, Great Skua for feeding frenzies around the ‘flurries’ of fish alongside Guillemot, Razorbill, Kittiwake. We should see Storm Petrel too - the seas can teem with birds. We should encounter Otter on rocky beaches and inlets, and Minke Whale, Basking Shark, Harbour Porpoise, Bottle-nosed, Common and Risso’s Dolphin are all possible too.

There is no fixed itinerary for the rest of the holiday, though spectacular island scenery is all around, and we will visit remote bays and unspoilt beaches where birdlife is likely to include all three divers in breeding plumage, waders including Greenshank and Golden Plover, White-tailed and Golden Eagles, Merlin and Twite. We explore the machair and its flora, with rare orchids in flower as we embark on day trips to other depopulated islands perhaps including Scarp, Little Bernera, Taransay or perhaps the Monarch Isles. Total species c. 65. Number of centres: 2.

COLL and TIREE in SUMMER

MON 8 JULY – SAT 13 JULY 2024

PRICES: from £1795pp

Single supplement: £150 Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader from our experienced team

A delightful holiday visiting two of Scotland’s remotest and most westerly islands. We will pick our sites carefully based on tide, wind and weather enjoying a relaxed paced, natural history exploration two hidden gems!

Basking Shark is an important target, our visit coinciding with the best time for this strange and impressive large fish. The waters around Coll and Tiree hold some of the highest numbers in the UK, and we may also see them from ferries between Oban and the islands. Seawatching can be excellent too, and our ferry journeys may also produce Storm Petrel, Manx Shearwater and many auks – excitement all the way!

On Coll we look for Otter, breeding Hen Harrier and also plants of the machair. The island has an abundance of orchids with Pyramidal and Frog being key target species, and Common Centaury, Field Gentian and Grass of Parnassus sought too. A full day here will be spent looking for wildlife from waders in bright summer plumage, to insects of the machair, including rare Great Yellow Bumblebee and very rare Red Shanked Carder Bee.

During our transfer to Tiree we again look out for Basking Shark, cetaceans and seabirds, arriving on a breathtakingly beautiful island with a ‘big sky’ feeling. Orchids again feature on ‘the machair’ along with Lesser Meadow Rue and other sandy specialists. Seabirds, Corncrake, waders, passerines, rare plants and insects - there is so much to see and do on Coll and Tiree! Both islands have a high density of nesting waders, and with young having fledged most will be in large post-breeding flocks, which can harbour rarities. Corncrake will still be present, though this late in the season are harder to find in tall grass being less vocal or territorial having attracted a mate. We do of course still have a chance, taking an optional evening drive, listening out for their rasping calls and for Spotted Crake which has bred previously on Tiree. The holiday begins and ends in Oban, though transfers from Nethy Bridge are also available. No of centres: 2.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands & Wester Ross (p22).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Orkney in High Summer (p41), Shetland Wildlife in Summer (p39).

Combine with: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS Eagles, Divers & Dotterel (p21), Highlands & Wester Ross (p22).

ORKNEY in HIGH SUMMER

Westray, Hoy, Burray and both South and North Ronaldsay

SAT 15 JULY – SAT 22 JULY 2023

SAT 20 JULY – SAT 27 JULY 2024

PRICES: from £2045pp

Single supplement: £140. Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader Chris Rodger (2023)

Orkney is superb in summer, and this island-hopping trip throughout the archipelago will be full of highlights. Botanists will be delighted at tiny and rare Scottish Primrose (in their second flowering period) and other flowers in coastal locations, whilst insect lovers can enjoy rare Greater Yellow Bumblebees at the same time! Birding is good throughout, with an extra special opportunity to see Storm Petrel at close quarters.

We transfer from Heatherlea to Orkney via ferry watching for seabirds and cetaceans from the open deck. Once we arrive, we begin wildlife watching and visit the wonderfully crafted Italian Chapel. Our next few days will see us island hopping, taking in the full range of Orcadian habitats on fertile Westray, where we enjoy the Gannet colony at Noup Head and Puffins at another site. On Hoy, we walk through the Great Skua colony to view the famous ‘Old Man’ stack and have excellent chances of seeing breeding Hen Harrier and Red-throated Diver, and if lucky White-tailed and Golden Eagle too, both having recently returned after a lengthy absence. On Mainland Orkney, post-breeding waders, Twite and raptors including Merlin are top targets and we visit many of the finest archaeological sites in Britain from the 5000year old Skara Brae settlement, immaculate Maeshowe, Broch of Gurness, the Standing Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar -perhaps the most iconic. All entry fees are included, and we also visit Scapa Flow and the Churchill Barriers with time in Kirkwall or Stromness for their respective historic sites, or a spot of souvenir hunting in the narrow lanes. An exciting part of this holiday is our trip to North Ronaldsay, beginning with an 8-seater Islander flight to the island offering a unique opportunity to see the Orkney Isles from above. Here we hope to see Storm Petrels, and our visit coincides with the period for ringing studies where large nightly catches, perhaps of over 100 birds might include a rare Leach’s Petrel too! An unforgettable experience, though netting sessions are weather dependent. The birding is always great here and recent rarities have included Great and Cory’s Shearwater, Roseate Tern, Spoonbill, Pacific Golden Plover, Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpiper, Grey Phalarope, Sabine’s Gull, Whitewinged Black Tern and Two-barred Crossbill - on North Ronaldsay anything is possible! Total species c. 80. Number of centres: 2.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Eagles, Divers & Dotterel (p21), Butterflies, Dragons and Birds (p22), Highland Wildlife in High Summer (p23), Birds and Mammals incl Perthshire (p23).

NEW! MULL & ARDNAMURCHAN WILDLIFE SPECTACULAR

Birds, Mammals and more in a West Coast wilderness

SAT 22 JULY – SAT 29 JULY 2023

SAT 20 JULY – SAT 27 JULY 2024

PRICES: from £2095pp

Single supplement: £220. Deposit: £300pp Max 7 clients. Leader from our experienced team.

On this exciting new holiday, we explore the wild Ardnamurchan peninsula and ‘Magical’ Mull thoroughly, in an appreciation of all its wildlife! Two great destinations Heatherlea know well, we dedicate time to mammal watching, with butterflies, dragonflies, moths and plants likely to feature too, and of course a range of fabulous birdlife.

Ardnamurchan is one of the most beautiful and wildlife rich parts of Western Scotland. The regions dramatic scenery often takes centre stage, but it is a haven for wildlife too and especially mammals, with as many as 15 species possible. Pine Marten are commoner here than anywhere else and though still tricky to find, we have every chance of seeing them coming to bait - and in comfort too! Cetaceans including Minke Whale may be seen on our boat trip to Muck, where we plan to land and explore the wildlife of this lovely little island. Among the birds, we expect good views of Golden and White-tailed Eagle, Merlin, Black-throated and Red-throated Diver and perhaps breeding Greenshank. Relocating to Mull, it is easy to see why this large island is a wildlife lovers paradise. More Golden and White-tailed Eagle occur here than anywhere else in Britain and with breeding Hen Harrier, Merlin and Short-eared Owl too, raptors will be at the fore. During this holiday we also visit the enthralling island of Lunga,, the ‘Puffin experience’ perhaps being the best in the British Isles! On Staffa, we marvel at the fascinating geology carved out by the sea, and on Iona, we listen for any late Corncrake. Mull is famous for its Otters, and we hope for great views as many Heatherlea guests have enjoyed over the years!

Two destinations for wildlife enthusiasts of all levels, we plan to run a Moth trap whenever we can, and with dragonflies, butterflies and scarce plants including orchids also featuring, there is something for everyone on this fabulous tour. Total species c.80. Number of centres: 2.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS Highlands & Wester Ross (p22), Birds & Mammals featuring Muck & Eigg (p24), Highlands & Outer Hebrides (p24).

NEW! WILDLIFE OF THE MINCH

An exciting cruise featuring cetaceans, seabirds, eagles and more

SAT 29 JULY – FRI 4 AUGUST 2023

PRICES: from £2695pp

Single supplement: *£100. Deposit: £500pp

*single supplement is for the land only section of the holiday. Shared cabins. Max 7 clients. Leader Mark Warren

This is an exciting new tour, specifically focusing on the seabird and cetacean rich waters between north-west Scotland and the Outer Hebrides – 'The Minch'! Our time is divided between land and sea, spending four nights aboard our cruise boat and two on the Isle of Lewis, maximising our chances to enjoy the region's wildlife.

Recognised as one of the most important stretches of water for cetaceans, detailed studies of the Minch in recent years have resulted in some fantastic observations, especially of larger whales lingering in the area. By chartering our own cruise boat we have flexibility to visit known hotspots and favoured cetacean feeding areas. A tour with cetaceans at the fore, Minke Whale is the most frequently recorded, though Fin, Humpback and Sei Whale are also possible. Harbour Porpoise, Short-beaked Common, Bottle-nosed and Risso’s Dolphin are likely with chances of White-beaked and Atlantic White-sided Dolphin and even Orca and Basking Shark too.

Seabirds will be prominent, with large flocks gathering on the water as their breeding season reaches its peak fledging period. Great and Arctic Skua, Storm Petrel, Manx and Sooty Shearwater, Fulmar, Gannet, Shag, Razorbill, Guillemot, Puffin, Black Guillemot, Kittiwake, terns and gulls should all feature, with scarcer seabirds such as Leach’s Petrel, Great and Cory’s Shearwater, Sabine’s Gull, Pomarine and Long-tailed Skua also possible. We plan to visit (and land on) the Shiant Isles, with quiet sea lochs and unspoilt bays available for night-time anchorage. Lewis and Harris support high densities of Golden and White-tailed Eagle, and we will likely see them both from our boat and on dry land. A few Hen Harrier and Merlin breed, and among the waders we look for rare Red-necked Phalarope and hope to hear Corncrake. The machair will be in full flower and at its glorious best and we take time out from birding to visit important historical sites, with ample time to relax on the deck of our cruise boat and enjoy a glass of wine! A fabulous new holiday to see some of the most spectacular wildlife in the British Isles. Total species c. 65. Number of centres: 2.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Birds and Mammals incl Perthshire (p23), Highland Wildlife in High Summer (p21), Highlands & the Outer Hebrides (p24).

NORTH RONALDSAY and ORKNEY in Autumn for birders

SAT 19 AUGUST – FRI 25 AUGUST, SAT 9 SEPTEMBER – SAT 16 SEPTEMBER, SAT 16 SEPTEMBER – FRI 22 SEPTEMBER 2023

SAT 24 AUGUST – FRI 30 AUGUST 2024, SAT 14 SEPTEMBER – FRI 20 SEPTEMBER 2024

SAT 21 SEPTEMBER – FRI 27 SEPTEMBER 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Single supplement: £130. Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients per departure. Leaders Mark Warren, Mike Coleman & Aidan Branch (2023)

Few birders venture to this remote outpost, so expect peace and quiet with a strong sense of exploration, and depending on the predominant wind direction, birds from east or west. Choose our early autumn date for the beginning of return passerine migration or the latter dates when migration is in full swing. In favorable conditions, passage migrants may include Willow, Garden and Wood Warbler, Pied and Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Whinchat, Tree Pipit and other common passerines. Island habitats are varied, offering fantastic wader passage and joining commoner species can be Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Wood, Green, Common and Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint while regular Nearctic rarities have included American Golden Plover, Pectoral and Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Osprey, Marsh and Hen Harrier, Merlin and Short-eared Owl frequently visit too, and while can be no guarantee of any particular species, North Ronaldsay is always surprising and very rewarding.

We work alongside the highly skilled Bird Observatory staff, who will be out birding and ringing, depending on the weather. We will have the option of joining in these activities most days. A completely different birding holiday destination,where in favourable weather and depending on the time of year, scarcities might include Red-backed Shrike, Richard’s Pipit, Wryneck, Bluethroat, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Barred, Icterine, Yellow-browed and Marsh Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Ortolan, Lapland and Little Bunting. More extreme rarities might include Great Snipe, Citrine Wagtail, Pechora or Olive-backed Pipit, Radde’s, Greenish, Arctic and Lanceolated Warbler, Brown Shrike, Rustic Bunting and Arctic Redpoll. Seawatching can be exceptional, and the early date is traditionally a good time when large movements of Sooty Shearwater, Storm Petrel and skuas can take place with this also the best time for Great, Cory’s and Balearic Shearwater.

We also enjoy birding around Orkney, visiting hotspots known to our guides where anything can happen! If there is time we may visit the impressive standing stones at the Ring of Brodgar and stop at the delightful Italian Chapel, however these are ‘for birders’ tours, principally focused on finding and identifying rare birds. For a more general tour of North Ronaldsay & Orkney, we recommend our Orkney Island Explorer (p36) or Orkney in High Summer (p41) holidays.

Total species c. 90. Number of centres: 2.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Autumn in the Highlands with Easy Walking (p25), Twenty Scottish Specials (p26), Raptors & Grouse (p27), The Outer Limits Adventure (p27), Highlands & Skye in Autumn (p28).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Outer Hebrides in Early Autumn for birders (p43), Shetland in Autumn for birders (p43), Unexplored Orkney (p43).

OUTER HEBRIDES in EARLY AUTUMN for birders

SAT 26 AUGUST – FRI 1 SEPTEMBER 2023

SAT 31 AUGUST – FRI 6 SEPTEMBER 2024

PRICES: from £1845pp

Single supplement: £245 Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients per leader. Leader Chris Rodger (2023)

Early autumn is excellent for migration within the Hebrides and is a fantastic, quieter time to visit. Waders may dominate, with an abundance of Dunlin, Knot, Sanderling, both godwits, moulting Golden Plover and more and scarce migrants might include Grey, Phalarope, Pectoral and Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Dotterel and American Golden Plover. This time of year is also excellent for rare passerines such as Barred Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling, Greenish Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Common Rosefinch and Lapland Bunting.

The mouth-watering list of rarities found on these islands in recent times during this period includes Nearctic wanderers such as Baird’s, White-rumped, Semi-palmated, Spotted and Western Sandpiper, Long-billed Dopwitcher, Wilson’s Phalarope and Lesser Yellowlegs. Also recorded have been Ring-necked Duck, Snowy Owl, Glaucous Gull, Hoopoe, Sabine’s Gull, American Wigeon, Laughing Gull, Pacific Golden Plover and Britain’s first and only Purple Martin. We also investigate flocks of seaduck off Harris, where Surf Scoter might be found amongst the commoner species.

Birding starts on Skye, perhaps with a Golden Eagle. On the ferry to Lochmaddy all four skuas are possible. Fulmar, Gannet, Black Guillemot and other auks can be expected along with Storm Petrel, Manx and perhaps Sooty, Balearic or even Great Shearwater. The ferry through the Sound of Harris may produce divers at close quarters, both seals and White-tailed Eagle. Harris is stunning, and we bird scenic bays and iconic beaches before continuing through to Lewis. Here we visit Tiumpan Head and the Butt of Lewis, and a network of shallow lochs, wader rich bays and lochans. Even if migration is slower, we have Golden and White-tailed Eagle, Merlin, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, rafts of seabirds, Eider, and divers to find. Not forgetting Hebridean races of Song Thrush and Wren and key species such as Corn Bunting, Twite and Rock Pipit. Our itinerary will be flexible and we move around (within reason!) according to the best birding. Number of centres: 2.

SHETLAND in AUTUMN for birders

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Autumn in the Highlands with Easy Walking (p25), Highland Migration by land and Sea (p25) Raptors & Grouse (p27), Autumn Migration in the Highlands (p26).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North Ronaldsay & Orkney in early Autumn for birders (p42).

SAT 16 SEPTEMBER – SAT 23 SEPTEMBER, SAT 23 SEPTEMBER – SAT 30 SEPTEMBER 2023

SAT 21 SEPTEMBER – SAT 28 SEPTEMBER, SAT 28 SEPTEMBER – SAT 5 OCTOBER 2024

PRICES: from £1895pp

Single supplement: £230. Deposit: £300pp

Price includes all ferries. Price excludes flight from Aberdeen. Max 7 clients per leader. Leaders Chris Rodger & Holly Page (2023)

This exciting holiday offers the chance to see a variety of rare and scarce migrants amid spectacular scenery. We stay in two centres at either end of the Shetland Mainland Britain’s allowing us to spread our wings and locate highly desirable rare birds more easily. We will cover all the key birding locations for autumn migration including the outer isles if the weather and ferry availability allow! Possibilities are almost endless, with American and Siberian birds coming through on favourable winds, often at the same time! Previous goodies have included Pallid Harrier, Surf Scoter, Little Auk, American Golden Plover, Buff-breasted, Spotted and Pectoral Sandpipers, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Grey Phalarope, Wryneck, Bluethroat, Red-backed and both Lesser and Great Grey Shrikes, Shorttoed Lark, Pechora, Richard’s, Olive-backed and Buff-bellied Pipits, Citrine Wagtail, Red-breasted and Taiga Flycatchers, White’s Thrush, Swainson’s Thrush, Veery, Red-flanked Bluetail, Yellow-browed, Yellow-rumped, Marsh, Barred, Lanceolated, Arctic and Blyth’s Reed Warblers, Arctic Redpoll, Common Rosefinch, Little, Rustic and Lapland Bunting. A real feast of birding! Exactly what turns up depends upon the weather, so there are no guarantees, but we try and find our own birds and twitch good ones as we travel around the islands. If the wind is in the east, then large falls of finches, thrushes and crests are also likely.

Please note that this is a Birders tour, principally focused on finding and identifying rare birds of our own, with frequent trips to see the rarities others have found. We will have some time for cultural, historical and retail requests, but birding comes first on this particular holiday. For those that want a more general tour of Shetland, we thoroughly recommend our Shetland Island Explorer (p34) or our Shetland and Orkney (p36) holiday.  Total species c. 80. Number of centres:2.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Raptors & Grouse (p27), Outer Limits Adventure (p27), Highlands and Skye in Autumn (p28).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North Ronaldsay & Orkney in Autumn for birders (p42).

UNEXPLORED ORKNEY Westray, Papa Westray, Sanday & Mainland

SAT 23 SEPTEMBER – FRI 30 SEPTEMBER 2023

SAT 28 SEPTEMBER – FRI 4 OCTOBER 2024

PRICES: from £1895pp

Single supplement: £140. Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader Mark Warren (2023)

An exploration of the more remote parts of the archipelago, focused on birding while also enjoying some of the outstanding heritage of the islands. Birding possibilities are great, as early October is a rich time for southbound migrants, and local expertise gives us every chance of connecting with rare and scarce visitors. This exciting itinerary includes birding on Papa Westray and Sanday, all three remote and stunningly beautiful islands with huge potential, not previously available to birding groups. Most terrain is flat and easy to negotiate, while largely unrestricted access allows us to ‘get off the beaten track’ and explore.

Our daily schedule may include sea-watching, with passing Sooty and Manx Shearwaters, skuas, divers and auks possible. General birding might bring Pinkfooted, Greylag and Barnacle Geese plus other wildfowl. Waders feature strongly, with coastal bays, beaches and harvested fields often full of birds, there will certainly be plenty to look through in the hope of unearthing our own rarities!

Raptors are very much a feature, with Hen Harrier, Merlin, Peregrine and Shorteared Owl the most likely. At this time, large numbers of thrushes will be on the move from Scandinavia, as will finches and warblers. Just about anything is possible in the right conditions, and rarities vary each year depending on the prevailing winds, though the location of the islands makes Orkney ideal to receive wandering species from all points of the compass – a brilliant birding experience.

As Orkneys reputation grows a number of rarities have been found in autumn recently, including Siberian Accentor, Red-flanked Bluetail, Rustic and Little Bunting, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and American Golden Plover. On this holiday we spend two nights on Westray, giving time to fully cover the island, its habitats, and places us in prime position to visit nearby Papa Westray where pioneering birding awaits. Orkney offers stunning scenery and historical interest, and we visit important Neolithic sites on the mainland and also the wonderfully well-preserved Knap of Howar on Papa Westray while the beaches on Sanday are among the best in Britain. No of centres: 2.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Outer Limits Adventure (p27), Highlands & Skye in Autumn (p28).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

North Ronaldsay & Orkney in Autumn for birders (p42), Outer Hebrides in Autumn for birders (p43).

OUTER HEBRIDES in AUTUMN for birders

SAT 7 OCTOBER – FRI 13 OCTOBER 2023

SAT 5 OCTOBER – FRI 11 OCTOBER 2024

PRICES: from £1845pp

Single supplement: £225. Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients per leader. Leader Mike Coleman & Dave Pearce (2023)

The Outer Hebrides are famous for rarities in autumn, and this is a real birders’ treat as we seek wind-blown rarities at a great time of year. A good amount of our effort will be spent looking for rare birds, checking patches of cover, ditches and gardens and we also work through the flocks of waders, ducks or passerines, as vagrants hide amongst their commoner cousins. Our recent finds have included a good number of American vagrants following westerly gales, with White-rumped, Baird’s, Pectoral and Spotted Sandpipers, American Golden Plover and Lesser Yellowlegs.

If winds are from the east Yellow-browed Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling, Arctic Redpoll and Red-breasted Flycatcher occur annually. Almost anything is possible here, with incredibly rare birds recorded at this time in recent years including Wilson’s Warbler, Hermit Thrush, White’s Thrush, Buff-bellied, Pechora and Olivebacked Pipit, Long-billed Dowitcher, Least and Semi-palmated Sandpiper, Snowy Owl, Red-eyed Vireo and Ovenbird. If migration is slower, superb resident Golden and White-tailed Eagle, Hen Harrier, Merlin and Twite and not forgetting Otters are all there to entertain! Regular, expected migrants at this time of year include all three divers, Long-tailed Duck and scoter, Snow and Lapland Bunting, Jack Snipe and good numbers of Purple Sandpiper, Golden Plover and Sanderling, with Whooper Swan and Barnacle Geese arriving from the north. With the Atlantic Ocean to scan, and ‘The Minch’ to cross twice, we are sure to pick up a good list of seabirds with Sabine’s Gull, Sooty Shearwater and Pomarine Skua perhaps featuring alongside Storm Petrel, Manx Shearwater, auks and skuas. Cetaceans have included Minke Whale and Common and Bottle-nosed Dolphins. Our exact itinerary will be based on your guide’s judgement regarding wind, tide and recent sightings. With stunning autumnal light on the rugged landscape, we are sure of a memorable trip.

Total species c. 85. Number of centres: 2.

Combine with:

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Outer Limits Adventure (p27), Highlands and Skye in Autumn (p28), Highland Autumn Birding (p28).

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

Unexplored Orkney (p44).

ISLAY AND JURA

SAT 21 OCTOBER – THURS 26 OCTOBER 2023

SAT 19 OCTOBER – THURS 24 OCTOBER 2024

PRICES: from £1645pp

Single supplement: £295. Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader Mike Coleman (2023)

Islay is beautiful, with soft, rolling scenery and wonderful birdlife. We see large goose flocks including thousands of Barnacles and Greenland White-fronted. The sight and noise are unforgettable, and our mobile-hide minibus is invaluable when scouring flocks at close quarters. We may find Brent (pale-bellied), Greylag, Pink-footed and perhaps wild Canada Goose, but our real effort will go into rarity hunting! Snow, Red-breasted, and races of Lesser Canada and Cackling Goose have all been seen.

Chough breed on Islay, and we should see them floating on the breeze at very close quarters. Other regulars include Twite and Snow Bunting. We search for three diver species, Black Guillemot and other auks, and ducks with numbers of Scaup, Eider and perhaps a few Long-tailed and Common Scoter. We watch for local Golden and White-tailed Eagle and also present are Hen Harrier, Peregrine and regular Merlin. Waders include Golden Plover, Curlew, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Turnstone, Sanderling and a few Purple Sandpiper, with the chance of American rarities. Jura is well worth a visit for the scenery alone and is renowned for its population of Red Deer and we search for Otter along the coastline. c. 80. Number of centres: 1.

Combine with: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Highlands and Skye in Autumn (p28).

SOLWAY FIRTH

SAT 4 NOVEMBER – THURS 9 NOVEMBER 2023

PRICES: from £1395pp

Single supplement: £100 Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader Ian Ford (2023)

A vast, internationally important area for wildfowl, Solway Firth offers great birding. Caerlaverock is alive with tens of thousands of geese. We scour flocks of Barnacle Goose for rarities including Red-breasted, Richardson's Cackling and Snow Goose, or perhaps a Lesser White-fronted. At the daily feed, the spectacle of wild Whooper Swan is something to both see and hear!

RSPB Mersehead holds many Barnacle Goose and wintering ducks including Pintail, and feeders have Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow. We have to be lucky to connect with large Starling murmurations, though we hope to see them as the light fades, and Merlin, Sparrowhawk, Hen Harrier and Peregrine are regular.

Westward at Loch Ryan we seek flocks of Scaup, Common Scoter and Eider, with Long-tailed Duck, Black Guillemot, Red-breasted Merganser, plus wintering divers and grebes. Waders include Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Knot, Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwit and Ringed Plover, and Pale-bellied Brent Geese winter in small numbers. We close beside a large area of rough grassland, where Hen Harrier, Merlin and the odd Short-eared Owl roost.

The Ken-Dee Marshes host Greenland White-fronted and Greylag Geese. Later at the local Red Kite feeding station, expect a very close first-hand experience of these gregarious birds. In the Galloway hills the major prize is locally scarce Golden Eagle, and Merlin, Peregrine, Siskin, Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Redwing, Fieldfare and Common Crossbill are found.

Five nights in a very comfortable country house hotel and the services of your Heatherlea guide make this a perfect late-autumn break. Total species c. 90. Number of centres: 1.

Combine with: SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS Birders Blast (p12).

Heatherlea offer a few carefully selected holidays around the British mainland, from the east coast of Scotland to Cornwall, and onward to the Isles of Scilly. We explore remote, littleknown corners where birding is excellent and all are ideal for birders and general wildlife enthusiasts alike, of any level of experience. Everyone is welcome!

Each holiday has a maximum number of seven clients per guide. This means more personal attention, and more time with your Guide to help you get the best possible sightings. Heatherlea is a small company run BY birders FOR birders, where our clients really do come first. Come and see!

What’s included in each holiday

4 comfortable en-suite accommodation. Any exceptions will be identified in advance. We choose from our personally inspected shortlist, where birders are welcome, and the hospitality is special. Guests are never expected to share. Full details with your joining pack.

4 all meals from dinner on arrival, including packed lunches, until breakfast on the final day.

4 all ferries and other access fees as stated in the detailed itinerary. Travel to the joining point has been carefully considered for your convenience, details on our website.

4 the services of your Heatherlea Guide.

To read a Heatherlea Tour Pack with more information please visit our website or ask our office for a printed copy.

WEST SUSSEX and KENT in WINTER

SAT 27 JANUARY – SAT 3 FEBRUARY 2024

PRICES: from £1695pp

Single supplement: £230 Deposit: £300pp

Max group size 7. Leader from our experienced team

Sussex is delightful, with huge potential and an array of mixed winter habitats. We explore the Selsey peninsula, including famous RSPB Pagham Harbour, with huge numbers of wintering waders, ducks and geese. Chichester Harbour has many good sites such as East Head, Dell Quay and Fishbourne, as does RSPB Medmerry. Our list could top 120 species, and we target Bewick's Swan, Dark-bellied Brent Goose (flocks of thousands), among which Black Brant is regular. Offshore we have chances of all three divers, Slavonian Grebe and both scoters, while a feature is the huge flocks of wintering Mediterranean Gulls, often over 100 individuals.

Waders include Avocet, Golden Plover, Knot, Sanderling, Jack Snipe and both godwits. Whimbrel, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank and Green Sandpiper may be seen, and wintering Sandwich Tern and Cattle and Great White Egret are becoming regular. It's not uncommon to find a Snow Bunting or Black Redstart, while sheltered copses can hold Firecrest, Chiffchaff and scarce Siberian Chiffchaff. The West Sussex Downs offer large winter flocks of Yellowhammer, Linnet, Chaffinch, Reed and Corn Bunting and in most years, Brambling. This area holds a high density of Grey Partridge and plenty of prey for raptors including Hen Harrier, Red Kite, Peregrine, Merlin, Short-eared, Barn and Little Owl. Dartford Warbler is another target, we may find a Great Grey Shrike and Dean Woods might give us Hawfinch, Common Crossbill or Marsh Tit and an early displaying Goshawk. In the east, we explore Rye Harbour LNR and Pett Level, great sites for wildfowl and waders, and often include Russian White-fronted Goose. The unique Dungeness peninsula is the largest shingle promontory in Europe. This area holds important wintering numbers of grey geese and ducks including Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Smew, Goosander and Goldeneye. The sea can be busy with birds such as Red-throated Diver, Razorbill, Guillemot, Gannet, Kittiwake and Fulmar. This is one of the best places in the UK to see Caspian Gull and often Glaucous and Iceland Gull are present too. Long-eared Owl can be found roosting in quiet places and Bearded Tit and Water Rail are frequently seen or heard. Bittern and Kingfisher may be seen and Dungeness has a history of attracting a rarity or two! Number of centres: 2.

NORFOLK and SUFFOLK in WINTER

SAT 10 FEBRUARY – SAT 17 FEBRUARY 2024

PRICES: from £1595pp

Single supplement: £245

Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients per leader. Leader Toby Green

An exciting holiday to some of the UK’s premier winter birding destinations. East Anglia offers a wide variety and unrivalled birding potential at this time of year with a high species list and superb wildlife encounters are likely. We’ll spread our time between established reserves and also visit many superb lesser-known sites, well away from the beaten track.

Norfolk and Suffolk are home to some of the best wetlands in the UK. Bittern will be a top target, and we also hope to see Common Crane in the fields and as they come to roost in the Broads. Wildfowl will feature highly, with Whooper and Bewick’s Swan and vast numbers of wintering geese. By day we’ll search through Pinkfooted and Dark-bellied Brent Geese for scarcer species including Taiga and Tundra Bean, both races of White-fronted, Barnacle and Black Brant, while mass dusk flights will be a true spectacle. Offshore a variety of sea-duck, divers, grebes and auks make for excellent sea-watching, while in rougher conditions storm driven species might include Little Auk, skuas (such as Great and Pomarine) or perhaps Grey Phalarope.

Internationally important wader numbers feed on the tidal estuaries, with Knot and Dunlin dominating though Avocet, Golden and Grey Plover, Spotted Redshank and Purple Sandpiper are likely. Beaches and saltmarsh hold Twite, Snow Bunting, Water Pipit and Shorelark, while Bearded Tit and Cetti’s Warbler can be found at several sites. Any wintering rarities will be on our radar too and in recent years these have included Great Grey Shrike, Parrot Crossbill, Hume’s and Pallas Warbler and Arctic Redpoll. Farmland, heaths and ‘the Brecks’ offer a fantastic change of scenery with a range of declining species available and there’s also the chance of Brambling, Woodlark, Hawfinch and Crossbill. This is a trip with something for everyone as we check local gulls for rarer species, and raptors will feature strongly. Hen and Marsh Harrier, Rough-legged Buzzard, Peregrine, Merlin and Goshawk are all possible along with five Owl species if really lucky. A fantastic winter holiday! Total species c.100. Number of centres: 2.

FOREST of DEAN and THE SOMERSET LEVELS

SAT 18 FEBRUARY – SAT 25 FEBRUARY 2023

SAT 24 FEBRUARY – SAT 2 MARCH 2024

PRICES: from £1895pp

Single supplement: £295 Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients. Leader Barry Embling

An opportunity to enjoy some of the best winter birding in England, as we search for elusive and sought-after forest species, and also seek wintering waders and wildfowl in estuary and wetland locations. Rewarding birding in three fascinating and very different habitats in the south-west of England.

We first visit the Forest of Dean, around 35 square miles of mixed woodland nestled between the River Severn and River Wye on the Gloucestershire/Welsh border. The Forest holds some of the oldest Oak woods left in England and is arguably the best place in the country to see Hawfinch and Goshawk, two of the UK’s hardest-to-find breeding species.

In March, resident Hawfinch numbers are boosted by continental wintering birds. They favour a small number of favourite feeding places, thereby increasing our chances of seeing them. The Forest also holds perhaps the highest density of Goshawk in the country, and the birds will be starting to display at this time. We know ‘secret’ places to find these elusive species, often over-looked by visiting birders, and local contacts will also be useful for up to date information. The Forest of Dean also supports an established population of over 200 freeliving British Wild Boar; this is probably the best place to see them in the country.

Next we explore the Severn estuary, an excellent place for wintering wildfowl and waders, and we may see Greenland White-fronted Geese, Bewick's Swan, godwits, raptors and more. We visit WWT Slimbridge, Peter Scott's flagship reserve, and Symonds Yat viewpoint, home to a resident pair of Peregrine.

In the Somerset Levels we'll be looking for wintering wildfowl and wetland species, including Bittern, Water Rail, Marsh Harrier, thousands of wintering duck, Little and Great White Egret, Pochard, Shoveler, Gadwall, Teal and Goldeneye amongst many others. We will also be looking for the population of Common Crane which call the levels home, and of course the UK's largest Starling roost with up to a million birds which if attacked by raptors will go into their mesmerising murmuration, a truly unforgettable experience!

This holiday starts in Gloucester and ends in Bridgewater. Number of centres: 2.

CORNWALL in SPRING

THURS 13 APRIL – THURS 20 APRIL 2023

THURS 18 APRIL – THURS 25 APRIL 2024

PRICES: from £1745pp

Single supplement: £175 Deposit: £300pp

Max group size 7. Leader Toby Green

Join us for great birding in Cornwall, one of the most under-watched counties in the UK! Its 400 miles of superb coastline, steep cliffs, beautiful valleys and estuarine habitat all offer good birding. Based in Penwith in the far west, we explore many birding sites with northbound summer migrants high on our agenda. Seabirds, wildfowl, waders and passerines will feature, and if lucky we may connect with a rarity, there are many possibilities.

Our schedule will be flexible around up-to-date local bird news and of course the weather. April is a great time to visit, and extensive knowledge of all the birding hotspots and lesser known sites gives us great chances. Key sites include Marazion Marsh, a wetland site for wildfowl and waders, Cetti’s Warbler; ‘valley birding’ will begin at Porthgwarra, the most south-westerly point of Mainland Britain, and here we search for migrants, checking patches of trees and scrub. Passing Cuckoo, Ring Ouzel, Wheatear, Whinchat, Redstart, Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, hirundines, pipits, finches, thrushes and a variety of warblers are all possible. Land’s End is one of the best birding locations in the UK. Isolated bushes and scrub are sparser than in the valleys, and the track record for rarities here is incredible, with Dotterel, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Common Crane, Black Kite, Montagu’s Harrier, Alpine Swift, Snowy Owl, Woodchat, Red-backed and Brown Shrike, Hoopoe, Golden Oriole, Short-toed Lark, Tawny and Red-throated Pipit, Western Subalpine, Melodious and Icterine Warbler, Ortolan and Little Bunting all recorded in recent springs!

We visit the Lizard Peninsula where Chough famously first made their return and Dartford Warbler are found. We also enjoy a boat trip into Mount’s Bay where Gannet, auks including a few Puffin, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Manx Shearwater, Arctic Skua and terns are likely to be around. seals, cetaceans and perhaps Basking Shark may be encountered, and we may even see peculiar Sunfish or frantic Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna. A great trip!

A special feature will be our search for Cirl Bunting. With a very small and range-restricted population, this is a rare and difficult to see bird in the UK. The species is now breeding again in parts of southern Cornwall and we make a special effort to see them.

Number of centres: 1.

Combine with: ‘Isles of Scilly in Spring’ (p49)

ISLES OF SCILLY in SPRING

FRI 21 APRIL – THURS 27 APRIL 2023

FRI 26 APRIL – THURS 2 MAY 2024

PRICES: from £1845pp

Single supplement: £195 Deposit: £300pp

Max 7 clients with leader Toby Green, joined by another from our team with over 7 clients.

The Scillies are without doubt one of the most stunning and idyllic parts of the United Kingdom, a ‘must visit’ location boasting a diverse range of wildlife opportunities. 28 miles south-west of Land’s End, with shallow waters and a climate more akin to the Mediterranean, this is a fabulous place for birding as migrants move north. On this spring itinerary, we stay on the largest Island, St Mary’s, visiting the four other inhabited islands on daily excursions. The Scillies are famed for attracting rarities at any time of year, and while we plan to birdwatch at a more leisurely pace than our … for birders … tour in autumn, we may see attractive Mediterranean overshoots such as Hoopoe, Golden Oriole, Night Heron or Woodchat Shrike.

On Tresco, entry to the world-famous Abbey Gardens is included, and we bird along beaches for Sanderling, Dunlin, Turnstone, Greenshank, Whimbrel and Mediterranean Gull. If time allows, we venture to Castle Down where Merlin and Peregrine may be hunting, and Golden Plover, Wheatear, Stonechat, pipits and wagtails may be found on moorland between two ruined castles. Bryher and St Martin’s are quieter places offering superb birdwatching potential while the views out over the reefs from tiny St Agnes are spectacular. During a special boat trip to a sixth island, uninhabited Annet, Puffins will be a highlight, as these enchanting birds settle down for their breeding season, with other seabirds, seals and perhaps cetaceans also featuring.

Northbound migrants can be varied, and in the right conditions large numbers of birds can make landfall resulting in exciting birdwatching. Famed for rare and scarce vagrants the possibilities are endless and Wryneck and Red-rumped Swallow are regularly recorded each spring.

The trip will run at a relaxed pace, with time to enjoy the scenery and beauty of each island (and a local ice cream and Cornish Pasty too!) as well as its wildlife. Our guides are experienced here and a flexible approach as we explore on foot allows us to make the most of each island within the archipelago.

Number of centres: 1.

NEW! SUSSEX, HAMPSHIRE & KENT in SPRING

SAT 18 MAY – SAT 25 MAY 2024

PRICES: from £1845pp

Single supplement: £295 Deposit: £300pp

Max group size 7. Leader from our experienced team.

An exciting holiday combining bird-rich Sussex with day visits to The New Forest in Hampshire to the west and to the Dungeness reserves on the Kent coast to the east. Split over two centres, much of our time will be spent local to our first accommodation in West Sussex where we have ample opportunity to explore nearby hotspots including Pagham, Selsey Bill, the Arun Valley and less visited West Sussex Heathlands. Two nights further east at the end of the week will bring our tour to a great climax, with exciting locations such as Rye Harbour and Dungeness on our doorstep.

Tour highlights will be frequent and varied. Sussex is one of the few remaining counties where purring Turtle Dove still occur in reasonable numbers and we should also encounter breeding White Stork as part of one of the UK's largest re-wilding projects. Birding on heathland at dusk, we hope to encounter churring Nightjar and roding Woodcock, with calling Tawny Owl contributing to a stunning evening’s birding. We visit known sites to scan for displaying Honey Buzzard, with singing Cuckoo, Tree Pipit, Woodlark and one of the best kept secret views in Sussex. Nightingale belting out their song and reeling Grasshopper Warbler are familiar sounds and an early morning visit to a wetland reserve may allow us a glimpse of both species too. Also likely are many waders in breeding plumage, the sounds and sights of breeding tern colonies alongside recent colonists such as Cattle Egret moulting into breeding plumage.

A day trip to the unique New Forest looking for its special wildlife will be another trip highlight. Here, a range of raptors including Goshawk, Hobby and shy Honey Buzzard may be possible as well as scarce Firecrest, Dartford Warbler and Hawfinch. Latter stages of the tour will be spent exploring sites in East Sussex and Kent, where Rye and Dungeness both combine good numbers of breeding birds and exciting migration. Booming Bittern may be possible, as are breeding Great Egret, Avocet, Marsh Harrier and there are good chances of rarities too. All combine for a thrilling week’s birding in fantastic coastal and woodland scenery. Number of centres: 2.

Combine with: Combine with Cornwall in Spring (p48).

PEAK DISTRICT, YORKSHIRE COAST & NORFOLK in SPRING

SUN 4 JUNE – SUN 11 JUNE 2023

SUN 2 JUNE – SUN 9 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £1995pp

Single supplement: £195 Deposit: £300pp. Max group size 7. Leader Dave Pearce.

This exciting two-centre holiday is designed to cover a broad cross-section of upland and lowland bird species including spring migrants and breeding birds from several different habitats including moorland, woodland, heathland, wetland and coast. It is especially useful as an introduction to birding for beginners, or for those seeking speciality species.

We begin in South Yorkshire in the Dark Peak region of the Peak District, an area typified by extensive open areas of upland heather moorland, with steep-sided ‘cloughs’ or small valleys incised into the hills, often containing relict oak and birch woodland. Below the moorland edge, coniferous plantations, broad-leaved woodlands and water-supply reservoirs with fast flowing streams in the valleys add to the upland landscape and scenery. We visit a range of sites and look for key species which breed in this upland area, including Red Grouse, Golden Plover, Short-eared Owl, Merlin, Whinchat and Ring Ouzel on the moorland, Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Wood Warbler and Crossbill in the woodland and adjacent habitats, Little Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper on the reservoir margins and we venture out for an evening visit to the moorland edge for Nightjar and Woodcock. From our base in the Peak District we take a day trip to the Yorkshire coast and the breeding seabird colonies at RSPB Bempton Cliffs where we will see a range of species including Puffin, Gannet, Kittiwake, Razorbill, Guillemot, Fulmar and Shag, most at close range from the cliff tops. We also have a leisurely walk around the nearby headland at Flamborough seeking migrants in the hedgerows and scrub and look out for Corn Bunting and Red Kite whilst driving across the Yorkshire Wolds on our journey to and from the coast. For the next part of the tour we travel south-east to Norfolk and our second base near King’s Lynn in West Norfolk. On the way we break our journey in south Lincolnshire to visit Frampton Marsh RSPB on the western margin of The Wash, one of the broadest estuaries in the UK. Here we spend time looking for migrant waders which may include Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint or perhaps a rarity, plus other migrants such as Little Gull and Black Tern and late winter visitors such as Brent Goose. Our hotel is well positioned for access to birding sites in Breckland where we look for Stone Curlew and Woodlark, in particular at Weeting Heath NWT, and a range of birds in the wetland fen habitat at RSPB Lakenheath reserve, including Crane, Bittern, Garganey, Bearded Tit, Cetti’s Warbler and several species of summer migrant warbler. We are also well placed for visiting Titchwell RSPB and Cley Marshes NWT, two of Britain’s premier birding sites on the North Norfolk coast. Our day birding on the Norfolk coast should give us many potential highlights, such as Dartford Warbler and Woodlark on the coastal heathland and a wide range of wetland and marshland birds including Bittern, Spoonbill, several wildfowl and wader species, gulls, terns, raptors and passerines.

A rewarding tour of the breeding birdlife of eastern and northern England! Number of centres: 2.

SOUTH WALES in SUMMER

Great birding on land and sea, in a lesser-known region of Wales

FRI 9 JUNE – FRI 16 JUNE 2023

FRI 14 JUNE – FRI 21 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £1995pp

Single supplement: £335 Deposit: £300pp Max 7 clients. Leader Barry Embling.

South Wales is a lesser-known birding holiday destination just waiting to be explored! A region with much to offer, a strong diversity of habitats, easy access and remarkably varied landscape - and of course a great many birds. We begin in the east near the Welsh Borders in Monmouthshire before relocating to Pembrokeshire in the far south west. Both centres are ideally located to enjoy their respective birds and wildlife, with much to see in between too on a planned day exploring the Gower peninsula.

In Monmouthshire we visit extensive ancient woodlands, coastal wetlands, the uplands so typical of Wales and the nearby Black Mountains, which lie on the fringes of the Brecon Beacons National Park. From our centrally located accommodation, we look for moorland species such as Red Grouse and Wheatear and explore the unique ‘fridd’, a mixed scrubby and open bracken hillside habitat, where Cuckoo, Whinchat and Meadow Pipit may be found. Specialist woodland birds will be searched for, including Woodcock, Nightjar, Redstart, Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher and Firecrest. Along the coastal strip we visit the Severn-side RSPB reserve of Newport Wetlands, with its scarce breeding birds such as Bittern, Avocet, and Bearded Tit.

On our transfer day we visit Gower on our way to Pembrokeshire. The Gower peninsula is a quite beautiful and distinctive landscape with special local birds such as Chough and Dartford Warbler. The many nature reserves will be looking at their best, with wild flowers showing well at this time of the year.

Scenic Pembrokeshire is always an exciting place to visit, especially as it is such a long way from anywhere. Most well-known for its famous seabird colonies on the offshore islands, we plan to visit three of these - Skomer, Grassholm and Ramsey. We plan to land on Skomer and Ramsey, exploring these magical places on foot, both of which are famed for their Puffin and Manx Shearwater numbers. Our visit may coincide with the beautiful haze of blue and pink as the Bluebells and Red Campion are in flower, providing a colourful backdrop to the sheer cliffs which are often packed with thousands of Guillemot, Razorbill and Kittiwake. While not landing, by taking a boat around Grassholm the glistening white of over 39,000 pairs of Gannet will be quite the spectacle – a certain highlight among our seabird experiences! Time will also be spent exploring the mainland wildlife hotspots, visiting lakes, beautiful coastal bays and estuaries, with stops at favoured nature reserves and, if time allows, notable historic sites. Number of centres: 2.

For a full Wales experience this holiday can run back to back with our North Wales in Summer holiday (p51)!

NORTH WALES in SUMMER

Anglesey, Bardsey and Snowdonia National

SAT 17 JUNE – SAT 24 JUNE 2023

SAT 22 JUNE – SAT 29 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £1845pp

Single supplement: £175. Deposit: £300pp

Leader Barry Embling

Park

North Wales is wildlife rich, and we explore by both land and sea on this exciting holiday, dividing our time between coastal locations and the famous Snowdonia National Park. Habitats are varied and we visit estuarine hotspots, coastal bays, beaches, freshwater lakes and the spectacular birdrich islands of Anglesey and Bardsey. Inland lakes, fast flowing rivers, forest and mixed woodland, open moors and Snowdon Mountain itself offer different opportunities on this enjoyable tour.

Anglesey is a large island of great excitement and at South Stack Puffin, Black Guillemot and other seabirds are to the fore, with Chough, Raven and Peregrine overhead. Later, we visit an internationally important site for rare Roseate Tern.

Bardsey is a fascinating, bird rich island noted for its Manx Shearwater colony. We plan to land on this beautiful island and explore by foot. We enjoy the Puffins, listen out for Chough and search the scrub and bushes for passerines and any late migrants. We work closely with the Observatory team to make the most of our visit. Conwy’s Great Orme has a growing reputation for good birding with a number of migrant and scarce birds recorded recently. We walk around the headland where Chough may be seen before checking the waders on the nearby estuary and pools for Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint.

We visit Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales, and may take the train to the summit for stunning views, Ring Ouzel, Wheatear, Raven and Peregrine. The mountain is also home to rare Alpine plants, including the aptly named Snowdon Lily. If we spend less time on the mountain, attractive wooded valleys with fast flowing streams hold Dipper, Ring Ouzel, Grey Wagtail, Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree Pipit, Common Sandpiper and more.

Picturesque Welsh Moors hold a substantial Black Grouse lek where we hope to see displaying birds. Breeding Red Grouse, Ring Ouzel, Whinchat, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Stonechat and a few Twite are also present. A day at RSPB Ynys Hir gives chances to see deciduous woodland specialists including Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Cuckoo, Jay, Nuthatch, Marsh Tit and Lesser Redpoll. The holiday begins and ends at Bangor, where rail transfers will be available. Number of centres 1.

Can be combined with our South Wales in Summer holiday for a full Wales experience (p50)

NORTHUMBERLAND in HIGH SUMMER

Including the Farnes, Lindisfarne, Kielder Forest and more!

SAT 17 JUNE – SAT 24 JUNE 2023

SAT 22 JUNE – SAT 29 JUNE 2024

PRICES: from £1995pp

Single supplement: £325. Deposit £300pp Max 14 clients. Leader Jenna Berry with another from our team with more than 7 clients.

Northumberland is one of the most picturesque and unspoilt corners of England, and this slow-paced single-centre holiday takes in the natural highlights of the coast, islands, uplands, farmland and forest of this beautiful region in summer, including visits to iconic cultural and historical sites along the way.

The Farne Islands are our primary target, gauging our best day to visit by tide and weather conditions. This is one of Britain’s greatest wildlife spectacles, especially during the summer with thousands of terns, Puffin, Guillemot, Razorbill, Eider, Kittiwake, Shag and Atlantic Grey Seal. We aim to spend all day visiting the two main islands, Staple Island in the morning and Inner Farne in the afternoon. Some birds will have fledged young, others small chicks whilst some will be on eggs. It’s a photographer’s paradise with time to fully enjoy and appreciate the experience. In the Cheviot Hills, a land of few people but a number of narrow secluded valleys that penetrate into the heart, we explore the typical upland habitat and birdlife including Dipper, Raven, Peregrine, Red Grouse, Grey Wagtail, Ring Ouzel, Wheatear, Common Sandpiper and maybe a few Wild Goats.

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is an undoubted highlight, and if tides are suitable, we will intentionally become stranded as the causeway floods twice daily. Derwent Valley is a great area to see Red Kite, with river and woodland species nearby. At RSPB Saltholme and Seal Sands we seek one of the northernmost colonies of breeding Avocet and may see Bittern and Marsh Harrier.

We also visit Kielder Forest and Kielder Water, for forest, woodland and moorland birds with currently three pairs of breeding Osprey, and a raptor watchpoint particularly known for Goshawk. Our return takes us along the Military Road, running parallel to Hadrian’s Wall where we may have time to walk a section. If weather conditions affect our plans, we have many other places, habitats and experiences to fill an absorbing week in and around Northumberland, with a potential birdlist of over 100+ species.

KENT & EAST SUSSEX in AUTUMN

SAT 2 SEPTEMBER – SAT 9 SEPTEMBER 2023

SAT 7 SEPTEMBER – SAT 14 SEPTEMBER 2024

PRICES: from £1795pp

Single supplement: £275 Deposit: £200pp

Max group size 7. Leader from our experienced team

With a coastline projecting out into the North Sea, Kent is perfectly positioned to attract large numbers of passage birds as they funnel through the UK each autumn. With a range of habitats and several great reserves, the county is a magnet for migrating birds on the move and an attractive place to watch them. We should enjoy varied and busy bird-watching days, exploring Kent in detail with a little time dedicated to nearby East Sussex hotspots too. Waders will feature highly at coastal and freshwater sites, typically moving through the North Sea in abundance at this time of year from various origins including Northern Europe, Scandinavia and Russia. Passerines will not be neglected, the habitat around the coast often attracting ‘falls’ of warblers, chats, wagtails, pipits and flycatchers as well as rarities.

The first part of the week will be spent exploring the North Kent Marshes, and The Oare Marshes, RSPB Cliffe Pools, The Isle of Sheppey, Capel Fleet and Swale NNR are all within a short journey of our base. Our daily itinerary will be flexible, and with most of the top birding sites close by we have every chance of connecting with any reported rare bird to boost our trip list.

Later in the week we travel south over the Kent peninsula via Walland Marsh and stay just over the border in East Sussex near Rye. We have excellent access to both the Dungeness Peninsula and its nature reserves, as well as Rye Harbour LNR. The largest shingle promontory in Europe and with on average only 25 inches of rainfall a year, Dungeness is the only official desert in the UK! This bleak, gaunt wilderness is, however, of huge attraction to birdlife and the area lays claim to one of the oldest established Bird Observatories as well as one of the earliest RSPB reserves in England. Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is another excellent birding site with good nature trails and hides. Terns, gulls and passage waders congregate on the old gravel pit workings, while the surrounding bushes can be busy with migrants as they fatten up before continuing the next part of their journey to southern wintering grounds. A variety of species will be seen during our week and we will certainly build a substantial list of waders likely to include Ruff, Avocet, Golden, Grey and Little Ringed Plover, Knot, Whimbrel, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Green, Wood and Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint. In recent autumns rarer, Nearctic species have included Lesser Yellowlegs, American Golden Plover and Long-billed Dowitcher. At this time of year Yellow Wagtail flocks are on the move, while local reserves are great place to find parties of Bearded Tit with juveniles often seen at close quarters. Strong winds from the north in September bring a good chance of skuas and other migrating sea birds being pushed into the Swale estuary, and if these conditions prevail then we can sea watch from various vantage points. This really is a great opportunity to explore South-East England at a busy time of year for birds. Number of centres: 2.

WEST CORNWALL in AUTUMN for birders

FRI 29 SEPTEMBER – FRI 6 OCTOBER 2023

FRI 4 OCTOBER – FRI 11 OCTOBER 2024

PRICES: from £1645pp

Single supplement: £95 Deposit: £300pp

Max group size 7. Leader Toby Green

West Cornwall is a birders' playground, with a strong reputation as one of the best British birding counties in autumn. The Penwith peninsula at the ‘end of the land’ is ideally placed as a filter for southbound migrants and rarities, and with beautiful valley habitats and rugged coastline, it’s one of the great places for birdwatchers to explore. October is one of the best times to visit and extensive knowledge of all the birding hot-spots, plus some hidden gems will give us a great chance to enjoy migration over both land and sea. Our daily schedule will be flexible, planning days around local, up to date bird news and of course the weather. Based in the far west we shouldn’t need to travel much either, with great sites such as Porthgwarra, Cot Valley, Nanquidno, Hayle, Marazion and Drift nearby there’s great birding on our doorstep, and we plan to visit the Lizard Peninsula where Choughs famously first made their return to the county.

Species possibility is broad depending upon luck and the prevailing weather. Birds vary every year, but Africa-bound passerines including a variety of warblers, Redstart, Wheatear, Pied and Spotted Flycatcher should be encountered, along with Firecrest, Black Redstart and migrant finch, lark and pipit flocks. We might find our own Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, Red-breasted Flycatcher or perhaps something even rarer from the east. Winds from the west might yield an American wader or something really 'mega', recent examples being Grey Catbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Britain’s first Alder Flycatcher. Sea-watching can be excellent, and our boat trip into Mount's Bay will give great views and possibly cetaceans too. Exciting birding, relatively warmer weather and great coastal scenery in a massively under-watched part of the UK! Number of centres: 1.

We have timed this holiday so it may be combined with our Isles of Scilly for birders trip (p53) for the ultimate south-west birding experience!

ISLES OF SCILLY for birders

SAT 7 OCTOBER – SAT 14 OCTOBER 2023

SAT 12 OCTOBER – SAT 19 OCTOBER 2024

PRICES: from £2095pp

Single supplement: £195 Deposit: £300pp

Max 14 clients with leaders Toby Green & Barry Embling

Steeped in birding folklore the Isles of Scilly are one of the ‘must visit’ places in the UK. Shallow waters, golden sands and a climate often more akin to the Mediterranean, it’s a fabulous place to be when birds are on the move. The Scillies are in prime position to receive migrants heading south and also storm driven vagrants from all directions. Birders visiting the islands since the 70’s have been responsible for finding a number of ‘British firsts’ particularly those of Nearctic origin. We will be especially flexible and our daily activities will depend largely on up to date bird news. We will do our best to follow up on sightings as and when they happen but at the same time, we’ll select a different island to explore daily so as to see as much of the Scillies as possible during your holiday. Our guides are experienced here and will choose the best time to visit St Mary’s, St Agnes, Tresco, St Martin’s and Bryher, in order to make the most of the weather and bird news on any given day.

The birdwatching can be fantastic and with a roll call of such ‘megas’ from previous Octobers including Blyth’s Pipit, Dusky Thrush, Caspian Stonechat, Pallid Swift, Yellowbilled Cuckoo, Red-flanked Bluetail, multiple Red Eyed Vireos, Blackburnian Warbler, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Sora, American Herring Gull, Caspian Tern plus Britain’s second Pale-legged/Sakhalin Leaf Warbler we’ll be hoping for something special on our next trip. Prevailing weather dictates which rare/scarce birds arrive, no one year is the same. Solitary Sandpiper, Cream-coloured Courser, Snowy Owl, Wryneck, Little Bunting, Richard’s, Red-throated, Olive-backed and Buff-bellied Pipit, Yellow-browed, Blackpoll, Barred and Melodious Warbler are among the regularly recorded scarcities.

General birding will expect us to encounter up to 100 species of a wide variety from seabirds, to migrating waders, wildfowl and gulls. We’ll see plenty of passerines and landbirds on their way south plus regular scarcities. It’s a holiday where truly anything is possible!

Number of centres: 1.

LANCASHIRE and THE WIRRAL

MON 16 OCTOBER – SUN 22 OCTOBER 2023

MON 21 OCTOBER – SUN 27 OCTOBER 2024

PRICES: from £1645pp

Single supplement: £195 Deposit: £300pp. Max 14 clients. Leader Holly Page, joined by another from our team with more than 7 clients.

Autumn sees a fascinating and often spectacular migration of wintering birds to the wetlands and grasslands of north-west England. Wildfowl and waders will be moving around and passing through as we visit Leighton Moss, Morecambe Bay, the Ribble Estuary, Martin Mere and The Wirral peninsula. The variety and sheer numbers of waders and wildfowl will give us constantly changing birdlife at the larger reserves, with plenty of opportunity for grey winter-plumage wader identification.

Whooper Swan, Ruff, Black- and Bar-tailed Godwit, Great and Little Egret, Pink-footed and Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Pintail, flocks of Wigeon and Teal, and maybe an occasional rarity such as American Wigeon graze on the saltmarshes, and Red-breasted Merganser and Eider may be drifting offshore. Water Rail, Bittern and Bearded Tit are also found. Raptors include both Barn and Short-eared Owl, Peregrine, Merlin and both Marsh and Hen Harrier, and a range of wintering woodland passerines include Marsh Tit, Nuthatch, Tree Sparrow, Lesser Redpoll and Siskin. Fieldfare and Redwing will be exploiting winter berry crops, and we may find Waxwing or other Scandinavian migrants including Brambling. Twite, Cetti’s Warbler and Kingfisher in exposed stretches or marginal wetland, and we may encounter Red Deer, Roe Deer and Otter too.

You will visit reserves managed by RSPB, WWT and Lancashire Wildlife Trust, and all are supported by our visits, as your entry fee is included if you are not already a member.

This is a two-centre holiday. Our first base is located at a lovely hotel on The Wirral, with views over the Dee estuary to North Wales. Both Marsh and Hen Harrier can be seen from the hotel balcony and we are within easy reach of RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands and the northern coast of The Wirral.

In Lancashire we stay in a comfortable hotel just south of Lancaster, offering lovely accommodation and excellent food inspired by traditional Lancashire recipes. This quiet backwater is a great base to head north or south to Lancashire's nature reserves. We are directly on the towpath of Lancaster Canal’s Glasson Branch, and within easy walking distance of the River Conder, a small river which winds its way towards the mouth of the much larger River Lune, a few hundred yards away from our hotel. Greenshank, Shelduck and a range of other ducks and waders change places daily here, previous rarities on this trip include Lesser Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher and Glossy Ibis!

A relaxing and rewarding break as autumn turns to winter, featuring many of the migrant and resident birds which characterise this part of the UK.

Combine with: West Cornwall in Autumn for birders (p52).

Overseas Birding and Wildlife Holidays

Do it ‘The Heatherlea Way’!

Every holiday is carefully planned to give you a memorable wildlife experience, all part of ‘The Heatherlea Way’, which gives you the best available content, in comfort, and with excellent support. Our overseas holidays are created with care to offer great birding and wildlife, led by capable Leaders who really look after you. Most are led by one of our regular Guiding Team travelling from the UK, though some are based in the destination country, and with more than seven clients you will usually have two Guides. Every holiday is run ‘The Heatherlea Way’, offering rewarding and exciting days in the field, and good quality accommodation and meals, with a real flavour of the country we are visiting. Most holidays include at least an element of local guiding, and we always seek to include the personal touches that make all the difference.

Heatherlea holidays are not ‘dawn to dusk’ expeditions. Our less-intensive approach is ideal for those who want to relax whilst enjoying excellent wildlife watching, and wherever possible we organise early or late activity on an optional basis. We also take sensible breaks when in very hot places and regular comfort stops on every holiday. It is important to us wherever possible that everyone in the party sees the bird or animal, and we often seek to get better views for all rather than chase the next ‘tick’. All itineraries are planned carefully around the best wildlife opportunities, and our relaxed, informal holidays are great fun.

On ‘long-haul’ holidays, it is particularly important to choose an operator with good back-up services. With Heatherlea, hotels, meals and activities are usually booked directly in the destination country, helping to guarantee smooth running, and we employ very experienced local ground agents, who offer a warm welcome, and who give invaluable advantages which will enhance your holiday, particularly when we need to find difficult-to-see wildlife. We have a highly experienced and capable team throughout the world, and the emphasis is firmly on personal attention, with our UK office available at short notice for tour operations. Also, Heatherlea often include things which others might invite you to pay yourself, for instance Departure Taxes, tips to hotels, a night walk, or a boat safari through prime habitat. The cost of these things can be significant, so if comparing, take them into account!

WHY CHOOSE HEATHERLEA OVERSEAS?

We have been organising birding and wildlife holidays for 32 seasons and have a highly experienced and capable office team. We also offer a telephone and email service outside normal office hours.

4 Many holidays include content which might not seem important before you book but will make a difference when you arrive – examples include an opportunity to photograph lekking Ruff in Finland, taverna meals in Skyros, internal flights in Peru, India and Nepal, and many more.

4 A ‘feel’ of the country we are visiting is an important part of our holidays. This may mean wine-tasting in Chile, or tea at a Saharan community in Morocco. We don’t lose birding time, just offer a little extra so you can enjoy a rounded holiday experience.

4 Often our holidays include things which others might invite you to pay yourself, for instance Departure Taxes and tips to hotels. Please check when comparing!

4 Heatherlea overseas holidays have a maximum of 12 clients per trip, putting the emphasis on personal service, and helping you get the best possible experience. (NB we reserve the right to increase the number of clients to 13, should a couple wish to book the final place available).

* Low initial deposit secures your holiday for most destinations.

MORE IMPORTANT DETAIL!

4 If you would like more information before you decide, you can download a copy of the ‘TRIP REPORT’ which includes a copy of the bird list and species seen on the previous year’s departure. ‘TRIP REPORTS’ can be downloaded from our website – just visit the holiday page at www.heatherlea.co.uk, and help yourself, or ring us here in the office and we will post a printed copy to you. For further information and booking details contact us on 01479 821248 or email info@heatherlea.co.uk.

4 A copy of the ‘Tour Info Pack’ will be issued when you book, including information to help prepare for your holiday. Sections headed ‘Flights’, ‘Entering your destination’, ‘Field Clothing’ and ‘Currency’ will help you to plan – you will be very well informed!

4 A ‘Final Information Pack’ will be issued prior to travel, containing flight tickets, Guide contact details, airport hotels, accommodation in the destination country including relevant websites, plus health and other useful information you might need whilst abroad.

4 All elements of our holidays are sold under our own licence, ATOL 6113. Under UK ‘Flight-Plus’ legislation it is a legal requirement of any tour operator to hold an ATOL licence for the supply of any overseas holiday where a flight is involved, if that holiday includes either overseas accommodation and/or vehicle hire. It can be a criminal offence for an operator to book flights as part of a package without an ATOL licence. Book holiday extensions through us, and your ATOL protection is extended even further. Heatherlea also hold full Tour Operator Insurance for your added protection.

THE HEATHERLEA PRE-FLIGHT SERVICE

Enjoy a pre-flight airport hotel and lounge!

Virtually all 2023 Heatherlea overseas holidays which include flights also include an overnight airport hotel and lounge before you fly, organised by Heatherlea as part of our pre-flight service. We will contact you as your holiday approaches to confirm details and any other services you might require. To benefit, book with Heatherlea!

Pre-flight hotel

Heatherlea select your airport hotel from our approved shortlist. All offer good en-suite accommodation, evening meals and readily available car parking and transfers to the terminal.

Pre-flight VIP airport lounge

We want your holiday to start early - unwind before you fly! A busy airport terminal is hardly the ideal place to relax, and by the time you've bought food, drinks, newspapers and a magazine to pass the time, can prove expensive too. Why not prefer the comfort of an airport lounge, where you can relax for up to three hours before your flight? We adjust your final invoice downwards if you don’t require the pre-flight hotel, or if an airport lounge is unavailable.

Most of our lounges offer ample free drinks and snacks, magazines and newspapers, wifi, TV and comfortable seating amid quiet surroundings, in a secluded getaway from the crowded terminal. If travelling on your flight, your Heatherlea guide will be there for an optional chat after everyone has checked-in, and you can get to know your fellow travellers or just sink into an armchair – the choice and comfort are yours! We will confirm arrangements and include any necessary admission tickets in your ‘Final Information Pack’. If you've never used an airport lounge before, you don't know what you're missing – just don’t get too comfortable and forget to catch your flight!

Quality Assurance

All elements of our package holidays are sold under licence (ATOL 6113). Our business partners include British Airways, Delta Airlines, Premier Inn and Hilton Hotels. We have a highly experienced and capable team, and our specialist knowledge will help you get exactly the right services, at the best available price. We offer all your airport needs with just one call, so to save time and money choose Heatherlea, your complete wildlife holiday provider.

With Heatherlea, the Field Guide is free!

Our unique Pre-flight Service offers you more, and for most holidays in the ‘Rest of the World’ section of this Brochure, the leading bird book relevant to the holiday is included in your holiday price. We include one copy with each room booked. With some titles costing around £50, this is another benefit from Heatherlea which saves you money!

Don’t forget, when comparing Heatherlea with others;

4 pre-flight airport hotel INCLUDED^

4 pre-flight VIP lounge entry INCLUDED^

4 car parking, upgrades, in-flight special diets ORGANISED AT NO EXTRA CHARGE

4 departure tax (several long-haul destinations) INCLUDED

4 birding Field Guide (destinations not covered by Collins) INCLUDED

4 major tips to Hotels INCLUDED (whip-rounds for drivers/guides always encouraged, but not compulsory).

4 a ‘feel’ of the country and other benefits INCLUDED.

4 Max 12 clients on most holidays.

The list goes on!

^ price reduction if not needed or unavailable.

The Heatherlea holiday planner

A great way to plan your birding tours, the Heatherlea Holiday Planner allows you to create your own worldwide birding diary, and reserve tours without obligation.

Choose as many tours as you like, then save your Planner to see all your holidays during the next five years. When ready, lodge your Planner with Heatherlea, though you don't need to make any commitment at this stage. We will provisionally reserve your place(s) and keep you in touch so you are fully up to date with any new developments relating to your chosen tours.

You may update your Planner by adding and deleting tours at any time, though please remember to inform Heatherlea with your new choices! No payment is required until one year before each tour, giving great flexibility.

CAMARGUE

Sat 4 March – Sat 11 March 2023

Sat 9 March – Sat 16 March 2024

Sat 8 March – Sat 15 March 2025

Prices from £1995pp

Wonderful early spring birding in the south of France. Wallcreeper is one of our top targets, and we also look for Alpine Accentor, Blue Rock Thrush, Eagle Owl, Citril Finch, Black Woodpecker and (white-spotted) Bluethroat. Raptors including Bonelli’s Eagle may be seen, and out on the plains Little Bustard and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse gather in winter flocks.

NEW! CYPRUS

Sat 24 March – Sat 31 March 2023

Sat 5 April – Sat 12 April 2025

Prices from £2095pp

A fabulous Mediterranean destination offering excellent migration based birding and notable, sought-after residents including endemics. Our base is deliberately positioned to offer a wide variety of northbound species, as we visit hotspots including Paphos headland, the Arkamas National Par, Akritori and the Trodos Mountains.

FINLAND & NORWAY – in Winter

Tue 26 March – Sun 31 March 2024

Prices from £2995pp

A fantastic Finnish Lapland and Norway winter break! The highlights may be good numbers of King and Steller’s Eider in stunning breeding plumage, alongside flocks of other wildfowl including Common Eider, Long-tailed Duck, scoter and Smew. Large numbers of seabirds will be returning to their clifftop breeding colonies on Hornoya Island, with Brunnich’s Guillemot and Puffin both featuring. There is a chance of encountering the Aurora Borealis too!

ITALY – PO DELTA AND VENICE

Tue 11 April – Tue 18 April 2023

Wed 3 April – Wed 10 April 2025

Prices from £2495pp

A unique holiday, combining high quality birding in one of Europe’s most important National Parks - the Po Delta, with a three-night visit to Venice.

SPAIN – EXTREMADURA

Sat 15 April – Sat 22 April 2023

Sat 13 April – Sat 20 April 2024

Sat 19 April – Sat 26 April 2025

Prices from £2095pp

Birds of prey, bustards, sandgrouse and brilliant Spanish spring birding! Extremadura and the Monfragüe National Park are brimming with some of the best birdwatching in Europe, featuring many of Europe’s rarest and most endangered species.

NEW! GEORGIA Prices from £2995pp

Mon 17 April – Wed 26 April 2023

Mon 22 April – Wed 1 May 2024

Mon 21 April – Wed 30 April 2025

Georgia is a country of exceptional beauty, with ancient history and traditions, special hospitality, unique architecture, food and folklore. Located at the junction of Europe, Asia and the Middle East/, it holds a diversity of habitats and landscapes, ranging from semi-desert to humid subtropical forests. We explore the rich birdlife of snow-capped mountains, dry steppes, intact savannas, barren mountain semi deserts, impressive gorges and canyons, lush deciduous forests and waterfowl-teeming wetlands and lakes.

SPAIN – CATALONIA & SE ARAGON Prices from £2195pp

Wed 19 April – Thurs 27 April 2023

Wed 17 April – Thurs 25 April 2024

Wed 23 April – Thurs 1 May 2025

Superb spring birding from the pre-Pyrenees to the Ebro Delta. This wonderful spring holiday is based in parts of the Iberian Peninsula which are full of speciality birds. Very rewarding yet under watched despite being within relatively easy reach of Barcelona, and surrounded by outstanding scenery, this area holds the promise of outstanding birding which may be new to many British birders.

SKYROS Prices from £2495pp

Wed 19 April – Wed 26 April 2023

Wed 17 April – Wed 24 April 2024

A fantastic destination, ideal for birders who want to enjoy spring migration on an island without the crowds and unspoiled by tourism. Relaxed birding will include a wide range of spring migrants, while a boat trip under the cliffs of the largest nesting colony of Eleonora's Falcons in the world will be an experience to remember!

ARMENIA Prices from £3595pp

Sat 4 May – Wed 15 May 2024

Sat 3 May – Wed 14 May 2025

Rural, peaceful and unspoilt, this is an excellent choice for birding, as it forms a geographical bridge between the avian populations of Europe and Asia. The country holds a variety of habitats including semi-desert, steppe, deciduous forest, meadowland, and alpine grassland. This is a comprehensive tour to see the birdlife, featuring many of the key species of far eastern Europe. Armenia holds many species from the Western Palaearctic birding list, and of over 350 birds recorded here, more than 200 are breeding. Many will be “lifers” for those who have not visited this remote part of eastern Europe.

MALLORCA

Sat 29 April – Sat 6 May 2023

Sat 27 April – Sat 4 May 2024

Sat 26 April – Sat 3 May 2025

Prices from £1995pp

The perfect holiday for those who wish to experience the thrill of spring European migration and the beginner too, perhaps experiencing this exciting region and time of year for the first time. A gentle paced tour which still boasts a potential list of over 120 species, a major objective being for everyone to get good views of as many as possible.

ESTONIA IN SPRING

Sun 7 May – Sun 14 May 2023

Sun 5 May – Sun 12 May 2024

Mon 12 May – Mon 19 May 2025

Prices from £2095pp

Despite being one of smallest and least populated of the Baltic states, Estonia is without doubt a premier destination for birdwatchers. More than 200 bird species breed and in spring a heavy passage of wildfowl and waders occurs along the Baltic coast heading north - a real birding bonanza!

BULGARIA & NORTHERN GREECE Prices from £2445pp

Mon 8 May – Fri 17 May 2023

Sat 11 May – Mon 20 May 2024

Sat 10 May – Mon 19 May 2025

A fabulous ten-day birding tour that combines the highest mountains of Southwestern Bulgaria and the wetlands of Northern Greece, including famous Lake Kerkini and the Axios Delta. The timing of this trip and the sheer range of habitats covered give us the chance to record somewhere between 180 - 200 species; a very good birdlist with many eastern species, not easy at all in Europe!

HUNGARY IN SPRING

Sat 13 May – Sat 20 May 2023

Prices from £1995pp

Hungary in spring offers fabulous birding, featuring rare owls and woodpeckers sometimes at the nest, breeding wetland birds including marsh terns, waders and herons, speciality passerines with warblers, Bluethroat and reedbed specialists, key European targets such as Great Bustard, Lesser Spotted and Eastern Imperial Eagle

FINLAND – LATE SPRING BIRDING

Wed 17 May – Tues 23 May 2023

Wed 15 May – Tues 21 May 2024

Wed 14 May – Tues 20 May 2025

Prices from £3395pp

We begin in Kuusamo, Finland’s top birding destination, which promises a feast of birding! Vast forests hold Capercaillie and Black and Willow Grouse, Goldeneye, Wood Sandpiper and Brambling are common, although the real draw is the list of eastern and northern species: Red-flanked Bluetail, Little and Rustic Bunting, Greenish Warbler, Siberian Tit, Dipper and Siberian Jay. The focus is strictly on birding, though we will include enjoyable local aspects at some mealtimes, as we visit a traditional restaurant and also a reindeer farm to dine. An exciting and rewarding holiday!

NEW! SPAIN FOR BIRDS & BUTTERFLIES Prices from £1995pp

Wed 17 May – Tues 23 May 2023

Wed 21 May – Tues 27 May 2025

A delightful late-spring holiday to enjoy the birds and the butterflies of this wildlife of Catalonia and south-east Aragon. We explore dry sedimentary cliff and scrub, rich mixed deciduous forest, alpine grasslands and meadows, steppe landscapes combining rich bushland, traditional farming ground, natural steppe and riverside forests and sunny slopes for a variety of birds and butterflies, including many highly desirable, hard to find species.

ROMANIA AND THE DANUBE DELTA Prices from £2495pp

Sat 3 June – Sat 10 June 2023

Sat 7 June – Sat 14 June 2025

The Danube Delta is the second biggest riverine delta in Europe and four nights on board our exclusive ’floating hotel’ house-boat gives us superb access to huge numbers of wetland birds. A further three nights on solid ground allow us to explore further afield as we target eastern European specialities on this unique tour.

ABERDEEN TO THE ARCTIC Prices from £2775pp

Mon 5 June – Wed 14 June 2023

Sat 25 May – Mon 3 June 2024

This unique and thrilling voyage promises an unforgettable experience, as we visit some of the most remote and inaccessible northern locations to experience the wildlife of the North Atlantic in spring. Enjoy some key 'bucketlist' experiences as we combine birding for migrants on Fair Isle with the cetaceans and seabirds of the open north Atlantic Ocean, and the thrill of Polar Bears, Walrus and Arctic birding on Svalbard.

ICELAND IN SUMMER

Mon 17 July – Mon 24 July 2023

Mon 8 July – Mon 15 July 2024

Mon 14 July – Mon 21 July 2025

Prices from £3295pp

Summer is a great time for wildlife in the Land of Fire and Ice.

Exploring the dramatic landscapes, we seek mighty Gyrfalcon, Red-necked Phalarope, Great Northern and Red-throated Diver, and North American birds including the dazzling Harlequin Duck and Barrow’s Goldeneye. We have three whale-watching trips—giving fantastic chances to see White-beaked Dolphin, Orca, Humpback and Minke Whale. There is also the possibility of the mighty Blue, Sperm, Fin and Sei Whale, and Bottle-nosed and White-sided Dolphin.

NEW! AROUND SVALBARD

Prices from £6795pp a circumnavigation in the realm of the polar bear

Sat 22 July – Wed 2 Aug 2023

Wed 7 Aug – Sun 18 Aug 2024

Svalbard is one of the last great wildernesses and most dramatic places on earth, and on this exciting new cruise we travel around the entire archipelago to see its special birds and mammals. Just 600 miles from the North Pole, and warmed by the Gulf Stream, this is a spectacular land of rugged mountains, extensive Arctic pack-ice drifting offshore, and the blue ice of ancient, awe-inspiring glaciers. Nothing can prepare you for your first sighting of a wild Polar Bear, the undisputed king of the Arctic, and a key highlight of this fabulous adventure.

Photo: Colin Barber

IRELAND FOR BIRDERS Prices from £2495pp

Sat 31 Aug – Sat 7 Sept 2024

Sat 30 Aug – Sat 6 Sept 2025

An exciting holiday to the southern coast of Ireland! We will be looking through large numbers of waders, seabirds and passerines and will also seek out any rare birds that have been found within reach, though we hope of course to find many rarities of our own in these beautiful underwatched locations. An exciting aspect of this tour is a pelagic charter into the Atlantic, 'chumming' from the boat to draw in a range of rare oceanic species. Top targets here are Wilson’s Storm Petrel and Great Shearwater, though any number of petrels, shearwaters, skuas and auks are possible.

BULGARIA IN AUTUMN

Sat 2 Sep – Sat 9 Sep 2023

Sat 6 Sep – Sat 13 Sep 2025

Prices from £2395pp

An exciting tour focusing on the spectacular annual migration of thousands of birds of prey, pelicans, storks and passerines along the Black Sea Flyway, known as the Via Pontica. The tour is based in just two centres, giving a thorough exploration of the Black Sea coastline, the bottleneck for all manner of migratory and resident birds. This tour is suitable for beginners and experts alike, with most stops offering a range of easy birds, as well as identification challenges and good chances of hard to see Eastern scarcities.

NEW! GREENLAND & ICELAND

Wed 6 Sept – Mon 18 Sept 2023

Wed 4 Sept – Mon 16 Sept 2024

Prices from £6495pp

Brand new to Heatherlea, this is a unique and genuinely outstanding experience. Beginning (optionally) with a land journey across Iceland and developing into a major adventure as we voyage north by comfortable ship to Scoresby Sound in Eastern Greenland. A truly unique and highly memorable prospect, we hope to find Polar Bear, cetaceans and seals as we travel. There are chances of Narwhal, Walrus and Beluga too (all were seen on our recce in 2022), though certainly not guaranteed, while Muskoxen, Arctic Hare and a range of birds including Glaucous Gull can be expected.

NEW! AZORES

Thu 21 Sept – Thu 28 Sept 2023

Sat 6 Sept – Sat 13 Sept 2025

Prices from £2995pp

This is a thorough exploration of the Azores archipelago, including two internal flights and a ferry crossing to enable us to stay on three of the islands. We also take two sea trips to watch cetaceans. At this time, we hope to see Sperm Whales, perhaps with calves, as well as several dolphin species including Atlantic Spotted, Short-beaked Common and Risso’s. A lovely blend of birds, whales, plants and geology amidst incredible coastal scenery.

HUNGARY IN AUTUMN

Thurs 1 Oct – Thurs 8 Oct 2023

Thurs 2 Oct – Thurs 9 Oct 2025

Prices from £1995pp

Our main focus is the spectacular migration of Common Cranes through the Hortobagy National Park, one of Europe’s great birding experiences. Each autumn up to 100,000 of these elegant birds from Fenno-Scandia, the Baltic States, Poland and elsewhere in northern Europe congregate here. Other special resident birds include Great Bustard, Eastern Imperial Eagle, eight species of woodpecker and more, while the first winter visitors such a Rough-legged Buzzard and a range of wildfowl enhance this tremendous autumn holiday.

OTHER EUROPEAN DEPARTURES IN 2024 & 2025 – Prices tbc

SPAIN – BIRDING & LYNX

Sat 6 Jan – Sat 13 Jan 2024

Sat 4 Jan – Sat 11 Jan 2025

SWEDEN IN WINTER

Sat 25 Jan – Thur 30 Jan 2025

NEW! BULGARIA & NORTHERN GREECE IN WINTER

Mon 29 Jan – Mon 5 Feb 2024

ICELAND – BIRDS, ORCAS & BOREALIS

Thurs 22 Feb – Sun 25 Feb 2024

Thurs 27 Feb – Sun 2 March 2025

CZECH REPUBLIC

Thurs 27 Feb – Sun 2 Mar 2025

ESTONIA SHORT BREAK IN EARLY SPRING

Tue 1 April – Sun 6 April 2025

CROATIA

Sat 6 April – Sat 13 April 2024

LESVOS

Sat 19 April – Fri 25 April 2025

NEW! SLOVAKIA

Thurs 24 April – Sun 27 April 2025

NEW! POLAND

Sun 18 May – Sun 25 May 2025

FINLAND – BEARS & WOLVERINES

Sun 19 May – Fri 24 May 2024

NEW! MADEIRA

Sun 26 May – Fri 31 May 2024

SOUTH EAST ICELAND, BIRDING, VOLCANOES AND GLACIERS

Sat 24 May – Sat 31 May 2025

AUSTRIA

Wed 5 June – Tue 11 June 2024

PICOS MOUNTAINS & MESETA PLAINS

Fri 7 June – Fri 14 June 2024

NEW! SWEDEN IN AUTUMN

Sun 1 Sep – Fri 7 Sep 2024

SPAIN: ANDALUCIA FOR AUTUMN MIGRATION

Sat 7 Sept – Sat 14 Sep 2024

NEW! ESTONIA IN AUTUMN

Sat 21 Sep – Sat 28 Sep 2024

HUNGARY IN WINTER SHORT BREAK

Thurs 21 Nov – Sun 24 Nov 2024

THE GAMBIA

Mon 9 Jan – Thurs 19 Jan 2024

Mon 6 Jan – Thurs 16 Jan 2025

Prices from £2695pp

Exceptional birding in a small, narrow West African country with a short coastline onto the Atlantic Ocean, otherwise completely surrounded by Senegal. A well-known and superb option for British birders, The Gambia offers the nearest tropical forests to the UK, is easily accessible, safe and with comfortable hotels close to great birding spots. With a wide variety of habitats including estuarine, mangrove swamp, riverine forest, marshland and the edge of the West African Forest, a tour here offers an enjoyable introduction to African birding.

MOROCCO

Sun 19 March – Wed 29 March 2023

Sun 24 March – Wed 3 April 2024

Sun 23 March – Wed 2 April 2025

Prices from £2095pp

An eleven day delight in North Africa covering the birdlife of desert, mountain, coast and wetlands. Morocco has specialities and near-endemics only found in the south of the Western Palearctic, while our tour has also been timed to coincide with the spectacle of spring migration from Africa and Europe. In a country which could have been designed purely for birding, we explore a variety of habitats including stony desert (the hammada), sand dunes, lakes, rivers, estuaries and the immense Atlas Mountains accumulating a mouth-watering list of species.

BRAZIL – THE PANTANAL

Sat 1 July – Thurs 13 July 2023

Sat 12 July – Wed 23 July 2025

Prices from £6195pp

Brazil's Pantanal is one of the world's largest tropical wetlands, and undoubtedly one of the greatest wildlife areas in South America. The Pantanal covers an area of between 140,000 and 195,000 sq km, largely submerged during the rainy season (November – March), when this huge internal delta area is swamped by the run-off from several great rivers of the surrounding plateau. This vast ecosystem is home to around 740 bird species, 150 mammals and 480 reptiles. We visit in July, when travel is relatively easy, and wildlife generally is at its most accessible.

ECUADOR WITH AMAZON RAINFOREST Prices from £5595pp EXTENSION

Wed 23 Aug – Sat 9 Sep 2023

Fri 29 Aug – Mon 15 Sep 2025

The ideal holiday for those wishing to combining the incredible avian diversity of Ecuador with a visit to the greatest rainforest on earth! We take you from snow-covered mountain peaks and high páramos (unique mountain moorlands), down through Andean valleys and many gradations of temperate and subtropical forest, as we visit the key habitats and iconic locations of this world famous bioregion. Around 475 species can be expected, ranging from hummingbirds to the spectacular Cock-of-the-Rock and unforgettable Andean Condor.

NEW! NOVA SCOTIA – BAY OF FUNDY

Sat 23 Aug – Sun 31 Aug 2025

A tour for the cetacean enthusiasts, with some fantastic birding along the way. Nova Scotia is one of the best places to see whales close up, and taking four boat trips we aim to see Humpback Whale in good numbers, with fair chances of Northern Right, Fin and Minke Whale too. Birding is also excellent, and we expect about 100 North American species including waders, attractive migrant warblers, thrushes and resident species including raptors and woodpeckers. Migrating Monarch Butterflies over both land and sea are also a possibility on this enthralling natural history tour.

NEW! SOUTH AFRICA - A BIRDING TOUR Prices from £5695pp OF THE WESTERN & EASTERN CAPE

Thurs 31 Aug – Sun 17 Sep 2023

A new birding tour, based in the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces, a large birdlist is our main objective perhaps including up to 34 national endemics! Covering a myriad of habitats within three key climatic regions, we journey from the Cape Peninsula through the Fynbos, arid Tankwa Karoo, into the Garden Route National Park and finish at Addo Elephant National Park. Endemic and desirable targets include Cape Sugarbird, Cape Rockjumper, African Penguin, Southern Black Korhaan, Knysna Turaco, Narina Trogon, Denham’s Bustard and the iconic Blue Crane – South Africa’s national bird. While birding is the priority, Southern Right Whale may be seen on a pelagic trip, plus rare and hard-to-see mammals including Lion, Cheetah, Caracal, Black Rhinoceros, Aardwolf, Honey Badger, Porcupine and Aardvark.

NEW! COSTA RICA: Birding and wildlife Prices from £5995pp

Sat 9 Sept – Sat 23 Sept 2023

This new itinerary concentrates a little more on Costa Rica's wonderfully varied and exciting mammals and reptiles. We enjoy the added highlight of seeking Humpback Whales with their calves on their southerly migration down The Pacific Coast, the spectacle of thousands of raptors migrating southwards through the country, and the chance to see nesting Green Turtles on the sandy beaches of the Caribbean Coast, together with the opportunity to see a huge range of key resident birds in this incredible country.

NEW! SOUTHEAST CHINA

Tues 12 Sept – Fri 22 Sept 2023

Fri 19 Sept – Mon 29 Sept 2025

Prices from £4995pp

Arguably the world’s most desirable and fantastic wader, the Spoon-billed Sandpiper has fascinated ornithologists for generations since its remote breeding grounds in NE Russia were first discovered almost 140 years ago. This unique Heatherlea trip aims to visit this area during peak migration when we hope to see Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Nordman’s Greenshank, Great Knot, Chinese Egret, Saunder’s Gull and a whole host of other exciting waterbirds.

NORTHERN PERU

Tue 3 Oct – Mon 16 Oct 2023

Tue 7 Oct – Mon 20 Oct 2025

Prices from £5995pp

Peru is one of the most important birding destinations in the world, with so many wild and hard to reach places that new bird species are still being discovered every year! Our tour concentrates on the northern birding corridor, focusing on sites with a rich bio-diversity and a large concentration of species, some only recently available to western enthusiasts. Our itinerary is exceptionally good for hummingbirds, tanagers, toucans, raptors, finches and fruiteaters, as we visit unspoilt forests where these brightly-coloured birds can be expected. There are also chances of Andean Condor, Cock-of-the-Rock, Humboldt's Penguin and Inca Tern too, while an extension to Machu Picchu can be added on request.

CHILE

Mon 9 Oct – Thurs 26 Oct 2023

Mon 13 Oct – Thurs 30 Oct 2025

Prices tbc

A fantastic adventure to a country with some of the most diverse and varied habitats in the world. Amid spectacular scenery throughout, we search for birding specialities in the high Andes and arid desert near Santiago, to Pacific islands and the cooling Humboldt current and finally the tundra and subAntarctic rainforest of Tierra del Fuego in the far south. There will be many highlights, Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, Magellanic Plover, Least Seedsnipe and Andean Condor just a few of them. A tour designed to show you all the best birding areas, featuring internal flights to avoid the longest road journeys, pelagic voyages to find exceptional southern seabirds and some memorable cultural experiences on an unforgettable holiday.

NEW! OMAN Prices

Mon 23 Oct – Mon 6 Nov 2023

At the edge of the Western Palearctic, the Sultanate of Oman is situated between Europe, Africa and Asia. With spectacular and varied habitats including sandy beaches, lagoons, mudflats, agricultural fields, sand dunes, stony desert and mountains, such diversity is reflected in the very special birds likely to be seen. We explore from Muscat, the capital in the north, through the Al Hajar Mountain range, the wader filled east coast and the ‘empty quarter’, finishing at the Dhofar region in the south. The list of special birds on this journey is remarkable, perhaps including Sooty Falcon, Socotra Cormorant, Jouanin’s Petrel, Lappet-faced Vulture, Verreaux’s Eagle, Crab Plover, Spotted Thick-Knee, four species of Sandgrouse - Lichtenstein’s, Crowned, Spotted and Chestnut-bellied, five owls - Omani (Hume’s) and Desert Owl, Arabian Eagle Owl, Pallid and Arabian Scops Owl, Grey Hypocolius, Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak, Yemen Serin and many more. A fabulous Arabian adventure!

COSTA RICA CLASSIC PLUS

Sat 4 Nov – Wed 22 Nov 2023

Sat 2 Nov – Wed 20 Nov 2024

Sat 8 Nov – Wed 26 Nov 2025

Prices from £6195pp

Our 15-night Classic Tour is a tremendous holiday which has been very popular for many years. This 'Classic Tour - PLUS' is an enhanced version, as we stay a little longer (total 18 nights). With more time, we can devote attention to some desirable extras, including baby Green Turtles hatching on the beach, additional Hummingbird sites and the chance of some rare birds otherwise not available, a fascinating forest night walk (optional) for all kinds of wonderful wildlife, a visit (again optional) to a chocolate plantation, where you will watch and participate in the organic process, and above all an enhanced birdlist in places we always seem to have to leave too soon.

INDIA – GOA FROM THE KONKAN COAST Prices from £3895pp TO THE WESTERN GHATS

Tues 21 Nov – Wed 6 Dec 2023

Goa is extremely rich in birdlife, boasting a huge variety despite its small size. Key habitats are concentrated, and our itinerary features many small, easily worked areas. There are approx. 28 endemics within the Western Ghats, plus many regional specialities and near-endemics. Goa is the ideal choice for the first-time birding visitor to India. Weather conditions are usually warm, dry and sunny at this time of year, and our itinerary will be very flexible, as we find time to enjoy some memorable cultural experiences without detracting from the birding.

QUEENSLAND Prices from £5995pp

Sat 25 Nov – Wed 6 Dec 2023

This outstanding itinerary takes us to some amazingly significant areas in Northeast Australia, all with World Heritage status. We visit the Atherton Tableland with its fertile plateau and remnants of protected rainforest for endemics and rare mammals, Lamington National Park for sub-tropical birdlife, reptiles, frogs, mammals and invertebrates and the Wet Tropics, containing almost a complete record of the major stages in the evolution of plant life on earth and species originating when Australia was still part of Gondwana! Another highlight will be our visit to The Great Barrier Reef, the largest, most spectacular coral reef system in the world. A truly memorable tour!

TASMANIA & SOUTH-EASTERN AUSTRALIA Prices from £7795pp

Mon 4 Dec – Thu 21 Dec 2023

With its rich history, vast tracts of stunning wilderness, remote mountainous areas and un-spoilt islands, Tasmania offers a wealth of wildlife and birding opportunities. Of particular interest are key mammals and marsupials, while great birding is guaranteed throughout. We visit during the Australian spring with pleasant temperatures, longer days and migratory birds arriving from their northern winter grounds. A pelagic cruise (optional) into the Southern Ocean will be a highlight, potentially reaching the continental shelf where we could encounter between 20-30 species of tubenose as well as seals, dolphins and whales. One of the best seabird experiences in the world!

NEW! AUSTRALIA GRAND TOUR – Prices from 12495pp

QUEENSLAND, TASMANIA & SOUTH-EASTERN AUSTRALIA!

Sat 25 Nov – Thu 21 Dec 2023

Australia is nearly impossible for the birder to 'do' thoroughly in one visit, the vast distances and logistical issues requiring a great investment of time to cover all regions of interest. With this in mind, we offer the chance to join a fabulous Grand Tour combining our Queensland, Tasmania and South-Eastern Australia itineraries, to maximise your experience in a single visit. With a significant price saving (as you only need one international transfer), we seek the very best birding and natural history encounters. Among our many birding targets are iconic species such as Laughing Kookaburra, Galah, Sarus Crane, Brolga and Australia’s most amazing & prehistoric-looking bird, the Southern Cassowary! Possible mammals include Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Koala, Black and Red-necked Wallaby, Short-beaked Echidna and if lucky Tasmanian Devil and Platypus. The tour of a lifetime!

COSTA RICA BIRDING TOUR Prices from £5495pp

Sat 23 Nov – Sun 8 Dec 2024

Sat 29 Nov – Sun 14 Dec 2025

Costa Rica is a birder’s paradise where more than 900 species have been recorded, nearly 10% of the world’s total, and you will see a vast range of birdlife on this tour. This holiday is designed for the more serious birder, as we work harder than usual to find some special species which might otherwise be missed. There are many birds to added to our usual target list, giving a total for the holiday of perhaps up to 430 species, some of which are hard to find. You can expect fabulous birding in the company of our friend and regular leader Paco Madrigal, an exceptional local guide, widely regarded as one of the best birders in the country.

COSTA RICA CLASSIC TOUR – PLUS! Prices from £5995pp

Sat 25 Nov – Tues 12 Dec 2023

A one-off version of our ‘Classic’ range of Costa Rican tours, this time for 17 nights. We visit iconic locations to seek the birds and other wildlife which make this destination so special, with two extra nights to give us more time to enjoy. Also features additional night walks and the chance to make chocolate!

NEW! BOTSWANA Prices from £6795pp

Fri 1 Dec – Sun 17 Dec 2023

Botswana is a sparsely populated, landlocked and wild country in the straddling the interface of two biomes; the Zambezian to the north and the Kalahari-Highveld to the south. With an outstanding system of protected areas covering 40% of the country, it has become one of the most desirable birding and safari destinations in Africa. Approximately 600 bird species have been recorded, 415 of which are residents and we visit a wide variety of habitats and locations including the world-famous Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls. We stay in luxury, mobile safari tents on our adventure at locations specially selected by our ground team, offering additional wildlife encounters and the chance to watch the sun rise and set each day. An experience to remember on this African trip of a lifetime!

KENYAN ULTIMATE BIRDING TOUR Prices from £5995pp

Sun 3 Dec – Sun 17 Dec 2023

Sun 1 Dec – Sun 15 Dec 2024

Sun 30 Nov – Sun 14 Dec 2025

Specifically designed for the keen enthusiast, this tour is an exceptional Kenyan birding safari.

We take in soda lakes and freshwater lakes at Naivasha, Nakuru, and Baringo, both high and low altitude grasslands, bush and standard savannah woodlands including fabulous Samburu, mountainous ecosystems and escarpments including Mount Kenya and the pristine Aberdares, extreme drylands and of course a good selection of tropical habitat including Kakamega Forest, one of the top birding locations in Kenya. Animal wildlife is not a major focus, but still of great interest, and you will also see a great deal of big game, reptiles and amphibians as we travel.

OTHER REST OF THE WORLD DEPARTURES IN 2024 & 2025 – Price tbc

NEW! ST LUCIA

Sat 11 Jan – Sun 19 Jan 2025

NEW! SRI LANKA

Sat 11 Jan – Tue 28 Jan 2025

NEW! SOUTH KOREA

Fri 12 Jan – Fri 26 Jan 2024

JAMAICA

Sun 12 Jan – Mon 20 Jan 2025

COSTA RICA CLASSIC TOUR

Sat 13 Jan – Sun 28 Jan 2024

NEW! SOUTH AFRICA - KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

Mon 15 Jan – Fri 26 Jan 2024

NEW! GUATEMALA

Sun 26 Jan – Fri 14 Feb 2025

Prices from £6295pp

NEW! COSTA RICA WITH EASY WALKING Prices from £6295pp

Sat 3 Feb – Sun 18 Feb 2024

KENYA – BIRDING THE RIFT VALLEY

Sun 4 Feb – Tue 13 Feb 2024

UGANDA

Mon 12 Feb – Mon 26 Feb 2024

NEW! NEPAL

Fri 8 March – Thurs 21 March 2024

NEW! WESTERN SAHARA

Tue 27 Feb – Sun 3 March 2024

INDIA – BIRDS, TIGERS & TAJ MAHAL

Mon 4 March – Thurs 14 March 2024

NEW! CUBA INCLUDING HAVANA

Thurs 21 March – Tue 2 April 2024

NEW! TEXAS

Sun 6 April – Sun 20 April 2025

BHUTAN

Sun 6 April – Fri 25 April 2025

NEW! ETHIOPIA

Thurs 10 April – Mon 21 April 2025

CHINA – SICHUAN & BEIJING

Thurs 25 April – Fri 17 May 2024

TRINIDAD, TOBAGO & ST LUCIA

Thurs 25 April – Tue 7 May 2024

NEW! TANZANIA

Wed 30 April – Fri 9 May 2025

NEW! CHINA – QINGHAI PROVINCE & THE TIBETAN PLATEAU

Sun 8 June – Wed 25 June 2025

NEW! UKBEKISTAN & KYRGYZSTAN

Sun 9 June – Mon 24 June 2024

NEW! SOUTH EAST BRAZIL, THE ATLANTIC FOREST

Tues 18 June – Thurs 4 July 2024

YELLOWSTONE AND THE GRAND TETONS

Sat 20 July – Thurs 1 Aug 2024

NEW! BORNEO

Thurs 14 Aug – Sun 31 Aug 2025

BRITISH COLOMBIA

Sun 18 Aug – Mon 2 Sept 2024

NAMIBIA

Mon 2 Sept – Wed 18 Sept 2024

THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS & MAINLAND ECUADOR

Mon 9 Sept – Tues 1 Oct 2024

NEW! CAPE MAY for birders

Sat 21 Sept – Mon 30 Sept 2024

SOUTHERN PERU – BIRDING & MACHU PICCHU

Sat 12 Oct – Sat 26 Oct 2024

NEW! THE SEYCHELLES

Thurs 16 Oct – Fri 24 Oct 2025

NEW! COLOMBIA

Sat 19 Oct – Mon 4 Nov 2024

NEW ZEALAND

Fri 25 Oct – Sat 16 Nov 2024

KENYA – MASAI MARA SHORT BREAK

Wed 6 Nov – Tue 12 Nov 2024

NEW! MEXICO

Sun 17 Nov – Thurs 28 Nov 2024

NEW! PANAMA

Sat 23 Nov – Sun 8 Dec 2024

VIETNAM

Sun 24 Nov – Fri 13 Dec 2024

NEW! CHILE – THE ATACAMA DESERT

Tue 26 Nov – Tue 10 Dec 2024

HEATHERLEA 2023 HOLIDAY CALENDAR

DATES SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS SCOTTISH ISLANDS

18 Feb – 25 Feb

25 Feb – 4 March

4 March – 11 March

11 March – 18 March

18 March – 25 March

Highland Winter Birding

Highland Winter Birding

Highlands and the East Coast

NEW! Scottish Specialties

Highlands and the West Coast

NEW! Scottish Specialties

Highland Birding in March

NEW! Highlands & Ardnamurchan

25 March – 1 April Spring into Scotland

NEW! Highlands & Ardnamurchan

1 April – 8 April Spring into Scotland

NEW! Scottish Highlands in Early Spring

8 April – 15 April Spring into Scotland

15 April – 22 April

Highlands and Skye

OVERSEAS and other mainland UK holidays

Forest of Dean & Somerset Levels

Canaries – Tenerife, La Gomera

Sat 18 Feb – Sat 25 Feb & Fuerteventura

Mull & Islay

Sat 25 Feb – Fri 3 March

Sat 18 Feb – Sat 25 Feb

Camargue

Sat 4 March – Sat 11 March

Morocco

Sun 19 March – Wed 29 March

NEW! Cyprus

Fri 24 March – Fri 31 March

Cornwall in Spring

Thurs 13 April – Thurs 20 April

Isles of Scilly in Spring

Fri 21 April – Thurs 27 April

NEW! Bhutan

Sun 9 April – Fri 28 April

Italy- Po Delta & Venice

Tues 11 April – Tues 18 April

Spain - Extremadura

Sat 15 April – Sat 22 April

NEW! Georgia

Mon 17 April – Wed 26 April

Spain – Catalonia and south-east Aragon

Wed 19 April – Thurs 27 April

Skyros

Wed 19 April – Wed 26 April

22 April – 29 April

Highlands and Skye

29 April – 6 May Birding the Highlands in May

6 May – 13 May Birding the Highlands in May

Outer Hebrides in Spring

Sat 6 May – Fri 12 May

North Ron and Orkney in Spring for birders

Sat 6 May – Fri 12 May

Shetland in Spring for birders

Sat 6 May – Sat 13 May

Mallorca

Sat 29 April – Sat 6 May

Estonia

Sun 7 May – Sun 14 May

Bulgaria and Northern Greece

Mon 8 May – Wed 17 May

13 May – 20 May

Highlands and Corncrake

Outer Hebrides in Spring

Sat 13 May – Fri 19 May

Birding the North Coast 500

Sat 13 May – Sat 20 May

Shetland Island Explorer

Sat 13 May – Sat 20 May

Mull, Iona and the Treshnish Isles

Tue 16 May – Sat 20 May

Hungary in Spring

Sat 13 May – Sat 20 May

Finland- Late Spring Birding

Wed 17 May – Tues 23 May

NEW! Spain for Birds & Butterflies

Wed 17 May – Tues 23 May

20 May – 27 May

High Season across the Highlands

Outer Hebrides in Spring

Sat 20 May – Fri 26 May

Shetland Island Explorer

Sat 20 May – Sat 27 May

Islands on the Edge

Sat 20 May – Sat 27 May

NEW! Arran & Ailsa Craig

Sat 27 May – Fri 2 June

Orkney Island Explorer

Sat 27 May – Sat 3 June

NEW! Finland – Bears & Wolverines

Wed 24 May – Mon 29 May

3 June – 10 June

Highlands and Orkney

Islands on the Edge

Sat 3 Jun – Sat 10 Jun

NEW! Peak District, Yorkshire & Norfolk Coast

Sun 4 June – Sun 11 June

South Wales in Summer

Fri 9 June – Fri 16 June

Shetland and Orkney

Sat 10 June – Sun 18 June

NEW! Wildlife of Argyll & Inner Hebridean Islands

Sat 10 June – Sat 17 June

Romania & the Danube Delta

Sat 3 June – Sat 10 June

Aberdeen to the Arctic

Mon 5 June – Wed 14 June

The Outer Limits in Summer

Northumberland in High Summer

Sat 17 June – Sat 24 June

North Wales in Summer

Sat 17 June – Sat 24 June

Inner Hebrides

Fri 23 June – Fri 30 June 24 June –

NEW! Northwest Scotland Explorer Highlands and the Isle of May

Sat 24 June – Fri 30 June

DATES SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

1 July – 8 July

Eagles, Divers and Dotterel

SCOTTISH ISLANDS OVERSEAS and other mainland UK holidays

Outer Hebrides and the Shiant Isles

Sat 1 July – Fri 7 July

Ultimate Outer Hebrides

Sat 1 Jul – Mon 10 Jul

8 July – 15 July

15 July – 22 July

22 July – 29 July

29 July – 5 Aug

5 Aug – 12 Aug

12 Aug – 19 Aug

19 Aug –26 Aug

NEW! Butterflies, Dragons & Birds

Eagles, Divers and Dotterel

Highlands and Wester Ross

Birds & Mammals feat Perthshire

Shetland Wildlife on Summer

Sat 8 July – Sat 15 July

Orkney in High Summer

Sat 15 July – Sat 22 July

NEW! Mull & Ardnamurchan Spectacular

Highland Wildlife in High Summer Sat 22 July – Sat 29 July

Birds & Mammals feat Eigg & Muck

Highlands and the Outer Hebs

Highlands and the Outer Hebs

Autumn in the Highlands with Easy Walking

NEW! Highland Migration by Land & Sea

Autumn in the Highlands with Easy Walking

26 Aug – 2 Sept Twenty Scottish Specials

NEW! Wildlife of the Minch

Sat 29 July – Fri 4 Aug

Brazil – The Pantanal

Sat 1 July – Thurs 13 July

Iceland in Summer

Mon 17 July – Mon 24 July

NEW! Around Svalbard – Realm of the Polar Bear

Sat 22 July – Wed 2 August

Ecuador with Amazon Rainforest in Early Autumn for birders

North Ronaldsay and Orkney

Sat 19 Aug – Fri 25 Aug

Outer Hebrides in Early Autumn for birders

NEW! Highland Migration by Land & Sea Sat 26 Aug – Fri 1 Sept

2 Sept – 9 Sept Raptors & Grouse

9 Sept – 16 Sept

16 Sept – 23 Sept

23 Sept – 30 Sept

Tues 22 Aug – Sat 9 Sept

NEW! South Africa – Eastern & Western Cape

Thurs 31 Aug – Sun 17 Sept

NEW! Kent & East Sussex in Autumn Bulgaria in Autumn

Autumn Migration in the Highlands Sat 2 Sept – Sat 9 Sept

The ‘Outer Limits’ Adventure

Raptors & Grouse

The ‘Outer Limits’ Adventure

The ‘Outer Limits’ Adventure

North Ron and Orkney in Autumn for birders

Sat 9 Sept – Fri 15 Sept

North Ron and Orkney in Autumn for birders

Sat 16 Sept – Fri 22 Sept

Shetland in Autumn for birders

Sat 16 Sept – Sat 23 Sept

Unexplored Orkney

Sat 23 Sept – Fri 29 Sept

Shetland in Autumn for birders

Sat 23 Sept – Sat 30 Sept

West Cornwall in Autumn for birders

Fri 29 Sept – Fri 6 Oct 30 Sept – 7 Oct

Highlands and Skye in Autumn

7 Oct – 14 Oct Highlands and Skye in Autumn

Outer Hebrides in Autumn for birders

Sat 7 Oct – Fri 13 Oct

Isles of Scilly for birders

Sat 7 Oct – Sat 14 Oct 14

NEW! Lancashire & the Wirral

Mon 16 Oct – Sun 22 Oct

Sat 21 Oct – Thu 26 Oct

Sat 2 Sept – Sat 9 Sept

NEW! Greenland & Iceland

Wed 6 Sept – Mon 18 Sept

NEW! Costa Rica – Birding & Wildlife During Migration

Sat 9 Sept – Sat 23 Sept

NEW! South-East China

Tues 12 Sept – Fri 22 Sept

NEW! Azores

Thurs 21 Sept – Thurs 28 Sept

Hungary in Autumn

Sun 1 Oct – Sun 8 Oct

NEW! Northern Peru

Tues 3 Oct – Mon 16 Oct

Chile

Mon 9 Oct – Thurs 26 Oct

Costa Rica Classic Tour - PLUS!

Sat 4 Nov – Wed 22 Nov

Goa – Konkan Coast to the Western Ghats

Tues 21 Nov – Wed 6 Dec

NEW! Queensland

Sat 25 Nov – Wed 6 Dec

NEW! Queensland, SE Australia & Tasmania Grand Tour

Sat 25 Nov – Thurs 21 Dec

NEW! Costa Rica

Sat 25 Nov – Mon 11 Dec

Kenyan Ultimate Birding Tour

Sun 26 Nov – Sun 10 Dec

NEW! Botswana

Fri 1 Dec – Sun 17 Dec 2

NEW! S.E Australia & Tasmania

Mon 4 Dec – Thurs 21 Dec Thurs