Trip Overview

On a carefully crafted, fully guided adventure, discover the wonderful wildlife and beautiful landscapes of the Scottish Highlands.

From wild coastlines to mountain plateaus, ancient forests to sandy bays, explore by foot, by boat, and by kayak Scotland’s diverse habitats and the plants, animals, and insects they support. Led by a highly knowledgeable guide, enjoy spending time on the beautiful Isle of Mull, in the rugged Cairngorms National Park, and along the quiet coastline of Moray. By the sea, search for sea eagles, otters, seals, and dolphins. Further inland, hike in the hills with the chance of spotting ptarmigan, grouse, dotterel, and golden eagles. Lower down, ribbon your way through ancient pine forests, keeping an eye out for red squirrels, red deer, and the elusive capercaillie.

Along the way, enjoy cosy accommodation, delicious food, and lovely company as you celebrate the wildlife of the Highlands.

Day 1 – Dundreggan - Trees for Life Read Less: Day 1

Dundreggan - Trees for Life

Meet your Wilderness guide at Inverness Railway Station this morning and begin your westward journey along the scenic shores of Loch Ness. En route, we’ll stop at the Dundreggan Rewilding Centre to explore its enchanting forest and picturesque lower hills. Here, you’ll learn about the inspiring native forest restoration work led by our charity partner, Trees for Life. Your journey then continues to the Ardnamurchan Peninsula, arriving at your friendly hotel, which looks out across the seaweed-strewn shores and shimmering waters of Loch Sunart.

Meals Included: Lunch and Dinner

Day 2 – Isle of Mull and Sea Eagles Read Less: Day 2

Isle of Mull and Sea Eagles

After a relaxed breakfast, catch the small ferry to the Isle of Mull. Deeply indented by sea lochs and dominated by the impressive mass of Ben More (a Munro at 966 m/371 ft), Mull’s coastline both sheers into cliffs and flattens into round, sandy bays. Join your guide in a search for white-tailed eagles, known in Gaelic as iolaire sùil na grèineas – the eagle with the sunlit eye. Once they have established their territory, they tend to stay there for life, so although rare, there is a good chance of seeing them when you know where to look.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3 – Sea Kayaking with Seals Read Less: Day 3

Sea Kayaking with Seals

Today, we head out to explore the clear turquoise waters and white sandy beaches of Arisaig. Sea kayak around hundreds of tiny islands, looking out for otters and many coastal birds, including guillemots, shags, fulmars, kittiwakes, and terns. The seal colony here is friendly and curious, often slipping beneath your boat only to pop up on the other side to peer at you with their big dark eyes. A wonderful, sheltered place to paddle, there’s no need for any previous sea kayaking experience as you’ll be looked after impeccably by an expert guide.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4 – The Cairngorms and RSPB Insh Marshes Read Less: Day 4

The Cairngorms and RSPB Insh Marshes

After breakfast, we wind our way east into the beautiful bounds of the Cairngorms National Park. This morning’s drive is incredibly picturesque, ribboning its way along the banks of Loch Laggan and through a handful of small Highland villages. After a lovely lunch, arrive at Insh Marshes RSPB Reserve, one of the most important wetland areas in Europe and home to curlew, lapwing, redshank, and snipe. Meet an RSPB warden and wander through the marshes. Learn about how the habitat is maintained, and spot birds as you go. Relax in your cosy accommodation this evening tucked in the heart of the Cairngorms.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5 – Mountains and Reindeer Read Less: Day 5

Mountains and Reindeer

Today, head up into the Cairngorm Mountains for a stunning hike into the wild landscape. An excellent path from a high-level car park means you are soon rewarded with beautiful views of slate blue plateaus and rocky, heather-strewn hillsides. The aim of today is to see Scotland’s only herd of free-roaming reindeer, a complete delight to witness grazing contentedly on grass, lichen, and birch leaves. After returning from the mountain, enjoy a delicious early dinner before heading out into the inky, star-studded night to a wildlife hide. In the soft quiet of darkness, look out for badgers and the elusive pine marten.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 6 – Red Squirrels and Ospreys Read Less: Day 6

Red Squirrels and Ospreys

After a slightly later evening last night, enjoy a very relaxed start to the day. After a leisurely breakfast and fresh, hot coffee, join your guide for a lovely local walk that showcases some of the most beautiful scenary in the area. Look out for chaffinches, coal tits, and red squirrels as you walk, chatting to your guide about the flora and fauna of the area. After lunch, head to a nearby Nature Reserve, stopping in at the Visitor Centre to learn about Scotland’s ospreys. A powerful bird of prey once hunted to extinction in the UK, they have a wingspan of about 150cm and pluck fish from beneath the surface with their curling talons.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7 – Dolphins and Dunes Read Less: Day 7

Dolphins and Dunes

As the sun climbs higher into the sky, leave the pine-fringed lochs and wind-blown summits of the Cairngorms behind as you wind north towards the coast. Arriving by the sea, hop on a boat and cruise out onto the water to spot the resident colony of playful bottlenose dolphins. Enjoy the fresh, salty breeze as you learn about the wildlife of the Moray Firth before returning to the mainland for lunch. This afternoon join your guide for a lovely, final walk of your trip, exploring sand dunes and soaking up the far-reaching views of this quiet coastline. Finish your trip at Inverness Railway Station.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

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The Scottish Highlands

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Make This Trip Private

Fancy this trip just for your group? Get together with family and friends spend quality time exploring wild places. A private trip allows you to benefit from all the features of the group departure, including hand-picked accommodation and expert local guides but with the advantage of the flexibility to tailor the days to your group. Make the trip more or less challenging depending on your experience or choose to add in some optional extras like castle or distillery visits depending on your interests. The price of a private trip will depend on the number of travellers in your group. Let us know your preferred departure date and we'll take care of the rest.

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The Scottish Highlands

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Trip Details

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Accommodation Read More

In Ardnamurchan, we stay at a small, family-run Highland guest house with one of Scotland’s best panoramic loch and mountain views. The hotel offers comfortable rooms with free Wi-Fi. The meals here are a delight, with a strong focus on locally sourced produce.

We spend three nights in the Cairngorms National Park. Our base here is in a sleepy Highland village in a lovingly restored Victorian House. The guest house offers the highest standards of customer care, all in a welcoming and cosy environment.

Meals Read More

All meals from lunch on Day 1 to lunch on Day 7 are included on this trip. The meals throughout this wildlife tour of the Scottish Highlands are a delight, with a strong focus on seasonal and locally sourced produce.

On this trip, we generally eat dinner as a group. However, if you would like to make alternative arrangements you are free to do so. Your guide will have an evening off during this trip where they do not eat with the group. They will recommend options for dinner that evening and will help you make any necessary reservations. Included dinners are two courses as standard.

Inclusions Read More

Six nights’ accommodation in carefully selected guest houses and hotels.
Most meals during the trip.
The services of an experienced and knowledgeable guide/driver throughout.
All transport throughout the trip, starting and finishing in Inverness.
All boat trips and ferry transfers.
Dolphin spotting boat trip.
One day guided sea kayaking, including all equipment.
Entrance fees to wildlife hides, nature reserves, and historical sites as per itinerary.

Grading Read More: Green Graded 1-3

Green graded walking holidays are suitable for active travellers who are reasonably fit and enjoy moderate hikes. We walk at a comfortable pace and you can expect to be out for 5-6 hours a day. The terrain will be mostly good paths and hill trails but these can still be muddy and rough in places. Some hikes may involve an ascent up to a max of approx 1,500 feet / 450m. Distances will be typically 8-10km but there may be the odd slightly longer day. Daily hike details are available in the itinerary.

Travel - Arrival and Departure Read More

You will be met by your Wilderness Scotland Guide at the fixed seating area in the centre of Inverness Railway Station at 11.00am on Day 1 of your trip. You will be returned to Inverness Railway Station by 4.00pm on the final day.

For advice on getting to and from Scotland, please our travel advice page on our website: www.wildernessscotland.com/faq/travel-to-scotland/

If you would like to use your own vehicle on the trip, please get in touch with our team to discuss.

Trip Reviews

Rated 4.91 out of 5 based on 44 review(s) of Wildlife Adventures – The Scottish Highlands

Every client receives a feedback survey when they return from their guided, self guided or tailor made holiday with us. Once completed the review is published on our website just as soon as our database updates. The little touches and details are important to us and where issues are raised we make positive changes to our trips to improve your experience.

That’s why we read each of our client’s reviews and although we don’t respond to all of them, if it’s glowing feedback then we get the satisfaction of helping to make your holidays truly memorable.

Janice Reed

Reviewed on 29/05/2025

Age: 70 - 80
Country: United Kingdom
Trip Date: 18/05/2025
Trips Taken: 1

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

Greatly enjoyed and lovely company

Janine de Kretser

Reviewed on 13/06/2024

Age: 60 - 70
Country: Australia
Trip Date: 18/05/2024
Trips Taken: 2

The Bottom Line

Pre-Trip Service

Usually Emily responded to my emails within 24 hours, which really helps when you're on the other side of the world! The only addition I'd suggest is to be sent a final confirmation and pick-up point details 48 hours before departure - most other operators I've travelled with do this and it's reassuring to know all is going to plan.

Trip Comments

Our guide, Don Pritchard, was a star - well organised, kind and caring of his customers and our needs, knowledgable about Scottish history as well as wildlife, and an excellent communicator without being verbose! HIghlights include sighting different types of raptors, curlews, otters and seals, badgers and the elusive pine marten.

Accommodation & Food

I would rate the Dunallen guest house in Grantown on Spey as excellent - the only trouble was being in Grantown added miles to our journey each day; if we had stayed in the Carrbridge accommodation originally suggested, we would have been placed more centrally. The Strontian Hotel is functional but rather worn, however the location and spectacular views across Loch Sunart make one forgive the deficits.

Your Guide

Our guide, Don Pritchard, was a star - well organised, kind and caring of his customers and our needs, knowledgable about Scottish history as well as wildlife, and an excellent communicator without being verbose! He was really accommodating of our wishes. He exceeded my expectations and I'd be pleased to have Don as guide on a future trip.

The Bottom Line

A diverse trip, from the wilds of Ardnamurchan to the Cairngorms, visiting many hides and locations to see a multitude of wildlife, from eagles and ospreys to otters and pine martens. Excellent organisation and a knowledgable, friendly, capable, flexible and experienced guide - overall the trip exceeded my expectations.

Valerie Philomena Howe

Reviewed on 05/06/2024

Age: 70 - 80
Country: England
Trip Date: 18/05/2024
Trips Taken: 1

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and it lived up to its description. The small group set up worked well and added a lot to my positive experience together with the experienced guide.

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Wilderness Scotland

The Scottish Highlands

Trip Overview

Your Next Adventure

Day by DayItinerary

Day 1

Dundreggan - Trees for Life

Day 2

Isle of Mull and Sea Eagles

Day 3

Sea Kayaking with Seals

Day 4

The Cairngorms and RSPB Insh Marshes

Day 5

Mountains and Reindeer

Day 6

Red Squirrels and Ospreys

Day 7

Dolphins and Dunes

Make This Trip Private

Trip Details

Green Graded 1-3

Speak to an Expert

Jane Gillies

Difficulty Grades Explained

Green Graded 1-3

Trip Reviews

Pre-Trip Service

Trip Comments

Accommodation & Food

The Bottom Line

Pre-Trip Service

Trip Comments

Accommodation & Food

Your Guide

The Bottom Line

Pre-Trip Service

Accommodation & Food

Your Guide

The Bottom Line

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