NEW! - Natural History of Northern Scotland

26 June - 3 July*, 3 July - 10 July, 10 July - 17 July 2010. (*easy walking option available).

Price: £870pp, No single supplement. Deposit £100pp

If you have 'Been Before', you can deduct £25pp from the prices shown here. ‘Worldbird’ guests can save another £100pp

By popular demand, a cracking celebration of wildlife covering the birds, mammals, insects and plants of this fantastic area. Aimed at the natural history all-rounder at a relaxed pace, our itinerary is designed to be a leisurely and thoroughly enjoyable exploration. Stretching from the alpines, Ptarmigan and Dotterel of Cairngorm 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 in Perthshire and the west of Scotland to see sought-after dragonflies, butterflies and flora. 

KEY MOMENTS at our Friday round-up – which will be yours?

* Capercaillie, Ptarmigan, Dotterel, Golden Eagle, Scottish (Parrot) Crossbill, Crested Tit, Slavonian Grebe, Red and Black-throated Diver in breeding colours.

* Red Squirrel (probably on our feeders before your first breakfast!), Red Deer, Otter, Mountain Hare

* Twinflower, Oysterplant, Lesser Twayblade, Serrated, Common and Intermediate Wintergreen, Coralroot, Greater and Lesser Butterfly and other rare orchids, Alpine Saw-wort and other alpines, Moonwort (in our Hotel grounds), and any available fungi.

* Mountain Ringlet, Northern Brown Argus, White-faced Darter, Azure Hawker and other rare butterflies and dragonflies. Moth-trapping each night in a variety of local habitats.

OUTLINE ITINERARY

Day 1   Saturday  Arrival, welcome and dinner. Don’t forget our courtesy collection from Aviemore! Moonwort will be seen in our grounds, as will Northern Marsh Orchid. Our first Mountview Hotel Chanterelle may be spotted too.

Day 2   Sunday After an investigation into our Hotel moth trap, our first day will be spent locally, as we enjoy an introduction to the habitats of this special area. Birds on our list might include Capercaillie, Scottish (Parrot) Crossbill and Crested Tit in the Abernethy Forest, and we will also travel to local moors and birch woodlands. In these places our first plants of interest might include Twinflower, Serrated and Common Wintergreen, a variety of orchids including Fragrant, Coralroot, Greater and Lesser Butterfly and Northern Marsh, Creeping Ladies Tresses and Field Gentian. We will also cover any available fungi. Butterflies on the wing include Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Northern Brown Argus. Dragonflies could include Common Hawker, White-faced and Black Darter, Northern Damselfly, Four-spot Chaser and Downy and Northern Emerald.

Day 3   Monday An idyllic day on the mountains, with Ptarmigan, Dotterel, Ring Ousel and Snow Bunting our bird targets, Mountain Hare and a wide range of alpine plants helping to provide an absorbing day. Rare flowers include Moss Campion, Trailing Azalea, Dwarf Cornel, Alpine Ladies’ Mantle, Alpine Saw-wort, Lesser Twayblade, Scottish Asphodel, Alpine and Interrupted Clubmoss. Climax forest of Least Willow will also be spotted. We also have a chance of  Black Mountain Moth.

Day  4   Tuesday A moorland day, where we hope to find Osprey, Red and Black-throated Diver, Slavonian Grebe, Red Grouse and perhaps catch up with any woodland species we might have missed. Flowers might include Intermediate Wintergreen, Water Lobelia, and Stagshorn Clubmoss. We should also see Petty Whin and Bearberry. Beautiful Yellow Underwing is a northern speciality moth we will try for today. We will also visit a moorland loch famous for dragonflies, where many of our target species can be found.

Day 5   Wednesday  Today we visit high moorland regions, where Golden Eagle, Peregrine and Twite can be found. Hen Capercaillie with chicks may be seen in our private estate. Orchids on this day include Frog and Small White, and other plants of interest include Grass of Parnassus, Starry Saxifrage, Sundew and Butterwort. We should see Red and Roe Deer, and perhaps White-tailed Eagle.

Day 6    Thursday  A drive to a special site in Perthshire to see Mountain Ringlet, one of our real speciality butterflies. This butterfly is famously difficult to see, but we have a good site by the roadside, and in 2009 saw the butterflies from inside the buses! Large Heath and Dark Green Fritillary are also found here. Later we travel to other sites to find more orchids and Small Cow-wheat before we return to return to Strathspey.

Day 7    Friday  At the Moray coast we again search for orchids, and perhaps One-flowered, Serrated and Common Wintergreens. Other plants might include Scots Lovage and Oysterplant. We will check Dingy Skipper and Small Blue sites, and summering birdlife will include four breeding tern species and Osprey, plus Common Scoter and farmland birds such as Tree Sparrow, Grey Partridge, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer.

Day 8    Saturday  Breakfast and departure.

Please note; because of the vagaries of the season, some insects and flora will be available for restricted periods, and not all species will be seen on all three of these holiday dates. Please also remember to bring wellies for this holiday, we visit some boggy places!

• What's included in your holiday price

  • Seven nights comfortable accommodation at The Mountview Hotel, VisitScotland rated 3 Star. All rooms are en-suite, with colour TV and hot drinks facilities.

  • Full Scottish breakfast, a substantial packed lunch, and a delicious dinner.

  • Six full days guiding.

  • All transport by comfortable PCV minibus. All estate access fees.

  • Guidance from a professional Group Leader with extensive up to the minute local knowledge.

  What's not included in your holiday price

  • Transport to The Mountview Hotel.

  • Insurance, drinks and other items of a personal nature.

  

Enjoy an excellent wildlife holiday with mainland Scotland's only 5 star Wildlife Experience.

'Exceptional' Visit Scotland

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