Wildlife Adventures – Outer Hebrides & St Kilda

Day 1 – Travel to the Outer Hebrides 

After meeting in Inverness, we catch the morning ferry across to the Isle of Lewis, the largest island in the Outer Hebrides archipelago. The ferry journey across the ‘Minch’ takes us through well-known seabird and cetacean feeding areas – so we should have some good sightings before we even arrive on the islands! Our first stop is a visit to the mysterious standing stone circle at Callanish before retiring to our hotel on Harris. (D)

Day 3 – The Wildlife of Harris 

We will spend the day exploring Harris hiking along some excellent glen or coastal routes. Home to vast expanses of moorland, this beautiful island holds nationally important breeding populations of greenshank and dunlin. Otters and eagles are known to regularly hunt in this terrain, and you may also see herds of red deer, which can often be seen grazing on the hillsides. (B,L)

Walk details: 8km, approx. 4 hrs

Day 4 – Across the Sea to North Uist

After exploring one of Harris’s vast beaches we take an early afternoon ferry across the Sound of Harris to North Uist. This remote and windswept beauty is home to Scotland’s most well known dramas, played out in a landscape populated by birds of prey and strung with pristine sandy beaches. With intricate rocky shores and beautiful sunsets, we are in good otter and diver territory, with plenty of places to stretch our legs before enjoying a warm welcome at our hotel.  (B, L)

Walk details: 6 km, approx. 3 hrs

Day 5 – South Uist and Benbecula: Raptors & Wildflowers

Like much of the archipelago, the west coast of South Uist holds empty sandy beaches and wildflower rich machair meadow, whilst the east coast offers rocky inlets and heather covered hills. We aim to explore on foot during the day, taking a packed lunch with us as we walk along the enticing coastline. We will take the opportunity to scan the hills for some of the local golden and sea eagles – soaring with a wingspan well over two metres. Other daytime hunters include the ghostly hen harrier and furious looking short eared owl, either of which could turn up almost anywhere during our time on the Uists. With otters, wildflowers, beachcombing and wildfowl all possible, there will be plenty for us to enjoy. We should also experience the endemic Hebridean song thrush! At migration times, these islands also tend to offer a stopover for exotic and lost migrating birds from America, the Arctic, Mediterranean – even the Far East! As long as we keep our eyes open, you never know what surprises we might find on this wildlife holiday…  (B, L)

Walk details: 8km, approx. 4 hrs

Day 6 – North Uist and Benbecula: Corncrakes & Great Skuas

A key species in this region is the secretive corncrake, which skulks and calls in the fertile machair meadows and ancient farmlands. The corncrake is most commonly spotted in May and June. At places such as the RSPB reserve at Balranald, these rare habitats also provide vital homes for many rare species, such as the great yellow bumblebee, corn bunting, golden ringed dragonfly and many scarce wildflowers (not to mention photogenic highland cows!). The heather moors of North Uist and Benbecula offer more good raptor hunting habitats and we will spend time in the search of more birds of prey, returning summer migrants such as wheatear and stonechat and perhaps red deer. On the May departure, we may have the opportunity to witness one of the most thrilling wildlife spectacles in the UK – the northward passage of hundreds of skuas to their summer breeding grounds. (B, L, D)

Walk details: 8km, approx. 4 hrs

Day 7 – Return to Inverness

We begin our journey back to Inverness today, but the opportunities to stop and take in some wonderful scenery and perhaps get more excellent wildlife sightings are still on offer! We depart by ferry across the Minch again, this time on the late morning ferry, heading for the Isle of Skye. From here, we head back to Inverness via Loch Ness, arriving by around 5.30pm. (B, L)