Scottish birding holiday - January 2025

This is the sort of magnificent view See attachment) that would be more than welcome on the forthcoming trip.

One of the places we are hoping to visit (on Day One)  is Creag Meagaidh nature reserve in the heart of the Monadhliath mountains - a noted haunt of Golden Eagles.  

According to Cairngorm Travel, there are were still some places available on the coach as of close of play yesterday.

The pencil and watercolour painting, incidentally is by John Cyril Harrison  (1898-1985).

Earlier this month, it went under the hammer at an auction conducted by Woolley and Wallis at their saleroom in Salisbury.

The pre-sale guide price was £600 - £800, but, after brisk bidding,  the 49.2cm x 64.6cm study achieved 
£1,134 (including buyer's premium).

Thanks for your advice on this, Pete. I suppose it depends on demand. Also weather. I hope to post the proposed itinerary fairly shortly.  

Hi Jim,

We rung round the local taxi firms for ones with 8 seaters and hired two of those. The second trip though, when we tried nothing was available, so it may be worth booking in advance. 

 

Picking up Gary's point, there have been suggestions that, if there is sufficient interest, it might be worth hiring a minibus to visit birding hotspots not accessible by coach. 

Pete do you know how this was organised on the April 2023 trip? Were you the mastemind?

For anyone who has access to YouTube, there are several clips about our destination including these (just copy and paste the links into YouTube):

Visiting Kingussie in the Cairngorms National Park - History & Sights | Scotland

A walk above Kingussie to Creag Bheag

Hen Harriers in Scotland

Insh Marshes

On the first trip we hired a couple of mini buses to go to the funicular car park to hunt for Ptarmigan Gary, but unsuccessfully, although 3 had been seen in the morning. There is a footpath up the hill even if the chair lift thing isn't working. 

Regards Pete

Is that a lost birder top of mountain or someone waiting to show you the way!