Cairngorms wildlife tour

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The Cairngorms. A mountain range in the Eastern Highlands of Scotland. Its rocky outcrops and steep granite cliffs give it a tundra - like quality, with snow covered peaks all year round. With heights reaching up to 1200m above sea level, this stunning and rugged environment hosts a plethora of wildlife. From Scottish Crossbills to Black Grouse to Red Deer, Otters and pine martins, with a bit of patience, local knowledge and a good guide, these are a few of the species that you might be lucky enough to see on a Scottish Camping Safari.

I trained in South Africa so my style of guiding differs from most European Wildlife Guides. I am a tracker, a trails guide and I have qualifications in Nature Conservation so whatever wildlife experience you are looking for - hiking, birding, photography or tracking; I can tailor a tour to fit your needs. My dog Reko and I would be delighted to be your hosts. 

Scottish Wildlife that we might hope to see:

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Mammals

Red deer, Roe deer, Fallow Deer, Reindeer, Otters, Pine Martins, Hares and Red Squirrel

 

Birds

Capercaillie, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Scottish Crossbill, Crested Tit, Dipper, Curlew, Snow - Bunting, Lapwing and Golden Eagles 

 

There is also a wide variety of Insects, Amphibians and Reptiles

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Accommodation

You will be staying in a large walk in Tipi style tent. It has a large living area and 2 separate bedrooms with raised comfy camping beds, in the middle of the Cairngorms National Park. As there is no campsite and it's off the beaten track, there is a portable compost toilet and a solar powered shower, with hot water boiled from the fire. If you need to charge your phone or camera batteries, I have solar panel chargers for your use. 

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Day 1: I will collect you from the bus stop, train station or airport depending on how you arrive in Scotland. We will then travel to camp where you can relax with a warm drink and some food. Once you are settled in we will go for a short walk so you can get acquainted with your new surroundings

 

Day 2: After breakfast we will explore the Nature reserve looking for Red, Squirrels, Roe deer and a variety of bird life such as the tree creeper, raven and the peregrine falcon. We will stop for lunch during the day and once we return to camp we will have our dinner and relax. We will do Astronomy learning about the constellation

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Day 3: In the morning we will sit by the Loch looking for Otters which are regularly seen, then back to camp for breakfast. After breakfast we will go to the Burn O'Vat a local geographical feature and then walk through the woods surrounding it looking for wildlife such as the Red squirrels. Stopping for lunch during the day, once we get back to camp we can have our dinner and relax and do some astronomy learning about the

constellation with a telescope.

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Day 4-5: After breakfast we will travel to another reserve and go into the highlands in search of Red Deer. We will stop during the day for lunch and once we get back to camp we can have dinner and relax around the campfire.

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DAY 6: As most people start getting tired on Saturday after a week of guiding on the last day we will have a slower paced day. We will spend the day looking for small mammals, butterflies and dragonflies using a butterfly net. We will also look for life in the burns (streams). In the evening after dinner we will sit at the Loch looking for Otters which are regularly seen.

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Day 7: You will leave the Cairngorms and be dropped of at the train station or bus stop or airport so you can travel home.

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