NEW! - summer Short Breaks

Highland birding including Moray Coast Gannets!
Sat 11 July – Wed 15 July, Sat 18 July – Wed 22 July, Sat 25 July – Wed 29 July

Highland birding including a full day on the mountain plateau!
Tues 14 July – Sat 18 July, Tues 21 July – Sat 25 July, Tues 28 July – Sat 1 Aug

Price £445pp, no single supplement

If you have ‘Been Before’, you can take a further £25 from the price shown. There is no single supplement, and singles are never expected to share at The Mountview Hotel. ‘Worldbird’ guests can save a full £100pp – see 'Special Offers' for details.

More and more visitors want to experience the Highlands for a short break, so here are two more great new holidays from Heatherlea for July 2009. Each holiday lasts for four nights and three days, and is fully inclusive of en-suite hotel accommodation, all meals including packed lunch, guiding from our expert team, transport by comfortable minibus and all access fees. As usual with all our holidays based at The Mountview Hotel, there is no single supplement and you are never asked to share.  Holidays will run concurrently with a Heatherlea full week holiday.

Summer short break – Highland birding including Moray Coast Gannets!

DATES
Sat 11 July – Wed 15 July, Sat 18 July – Wed 22 July, Sat 25 July – Wed 29 July

Day 1 Saturday
Arrival, welcome, dinner and briefing. Don’t forget our courtesy collection service from Aviemore.

Days 2 – 4 Sunday - Tuesday   

Strathspey in summer.
We enjoy a relaxing and absorbing day, birding locally to our Hotel in this special area. You join us at a period of both breeding and post-breeding, depending on species. Ospreys are working hard to feed growing young, and we plan to see birds fishing at remote sites. Black and Red-throated Divers are resplendent in beautiful breeding plumage, and Slavonian Grebe will be raising young on quiet, secluded small lochans. Crested Tit and Scottish/Parrot Crossbills are our main woodland targets, with a chance of Capercaillie and Black Grouse. Other local species of interest include Red Grouse and Peregrine, and Woodcock and Red Squirrel are seen in Nethybridge at this time, often from the Hotel grounds!

Gannets and other coastal birds.
This new day in our itinerary, available for the first time ever in 2009, includes a visit to our local Gannetry at Troup Head. We enjoy particularly good views of these superb birds, raising chicks at this time of year. Although Gannets are the main attraction, Guillemot, Razorbill, Shag and Kittiwake are plentiful, and the occasional Puffin, Black Guillemot, and passing Great and Arctic Skua reward the patient birder. We enjoy our picnic at Pennan village, where much of the film ‘Local Hero’ was created, then continue birding along the coast. Summering ducks will include Eider, Goosander and the occasional Common Scoter, and early returning waders include Turnstone, Knot and Bar-tailed Godwit, perhaps in bright breeding plumage. Osprey are frequent visitors, and Rock Pipit, Yellowhammer, Corn Bunting, and perhaps Grey Partridge and Tree Sparrow will be seen. We will also round up any rarities available to us in the area. A great day!

Raptors of moors and glens.
In July, this day is a Scottish scenic treat. Rolling glens framed by rounding hillsides, gently tumbling rivers passing crofts and estate houses, and  the sought-after birds of a Scottish summer. Golden Eagle is our main target, though other raptors might include Merlin, Peregrine, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Red Kite, Kestrel, Osprey, and if we are lucky, White-tailed Sea Eagle or Short-eared Owl. Other moorland species might include Wheatear, Ring Ousel, breeding Twite, Hooded Crow, Grey Wagtail, Dipper, Raven and Redpoll.

Day 5 Wednesday
Breakfast and departure. Don’t forget our courtesy return service to Aviemore.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Summer short break – Highland birding including a full day on the mountain plateau!

DATES
Tues 14 July – Sat 18 July, Tues 21 July – Sat 25 July, Tues 28 July – Sat 1 August

Day 1 Tuesday
Arrival, welcome, dinner and briefing. Don’t forget our courtesy collection service from Aviemore.

Days 2 – 4 Wednesday - Friday   
Strathspey in summer.
We enjoy a relaxing and absorbing day, birding locally to our Hotel in this special area. You join us at a period of both breeding and post-breeding, depending on species. Ospreys are working hard to feed growing young, and we plan to see birds fishing at remote sites. Black and Red-throated Divers are resplendent in beautiful breeding plumage, and Slavonian Grebe will be raising young on quiet, secluded small lochans. Crested Tit and Scottish/Parrot Crossbills are our main woodland targets, with a chance of Capercaillie and Black Grouse. Other local species of interest include Red Grouse and Peregrine, and Woodcock and Red Squirrel are seen in Nethybridge at this time, often from the Hotel grounds!

Birding the Scottish mountains.
The summit of Cairmgorm can be seen from our front door, and today we enjoy a day with the birds of this special habitat. Dotterel and Ptarmigan are our main targets, with Snow Bunting and Ring Ousel found here too. Other species found on the montane plateau include Meadow Pipit, Wheatear, Red Grouse and Raven, though the unexpected is always possible in this wild and untamed place, one of Britain’s last unspoilt natural habitats, and a single Dunlin or Golden Plover in bright breeding plumage might be seen . It is likely we will be walking for several hours in the mountains, our route dictated by weather and birdlife, with the possibility on our way back to Nethy Bridge of stopping to look for Red-throated Diver and perhaps Crested Tit and Scottish/Parrot Crossbill.  

Raptors of moors and glens.
In July, this day is a Scottish scenic treat. Rolling glens framed by rounding hillsides, gently tumbling rivers passing crofts and estate houses, and  the sought-after birds of a Scottish summer. Golden Eagle is our main target, though other raptors might include Merlin, Peregrine, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Red Kite, Kestrel, Osprey, and if we are lucky, White-tailed Sea Eagle or Short-eared Owl. Other moorland species might include Wheatear, Ring Ousel, breeding Twite, Hooded Crow, Grey Wagtail, Dipper, Raven and Redpoll.

Day 5
Breakfast and departure. Don’t forget our courtesy return service to Aviemore.