Wildlife & Nature Although wild bears no longer roam Scotland's great outdoors as they do in Brave, you can still encounter an incredibly diverse variety of wildlife species, from the dolphins and salmon to birds of prey and red deer. In fact, it's the huge number of species found in accessible locations that makes Scotland a paradise for wildlife-spotters and nature-lovers. 1
Loch Garten Osprey Centre - Watch these spectacular fish-eating birds of prey in the ancient Caledonian pine forest, thanks to CCTV cameras, or hunting over the local lochs and along the River Spey.
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© Robert Breuer
Pitlochry Fish Ladder Visitor Centre The underwater viewing gallery gives you a fantastic close-up view of the ‘kings of fish’ as they battle to their breeding grounds in Loch Faskally.
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The Galloway Kite Trail - Once almost extinct, Red Kites were reintroduced here in 2001 and are now successfully established. Eight great viewing points let you see them feed and fly.
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image © Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)
Glen Seilisdeir, Mull - Join an RSPB ranger-led trip on the Isle of Mull to catch sight of these majestic birds of prey with their distinctive tail markings and massive 2.5 m wingspan.
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Highland Wildlife Park - Scotland has 75% of the UK’s red squirrel population and Cairngorm National Park provides great opportunities to spot them.
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© BadgerHero Scottish Beaver Trial - Follow the Beaver Detective Trail into the heart of Knapdale Forest to spot wild beavers in their natural environment. Beavers were introduced here in 2009 as part of a 5-year trial.
Scottish Seabird Centre - Embark on an interactive wildlife adventure at the award-winning Scottish Seabird Centre and watch the huge puffin colonies on the remote Isle of May live on CCTV.
Scottish Deer Centre - Extinct in the wild for over 250 years, you can see these magnificent predators in a natural setting alongside various breeds of deer and other rare species including wildcats and otters.
Moray Firth - Chanonry Point and Spey Bay are some of the best landbased points in the UK to see dolphins, or join a boat trip to see these incredible mammals up close.
Caerlaverock Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust - Best known for its huge colonies of wintering geese and swans, the Trust is also a great place to watch badgers feeding and playing from comfortable observation hides.