Scotland has long been a favorite destination for birders and nature enthusiasts, offering dramatic landscapes, rich cultural traditions, and excellent birding and wildlife experiences across the country. From historic castles to world-famous whisky, it provides an unforgettable setting for a birding holiday. For birders, Scotland offers a range of habitats that are rare or absent elsewhere in the UK, including high alpine and mountain landscapes, expansive upland heather moorland, vast inaccessible coastal cliffs ideal for seabirds, and large ancient Caledonian pine forests. Combining this with comfortable accommodation throughout, vibrant culture, breathtaking landscapes, and amazing wildlife encounters, Scotland is a truly exciting prospect for birdwatchers.
This small-group spring birding tour begins and ends in the historic Scottish capital, Edinburgh, and is perfectly timed to coincide with the return of many migratory species and the peak of the breeding season for a wide range of birds.
From Edinburgh, we’ll travel through breathtaking landscapes towards the Inner Hebrides along the west coast. We then have three nights on the amazing Isle of Mull, where we will target a long list of outstanding species, many rare within northwest Europe. As part of our time on Mull we will visit the Isle of Iona and its white sand beaches and enjoy a boat cruise to look for seabirds.
The second half of the tour takes place in the Scottish Highlands, where we’ll explore dramatic landscapes ranging from alpine environments to ancient pine forests and picturesque lochs in the Cairngorms National Park. In this half of the tour we’ll also visit remote lochs and glens and the coast of the Firth. We conclude our tour by focusing on specialist heather moorland species before traveling south again to Edinburgh. If you wish, we can arrange for you to extend your stay in Edinburgh so that you can experience some of what this fascinating city offers. And for those of you who want even more UK birding, you can combine this trip with Birding Ecotour’s England in Spring birding tour, which is scheduled immediately before this Scotland trip.
PRICE
GBP£6,000 per person, sharing – based on 4 – 5 participants
Single Supplement: GBP£1,260
Questions? Contact GGBA Travel Coordinator Eric Schroeder at travelprogram@goldengatebirdalliance.org.
Ready to register? Contact Eric first. He will put you in touch with Birding Ecotours.