Red Grouse © Oliver Smart

He leads two of our tours to the Scottish Highlands, near Cairngorm – ‘Scotland's Winter Wildlife Photography Tour’ and ‘Autumn Wildlife of the Scottish Highlands Photography Tour’. Having explored this region with his late grandfather, Oliver has a lifelong passion for the wildlife and landscapes of this beautiful area, so both tours are designed to make the most of each different season. Winter can often be snowy or frosty, while autumn sees the vegetation changing colour from summer greens to autumnal tones, which adds interest to the backdrop of the region’s iconic species, including Red Deer, Red Squirrel, Red Grouse, Crested Tit, Mountain Hare, Ptarmigan and Snow Bunting, among others. Based near the Cairngorms National Park, each tour will visit the different habitats, from coast to forest and mountains.

During the early spring, our ‘Mull's Otters & Eagles – A Photography Tour’ focuses on both Golden and White-tailed Eagles, as well as the wonderful Otter. This time of year, when each eagle pair will be finishing building their nests and starting to lay their eggs, should provide us with some good photographic opportunities, particularly if we catch their display flights. During the week, we will take a boat trip to where the White-tailed Eagles come down to the water for fish, as well as visiting the large seabird colonies on the fantastic Treshnish Islands. Mornings and evenings are good times to search out Otter, and Oliver will teach you how to get the best shots of these charismatic creatures.

Summer sees seabird breeding season in full swing, so our photography tour to Northumberland & the Farne Islands should enable us to obtain some wonderfully close views of Guillemot colonies, calling Kittiwakes and Puffins with colourful bills full of sand eels. Coastal castles, both ruined and still in use, provide opportunities for getting creative with soft light in the mornings or evenings. Historic Lindisfarne can have very atmospheric skies above the castle or priory, while the dunes may offer up some macro photography possibilities, with orchids and insects nestling in sheltered hollows.

Whatever your experience or type of camera, these photography tours are aimed at helping you get the most out of the experience, and ending up with some great images.

Oliver also leads ‘The Gambia in Style – Photography Special’, which departs in January or February, ‘Costa Rica – A Wildlife Photography Tour’, departing in March, and ‘Uganda – Mammals & Mountains Photography Special’, which departs in September or October. His biography can be found on our website at https://www.naturetrek.co.uk/about-us/tourleaders/oliver-smart