Ardnamurchan - The Red Deer Rut

Tour Code: GBR52

An exciting 5-day holiday focusing on the Red Deer rut, as well as some of the peninsula's other wildlife and breathtaking scenery.

5 days from
£1,095 (land only)
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Highlights

Summary

Summary

The sight and sound of rutting Red Deer is undoubtedly one of Europe’s most dramatic wildlife events, and the focus of this autumn tour is on witnessing this exciting spectacle. We will be based for all four nights of the holiday on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula’s south coast at the comfortable Glenborrodale Centre, which is next to Glenborrodale Castle. Our accommodation is ideally situated for watching the main action during the rutting season, and we will head out each day to observe the deer with the help of the region’s top Red Deer manager. The Centre is an excellent place to see Pine Martens as peanuts, a favourite food of theirs, are regularly scattered across the floodlit patio of our accommodation; Scottish Wildcats are also in the area, though they are very elusive!

  • View the Red Deer rut at close quarters
  • Excellent opportunities for close up Pine Marten
  • Option to join a night-drive searching for Scottish Wildcat
  • Otters thrive on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula
  • Look for White-tailed Eagles
  • Enjoy spectacular scenery in a remote, tranquil location
  • Led by expert naturalist guide

 

 

Grading

Easy walks only

The sight and sound of rutting Red Deer is one of Europe’s most dramatic wildlife events, and our autumn tour to the beautiful Ardnamurchan Peninsula focuses on witnessing this exciting spectacle. Every year the highlands come alive with the roaring and bellowing of Red Deer stags as they attempt to fend off rivals and secure their harem of hinds. With information from the region’s top Red Deer manager we will watch the mighty, testosterone-fuelled stags do battle and have the best possible opportunity to view these magnificent animals.

We will be based for all four nights of the holiday on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula’s south coast at the comfortable Glenborrodale Centre (next to Glenborrodale Castle). Our accommodation is ideally situated for watching the action during the rutting season, and we will head out each day to observe the deer, aiming to get as close as possible with short walks. During our stay we will also learn about the ecology of the deer, as well as about life in this remote part of Scotland.

Although the focus of this tour is on witnessing the rutting Red Deer, we will also enjoy some of the region’s other special species. The centre is an excellent place to see Pine Martens; peanuts, a favourite food of theirs, are regularly scattered across the floodlit patio of our accommodation — so have your cameras at the ready! There are Scottish Wildcats in the area and, though notoriously elusive, there will be a chance to go on a night-drive during our stay. Otters thrive on the peninsula, while Golden and White-tailed Eagles are just some of the avian highlights we will be hoping to see. If witnessing one of Britain’s most exciting wildlife spectacles in a remote and tranquil location away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life appeals to you, then please do join us this autumn.

DETAILED INFORMATION
Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
Meet in Glasgow and transfer to Ardnamurchan.
Day 2/4
Explore the peninsula focusing on experiencing the Red Deer rut.
Day 5
Return to Glasgow
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What's Included

What's Included?

  • Accommodation: Comfortable rooms all en-suite
  • Food: All included in the price
Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Fri 3rd Oct – Tue 7th Oct 6 £1,095
Book Tour Show Details
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,095
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£155 
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Short Break Wildlife Holidays


Among our programme is a significant range of short breaks, designed specially for those wishing to enjoy some of Europe’s top natural history highlights at the best time of year. All of these holidays have the bonus of being short-haul and supported by like-minded wildlife enthusiasts.


Naturetrek Short Break Wildlife Tours


Short breaks are becoming increasingly popular and in response to the high demand for this type of holiday we are continuing to increase our programme both within the UK and abroad. Most of our short breaks are within Europe, for convenience of travel.


For some of our mini-breaks there is an option to travel by plane or train, and we offer a choice of duration and type of break, from a weekend’s birdwatching in the Somerset Levels to a 6-day whale watching tour in the Azores.


A selection of our UK short breaks:



A selection of our overseas short breaks:



 




 


Our specialist recommends...








"We offer two superb short breaks to the lovely island of Madeira in search of whales, dolphins and seabirds. It’s hard to beat our Just Brown Bears trip for families, while if you fancy something off the beaten track, try Estonia in Early Spring for some excellent spring birdwatching." 

Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager




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Mammal Watching Holidays


Many of the world’s mammals are instantly recognisable to us. Animals such as Lions, Tigers, elephants and bears capture our imaginations from an early age. At Naturetrek, we take great pleasure and pride in helping people to fulfil their lifelong dreams of seeing these iconic species in the wild. We also enjoy introducing our clients to some of the world’s more unusual mammals, many of which are just as fascinating.


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Here’s a selection of our mammal tours:



Bargain mammal selection


We offer a range of action-packed bargain holidays for the dedicated mammal enthusiast, which are exceptional value for money, from Belize to Zambia.




Our specialist recommends...







"Africa is perhaps the greatest continent for mammal-watching. I would recommend 'Botswana’s Desert & Delta (Mammals)' for combining stunning scenery and wildlife. We also offer a tour to Uganda which includes a chance to see Mountain Gorillas. And India, along with Tigers, has a superb variety of mammals. Closer to home, short breaks to Spain in search of Wolves and Iberian Lynx are hard to beat.”

Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager




  


All Mammal Watching Tours

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At Naturetrek we make full use of the Eurostar rail service through the channel tunnel, and of the ferry routes between England’s south coast and France and Spain, to offer a range of ‘flightless’ wildlife holidays in Belgium, Holland, France and Spain. In addition, we also offer the widest selection of wildlife holidays within the UK, none of which require a flight to participate in. Therefore, if you prefer not to fly, for whatever reason, we have a range of varied and exciting wildlife holidays for you to choose from, and we are committed to regularly adding more.


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Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

Enquire
Why Naturetrek?

Why Naturetrek?

At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:

  • The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
  • Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
  • Outstanding value and exceptional customer service

Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!

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