New Year boost
4 January, 2020 to 11 January, 2020 11 January, 2020 to 18 January, 2020
Birding across the Scottish Highlands coast to coast – how many will you add to your tally?
f you’re already planning on taking Bird Watching’s #My200BirdYear challenge in 2020, or if you just want to see the very best of Scotland’s birds in winter, then this fun holiday is for you. Get your New Year birdlist off to a cracking start with a week of birding across the Highlands from coast to coast!
For the second week, you’ll be joined by
Bird Watching editor Matt Merritt as well as Heatherlea’s own expert guides.
Top priorities will be the resident specialities – Capercaillie, Ptarmigan, Black
Grouse, Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Scottish Crossbill and Crested Tit – but you’ll also be able to look for a host of northern winter visitors, and finally round-up rarities. By the end of the week, you should have seen around 120 species.
There’ll be time spent inland in the Caledonian pinewoods of Abernethy Forest for speciality birds, a visit to the Cairngorm Mountains to see Ptarmigan, and trips to remote glens for eagles and other raptors. Northern coastal habitats provide great birding in winter, and with the
Moray Firth, Aberdeenshire, the West Coast and secluded bays north of Inverness all within reach, prospects are excellent, especially at the coast. King Eider and Surf Scoter are regular, and others more than possible.
Holidays are based at the Mountview Hotel, with all transport and expert guidance from our team. Heatherlea anticipate the whole hotel will be given over to the holiday, meaning a great atmosphere as the entire week is run by birders for birders: a very enjoyable prospect!
We will look for Capercaillie using Heatherlea’s exclusive ‘Private Estate’ access. We stay inside our ‘mobile hide’ minibuses, driving on tracks with keen eyes to all sides! Heatherlea is the only birding tour operator allowed to enter these lands by vehicle.
l Prices: £1,195pp, no single supplement. Deposit £200.