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Wildlife Of January 2026
January is one of the coldest months in the Cairngorms but there is still plenty to see. At Dalnahaittnach there are Crested Tits and Crossbills, with Roe Deer, Brown Hares, Eurasian Woodcock, Eurasian Curlews possible. I heard Crested Tits, Crossbills and saw a Eurasian Woodcock this month, the latter became an unexpected sighting.
In the woods around Boat of Garten there are Crested Tits, Red Squirrels, Coal Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Long Tailed Tits, Eurasian Jays and
Harris Brooker
Feb 163 min read


Wildlife of December 2025
It had been quite cold in the Cairngorms this past December. But just because it was cold, didn’t mean there was nothing to see, quite the opposite. Around Inshriach, there were plenty of songbirds such as Great Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Long Tailed Tits and Greenfinches. On occasion, I spot Buzzards and Sparrowhawk, flashing past, as it swoops after songbirds. I managed to see all of these species in December.
Harris Brooker
Jan 194 min read


Speyside Wildlife October Day Guide Blog
October is here and it’s looking very autumnal here in the Cairngorm’s National Park. The leaves are either turning orange or have fallen off. The Ospreys have gone south to Africa, so have the Swallows, Sand and House Martins. The Black Throated Divers and Slavonian Grebes have returned to the coast for the winter. But there is still plenty happening within the National Park and before long we’re bound to get more autumn visitors.
Harris Brooker
Oct 27, 20253 min read


A Spring Guided Day Out in Speyside
Last week, I took two guests out for an Extended Guided Day Out to see as much wildlife as possible in the Cairngorms National Park.

Ailie Brown
Apr 8, 20256 min read


Day Guiding Highlights 2024
We have been very fortunate to have many people visit us and share a Guided Day’s Out with us, this past year. We have visited all the...

Ailie Brown
Dec 9, 20243 min read


Lagomorphs – Rabbits and Hares in Speyside
During your visit to the Cairngorms, some of the common species you will see include rabbits and hares.
Harris Brooker
Oct 21, 20244 min read


Beaver Blog
Following the recent re-introduction of Beavers to the Cairngorms National Park we wanted to take this month to focus on this incredible
Harris Brooker
Sep 23, 20244 min read


Tit Species in Speyside
In this blog post we’ll talk about the five species of tit that occur in Speyside. All of them can occur on bird feeders here, but one of...

Harris Brooker
Jan 15, 20244 min read


Crossbills
There are currently three species of crossbill recognised in Speyside: the Common Crossbill, the Scottish Crossbill and the Parrot Crossbill, with around six species recognised in the world. Members of the finch family, they have bills which their mandibles crossover. This is an adaptation for extracting the seeds from pinecones. Their genus name is Loxia, the Ancient Greek, meaning ‘Crosswise’. The crossbills use their bills to prize apart the cones segments and they have ba

Harris Brooker
Dec 18, 20234 min read


Wonderful Wildlife and Walking
It’s a great past time of mine, walking and looking for wildlife at the same time. In the past couple years, gaining more experience as a...

Ailie Brown
Oct 27, 20233 min read


Owls in Speyside, Scotland
In this blog post we’ll talk about the four most regular owl species found in Speyside and in most of Britain. Because most of these are nocturnal, owls are something of an enigma. So let’s broaden our understand of these charismatic, elusive birds. Tawny Owl ( Strix Aluco ) Tawny Owl (Photo Credit: Speyside Wildlife) This is the owl that makes the classic ‘twit-ti-woo’ noise. What you might not know is that only Tawny Owls make this sound and even then, only the males. The f

Harris Brooker
Oct 23, 20234 min read


The Arrival of the Autumn Migration
Here in Strathspey, it has been noticeable quieter the last couple weeks. Warblers and Swallows left us to head for warmer climates for...

Ailie Brown
Sep 29, 20232 min read


A Lunch with a View in the Cairngorms
As any good guide knows, when planning a day out, you don’t only think of the species you hope to see and where you think they might be....

Ailie Brown
Jun 28, 20232 min read


Wildlife Tracks, Clues and Poos in the Cairngorms
When we are out and about on our Guided Day’s Out, we are always on the look out for evidence of where wildlife has been. It’s always...

Ailie Brown
May 18, 20232 min read


Historic Speyside
There's so many special species to see in the Cairngorms National Park, from Golden Eagles, Crested Tits, Red Squirrels, Black Grouse to...

Ailie Brown
Mar 24, 20232 min read


Otter Spotting
We are spoiled for choice with amazing wildlife here in the Scottish Highlands. From Golden Eagles soaring high above open hills to Red Squirrels scurrying through the canopy of pine woodlands, there is bountiful choice when it comes to wildlife encounters. However, one species that is often overlooked when visiting this area is the European Otter. These elusive members of the weasel family (mustelids) are always a joy to see on our guided days out and often provide a ‘magic
Wayne Gourlay
Mar 16, 20232 min read


Winter gives way to Spring in the beautiful Scottish Highlands
Spring will soon be here in the stunning Scottish highlands. Our Day Guiding throughout February and early March has been fantastic, with...

Olly Slessor
Mar 10, 20233 min read


Our Cairngorms National Park
When booking a Guided Day Out with us, you may not know what itinerary to choose, a popular choice is ‘Our Cairngorms National Park’....

Ailie Brown
Feb 24, 20234 min read


Winter continues in the stunning Scottish Highlands
Winter continues in the beautiful Scottish highlands. Our Day Guiding throughout January has been excellent, with some fantastic wildlife...

Olly Slessor
Feb 7, 20233 min read


Wonderful Winter Birding on the beautiful Black Isle
The Black Isle is a fantastic area to go birding all year round, but especially at this time of year. Our Guided Days Out throughout the...

Olly Slessor
Jan 20, 20233 min read
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