Travel news
Scotland has been confirmed as the best place in the UK to see rare wildlife, according to new research. Visitors love spotting some of the rarest and endangered species native to the country, including otters, red squirrels, wildcats, grey seals and puffins.
The study by Camptoo revealed seven of the 10 rarest animals in the UK can be found in Scotland. Here are the best locations to find the rarest wildlife.
Wildcats: Cairngorms National Park
If you are planning a wildcat spotting trip, then there’s no better place to set up camp than Grantown-on-spey in Moray. There are plenty of hiking trails close by, providing plenty of opportunity for sightings.
Red squirrels: Isle of Wight
Red squirrels are becoming rarer in the UK with their population being only a fraction of their grey counterparts at just 140,000 compared to 2.7 million. Around 3,500 are on the Isle of Wight. Heathfield Farm offers a great camping location to set up base.
Hares: Norfolk
Surprisingly, there are just 817,500 hares in the UK. The best place to spot the increasingly endangered species is Norfolk. Deepdale campsite is a top pick.
European hedgehogs: Hampshire
Another animal with a surprisingly low population is the European hedgehog. There are 1.55 million, down 50% in the last 10 years. Hampshire is an ideal place to see the increasingly rare creatures, given the county’s abundance of woodlands.
Otters: Tyndrum
There are just over 10,000 otters in the UK, the vast majority north of the border. Although recently, otters have been spotted along the rivers of major cities like Edinburgh, London and Birmingham the concentration is sparse. The more rural areas are where you are still much more likely to spot them. By The Way Campsite and Hostel, Tyndrum, is the place to go. Rivers and estuaries in the surrounding national park provide a natural habitat.
Also seen in Scotland are grey seals, deer and puffin.