spotting the rarest animals in the uk
New research has mapped out places across the UK where you can see some of our rarest and most endangered native species.
The study, carried out by leisure vehicle rental company Camptoo, also picked out popular sites near each wildlife hotspot.
Here are the best locations to visit:
Scotland
Wildcats and otters
With a population of about 300, wildcats can only be found in the upper regions of Scotland. If you plan a wildcat spotting trip, there’s no better place to camp than Grantown-on-Spey Caravan Park (caravanscotland.com), located at the northern point of Cairngorms National Park. There are 143 hiking trails close by, providing plenty of opportunity for sightings.
There are just over 10,000 otters in the UK and the vast majority are to be found north of the border.
Isle of Wight
Red squirrels
These days, red squirrels (pictured below) are extremely rare throughout the UK, with the population just a fraction of their grey counterparts, at only 140,000 compared to 2.7 million.
Although they can be found in multiple locations across the country (Wales, northern England and parts of Scotland), the study recommends visiting the Isle of Wight, where around 3500 reside, to spot these attractive small mammals.
Heathfield Farm Camping Park (www. heathfieldcamping.co.uk) offers a great location to set up base while you’re visiting.
East England
Turtle doves
This extremely rare bird has a population of just 45,000 pairs, and is only to be found in southern and eastern England.
Fakenham Fairways (www.fakenham fairways.uk) is an ideal place to camp, not far from the Norfolk coast and with 124 hiking trails nearby. The birds can be seen between April and September – they migrate to Africa for the winter.
South-west England
Deer
The only natural UK habitats for deer are in south-west England and parts of Scotland. The New Forest, in Hampshire, hosts around 1200 of these impressive animals.
For a great place to stay in the south-west, pitch up at Higher Moor Farm Campsite (highermoorfarm.co.uk), near Weymouth. There are no fewer than 143 hiking trails to be explored in the surrounding area.
■ Find out more at camptoo.co.uk