- Dolphin-watching on an exciting boat trip
- Finding Scotland’s largest birds of prey – sea eagles, golden eagles and ospreys
- Sea kayaking with seals in the West Highlands
- Visit a wildlife hide at dusk to see pine marten and badgers
- 6 nights accommodation in carefully selected guest houses and hotels
- Most meals during the trip (Meals included indicated as B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
- 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
- 1 Day guided sea kayaking including all equipment
- Entrance fees to wildlife hides, nature reserves and historical sites as per itinerary
Green Graded Wildlife Holidays 1-3
All of our wildlife trips are graded Green and involve straightforward hiking with no major ascents, as well as other activities which are pitched at novice level. You can expect to be active for around 5 hours each day so you will need a reasonable level of fitness. Please note that there may be some early starts and late nights as we seek to maximise our chances of finding wildlife, although you can always opt out of activities if you prefer an early night or long lie in the morning!
So to help you decide if you are fit enough for this kind of trip, ask yourself:
- Are you generally active and, for example, happy to hike for 6 miles (10km), including some ascent, with rough ground in places?
- Are you up for a challenge and trying new activities such as sea kayaking or boat trips?
- Are you looking for a wildlife trip which involves more than simply sitting in a hide?
23rd Jun - 29th Jun 2018
Keith Miller
Hugely experienced and passionate naturalist. Keith has been guiding for many years.25th May - 31st May 2019
Craig McDonald
Craig's love of history and discovering the footsteps of his clan is what has drawn to his ancestral homelands.8th Jun - 14th Jun 2019
Mike Brian
A former School teacher. Learn more about Mike's thrill for the outdoors and read an interesting story about the Firth of Forth!ACCOMMODATION AND MEALS
In Ardnamurchan, we stay at a small, family-run, Highland guest house which has one of the best panoramic loch and mountain views in Scotland. The hotel was renovated in 2008 and offers comfortable rooms with free wi-fi. The meals here are a delight, with a strong focus on locally sourced produce.
We spend 3 nights in and around the Cairngorms National Park. Our base here is at the beautiful Dalrachney Lodge, located in a sleepy Highland village called Carrbridge. Dalrachney Lodge offers the highest standards of customer care and service, all set in a welcoming and comfortable environment.
SINGLE ROOMS
There is no supplement charged to solo travellers, however you will be required to share a room with another person of the same sex. For this itinerary, a supplement of £285 per person will be payable where a single, en-suite room is required. This is subject to availability as per our booking terms and conditions.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
You will be met by your Wilderness Scotland Guide at the fixed seating area in the centre of Inverness Railway Station at 2:00pm on Day 1 of your trip. You will be returned to Inverness station by 1:00pm 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/
Trip Details
This wildlife holiday in Scotland is a fresh way to experience the fantastic and diverse wildlife of the Scottish Highlands.
Rather than being a list-ticking trip, it’s designed to be a fun and informative multi-activity trip across the Highlands.
Led by our expert guides, we’ll seek out species such as dolphins, red deer and golden eagles as we explore Scotland’s wild places. And while we will visit a hide or two, most of the wildlife will be encountered as we enjoy activities such as boat trips, walks and even some sea kayaking. All activities will be conducted at an easy pace, so are suitable for everyone to enjoy.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1 – Loch Ness
On the way to Strontian, we stop at Loch Ness and visit Urquhart Castle, the spectacular ruined castle on the banks of the loch. Rumour has it that Nessie resides in a sub-aqua cave beneath the castle, so we’ll keep our eyes peeled and may end this wildlife trip with a sighting of the most elusive creature of all. (D)
Day 2 – Isle of Mull, Eagles and Otters
From our hotel it’s a short transfer to the pier where we jump on the ferry for the 15 minute crossing to the Isle of Mull. We’ll go in search of its famous sea eagles and golden eagles, as well as spending time on the coast looking for otters. Even the ferry journey offers the chance to look for dolphins, whales and basking sharks. (B,L)
Day 3 – Sea Kayaking with Seals
Today, we enjoy sea kayaking in the sheltered waters of the Arisaig skerries. This relaxed day will allow us to enjoy close encounters with seals, and perhaps even otters or porpoises. No experience is needed to enjoy the sea kayaking and you’ll be looked after by suitably qualified, expert guides. (B,L)
Day 4 – RSPB Reserve and Evening Hide Visit
Today we transfer east to the beautiful Cairngorms National Park, where we enjoy an afternoon stop at the RSPB Reserve at Insh Marshes. One of the most important wetlands in Europe, we can look out for many bird species such as lapwing, redshank and curlew. Roe deer can also be seen here. After checking into our hotel and having dinner, we head out for an evening excursion to a wildlife hide. As dusk falls, we hope to see species such as pine marten and badger. (B,L)
Day 5 – Mountain Species of the Cairngorms
Today we explore the wildlife of the Cairngorm mountains. Accessing the mountains from a high level car park at 2000 feet, we enjoy an easy hike into the Northern Corries, where we hope to see Scotland’s only herd of reindeer. We’ll also look out for red deer, mountain hares, ptarmigan and golden eagles – as well as enjoying the spectacular scenery. (B, L)
Day 6 – Dolphins and Dunes
Show-casing the diversity of the Scottish Highlands, a short transfer from our hotel in the mountains takes us to the coast where we hop onto a boat for a dolphin-spotting excursion in the Moray Firth, one of the best places in Scotland to see these playful creatures. Back on dry land, we’ll enjoy a beautiful coastal walk, exploring the sand dunes and nature of this often overlooked coastline. (B, L, D)
Day 7 – Ospreys and Red Squirrels
Leaving the hotel after breakfast we visit a nearby nature reserve where we should be able to see ospreys, red squirrels and a number of other species which inhabit this beautiful and ancient Scots Pine Forest. (B)
Prices and Dates
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Trip Reviews
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.
by Ralph Sales 20/07/2017
Pre-Trip Service
I have great problems trying to use this system so I am not really able to make a good judgement.
Trip Comments
Good leader poor weather.
Accommodation and Food
I did think about the price compared with my last trip. Clearly the hotels were better. Very happy with the result.
Your Guide
Very good local knowledge with a bit of luck.
The Bottom Line
I am considering next year but age will be a major issue. I am hoping for another enjoyable trip.
by Janice Baxter 10/07/2017
Pre-Trip Service
Prompt replies to inquiries, seemed friendly and helpful
Trip Comments
There was a lot of time spent driving. I was expecting to be walking more.
Dinners and breakfasts were excellent...packed lunches were OK, but sandwiches were lacking.
Our guide was great! He worked hard to be sure we a good experience. As a group, we understood that we were not in Disneyland, and that the animals might not show. Malcom seemed as excited as we were to see them! That kind of enthusiasm is infectious.
Accommodation and Food
Lunches could have been better. Accommodations and other meals were excellent!
Your Guide
See comments for trip overall. Malcom was great!
The Bottom Line
I will look to Wilderness Scotland when planning future adventures in Scotland!
by Martin Freeman 10/07/2017
Pre-Trip Service
All my queries I had were answered promptly and courteously.
Trip Comments
Our guide (Malcolm) was very accommodating and gave us good and interesting information throughout the trip. Felt little "trapped" at The Lodge for dinner where the minimum charge was £23. I understand that this was part of your agreement with the Lodge maybe in securing the rooms. However, it was not part of my agreement with you.
Accommodation and Food
Felt little "trapped" at The Lodge for dinner where the minimum charge was £23. Although the food was excellent and I understand this was part of your agreement with the Lodge maybe in securing the rooms. However, it was not part of my agreement with you. The food was excellent throughout the trip.
Your Guide
Malcolm was extremely patient with the group which consisted of many different personalities. He endeavoured to give us interesting information during the many miles we travelled ....and he succeeded. Always had a smile on his face which is very important to make people feel at home.
The Bottom Line
I enjoyed every minute of my trip from the Isle of Mull to the Moray Firth. Great memories of the views with beautiful fauna and flora will stay with me forever. Thank you Wilderness Scotland!
