NEW OUTER HEBRIDES’ BIRD TRAIL

RSPB Scotland has teamed up with Outer Hebrides Tourism to develop a new birds of prey trail across the Outer Hebrides. Leading from Barra in the south to the tip of the Isle of Lewis in the north, it links 13 locations from cafés to ferry routes in a self-guided route through some of the best raptor-spotting country in Europe. The archipelago is home to almost a third of Scotland’s White-tailed Eagles, a fifth of the country’s Golden Eagles and Merlins, and a tenth of the Hen Harrier population, in part due to sympathetic land management. Many of the Outer Hebrides’ raptors are surprisingly tolerant of humans and therefore easier than usual to spot, even from the roadside. Just in case, though, each location on the trail is marked and provided with an information board to help spot these fascinating birds. To find out more visit hebridesbirdofpreytrail.co.uk