Wildlife & Nature
GUIDELINES Our environment contributes greatly to everyone’s health and quality of life, so please treat it with care. Take your rubbish home and consider picking up other litter as well. Don’t disturb or damage wildlife or historic places. Dogs must be kept under close control; if you’re not sure that your dog will respond to commands, the responsible thing is to keep him on a short lead. Make an effort to use wildlife operators who follow a code of conduct. Visit www.outdooraccess-scotland.com for more information The F or Take a Commis estry sion an wildlif Highla d e cruise nd Ra ngers from o ften Arisaig to the worksh hold Small K n oy dart - Br guided ops and Isle itains wal Arisaig s with last wild offer ks which erness. Marine Only acce unders a better ssible by (April t sea or on to t he loca anding of foot! Septem l envir ber) onment .
Fiadh-bheatha & Nàdair
www.outdoorcapital.co.uk Mix & match the following routes to make your perfect day out.
ROUTES 10 20 30 40 50 60
minutes minutes minutes minutes minutes minutes
(Estimated times based on a one-way journey)
a life from See wild t en er f dif ve - from perspecti ontact ! the sea C nd, er Scotla Rockhopp er, ab h oc L Paddle Cruises, Crannog h Cruises c Eagle Wat lorer or SeaXp
Canna
Knoydart
The Land, Sea and Islands Centre find out about the areas social and natural history
(Flip over for our wildlife watching guides)
A830
Acharacle
Tobermory
Need help planning your journey? Visit: www.travelinescotland.com Ag iarraidh tuilleadh: www.travelinescotland.com
A great place to spot seals
Rugged Monessie Gorge best viewed from the West Highland Line
Spean Bridge
Fort William A82
is Glen Nev e tr en C or Visit
The Parallel Roads of Glen Roy- created by man, nature or Fingal, the Celtic giant?
Want to see Highland Cows? Likely at the Distillery
Ben Nevis 1344m
Kinlochleven Corran Strontian A861 Glencoe Ballachulish
Salen Drimnin
Glenfinnan Loch Shiel - you may sea eagles
A861
Kilchoan entury Try 21st c ing lk deer sta era.! am c with a Pix is ev Try N ch lo r ai g or Kin . te ta Es
Lochailort
A82
Gairlochy
best beaches in Scotland!
Arisaig Muck
Invergarry
e offers Glenloy Wildlif s at wildlife holiday nting Camusdarro hu er rm fo ir ch beach the 'resident' and the S ilver Sand Lodge with rtens s Ma ne of Morar Pi - the
Eigg
The Small Isles a nature lovers paradise !
MAP KEY cetaceans red deer otters golden eagles pine martens
Mallaig
Rum
Allt Mhuic butterfly reserve
A884
Lochaline
s Oakwood e Sunart ar s d n oodla native w variety of a . home to d fauna flora an n a e il E h rb Visit Ga you may d hide an s, ls, eagle a e s spot s. d ir b otters or
'Learn about the hisotry, flora and fauna of Glen coe at the NTS Visitor Centre'
Look ou t for herds of dee on Ran r noch M oor - the t the pe rain is rfect pla to see them f ce rom!
Wildlife & Nature Fiadh-bheatha & Nàdair
www.outdoorcapital.co.uk
dolphins
USEFUL LINKS
WILDLIFE WATCHING GUIDES How many of the ‘Wee 5’ will you spot? Let us know on our facebook page http://facebook.com/Outdoor.Capital
Arisaig Marine www.arisaig.co.uk Crannog Cruises www.crannog.net/cruises.asp Eagle Watch Cruises www.highlandcruises.co.uk Eilean Garbh Wildlife Hide www.sunartoakwoods.org.uk Forestry Commission Scotland www.forestry.gov.uk Friends of Nevis www.friendsofnevis.co.uk Glenloy Wildlife www.glenloy-wildlife.org.uk Highland Council Rangers www.highland.gov.uk Kingairloch Estate www.kingairloch-holidays.co.uk Knoydart Foundation www.knoydart-foundation.com Land, Sea & Islands Centre www.road-to-the-isles.org.uk/centre.html Lochaber Geopark www.lochabergeopark.org.uk Nàdurra Visitor Centre www.nadurracentre.co.uk Nevis Pix www.nevispix.com NTS Glencoe www.glencoe-nts.org.uk Scottish Natural Heritage http://www.snh.gov.uk Wild West www.wildwestsafari.co.uk
Cetaceans (Whales, Dolphins, Porpoise) The species of cetaceans you are likely to spot off the coast of Lochaber include the minke whale, dolphins (bottlenose and common) and porpoises. Overcast and calm days are the best to see cetaceans. Too much sunshine can cause reflections, while windy day with whitecaps on the water makes spotting really difficult. Look for fins breaking the surface, splashes or waves that look like they are breaking the wrong way. Keep an eye on feeding seabirds. This could mean that the fish have been rounded up by a larger predator. The best time of year to watch cetaceans is between April and September. For more information, visit the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust website: http://www.whaledolphintrust.co.uk
red deer
otters
golden eagles
pine martens
Red Deer Stags (males) measure up to 120cm at the shoulder and weigh between 60–130kg. The hinds (females) are smaller and lighter. Only the stags have antlers. These fall off every year in spring but new ones grow again quickly. In summer they feed mainly at dawn and dusk. During the winter most of the day is spent searching for food. Be careful when driving at night – deer often come down to the road between dusk and dawn. The Red Deer Rut occurs every Autumn when stags battle for dominance and the chance to mate. If are you are going to watch the rut, it is important to give them space and respect. For more information, visit the SNH website: http://www.snh.org.uk Otters Otters are larger than you may think - just over a metre long and weigh about 10kg. Look for traces of otters such as their droppings (‘spraints’), webbed footprints, half eaten fish and crab shells. Dawn and dusk are the best time to spot otters. Their main habitat is along the sea shore and the banks of lochs and burns. You’re more likely to see them in the water than on shore - look out for their tails disappearing under the water or a v-shape in the water. Keep still, keep quiet and keep downwind; otters have a keen sense of hearing and smell. For more information, visit the Forestry Commission Scotland website: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/otter Golden Eagles Golden eagles have a wing span of over 2 metres. They can soar and glide high in the sky using air currents to help them. They are a dark brown colour with a paler golden brown head. Young eagles have white patches on their wings and tail, which means they can be mistaken for sea eagles. They have large eyes and very sharp eyesight. They can spot a rabbit 2km away. Golden eagles hunt for food in open areas and cannot hunt in dense woodland. Sometimes they soar high in the sky and then glide or swoop down quickly in attack. They also hunt by flying close to the ground, catching their prey by surprise. For more information, visit the SNH website: http://www.snh.org.uk Pine Martens Pine martens are cat sized members of the weasel family with dark brown fur. They have a large creamy white throat patch, big dark eyes and large rounded ears. The pine marten’s ideal home is in native woodland. They are normally shy and hard to spot but sometimes appear at bird tables (they love jam sandwiches!). They leave droppings on the tops of large stones and in other places where they can easily be seen, to warn off intruders. Pine martens are agile and have good eyesight, excellent hearing and a keen sense of smell, all of which help them to find their prey. They prefer to hunt at night. For more information, visit the SNH website: http://www.snh.org.uk Photos courtesy of Lorne Gill SNH/Ian Macleod Nevis Pix