Ardnamurchan - Wild Scotland in Spring

The Ardnamurchan Peninsula is one of the most wonderfully remote areas on the British mainland. Bordered by the sea on three sides and accessed via one single-tracked road, it is a true wilderness and a fantastic place to explore, particularly for those with a love of wildlife. As we do for our very popular autumn tours we shall spend 7 nights at the Glenborrodale Centre which is ideally situated on the peninsula’s southern coast. We will enjoy morning walks along Loch Sunart to look for Otters, and another enigmatic mustelid, the Pine Marten, can be enjoyed from the comfort of our living room as this delightful species visits the centre regularly after dark, offering some superb photographic opportunities! There are some wonderful white sandy beaches, dramatic headlands and wild, windswept moors and we shall explore the area at a relaxed pace with a focus to enjoy the varied wildlife that breeds here. Golden Eagles have a healthy population as does the majestic White-tailed Eagle while Hen Harrier, Merlin and Short-eared Owl may also be seen. The Scottish Wildcat is the focus of a great deal of ongoing conservation effort on Ardnamurchan and, though they are rarely seen, we will search by spotlight at night in order to try to find this beautiful, but extremely elusive, feline. During our stay we will also take to the seas and a real highlight of the trip will be a full day visiting the Treshnish Islands which lie off the south west coast of Mull. Puffins are the undisputed stars of the show here and we will take a small tender to enable us to make a landing on Lunga, the largest of the islands, and get up close and personal to these wonderful birds. Be sure to have cameras at the ready! The islands here are also home to large numbers of Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Shags and Fulmars and the sight and sound of a thriving seabird city such as this will live long in the memory! As well as all the exciting wildlife that a visit to Ardnamurchan provides the feeling of being totally cut off from the hustle and bustle of the real world is a joy in itself.