Home > Uniquely Unspoilt Magazine > Issue 19 > Wildlife spotting
~~ Wildlife spotting ~~
From whales to badgers, Scotland's varied landscapes are home to a vast selection of wildlife. Here are some of the most popular ones to try and catch a glimpse of:
Ospreys
Last year saw the 50th anniversary of the return of ospreys to Scotland after a 34 year absence, and there are now at least 160 pairs nesting here, with a handful of pairs now breeding in the Borders.
Two special osprey centres have been opened up near Peebles in Glentress Forest and Kailzie Gardens as part of the the Tweed Valley Osprey Project.
It was announced earlier this month that in an "incredibly rare" event in the osprey world, one of their breeding pairs has hatched no fewer than four apparently healthy chicks who are being captured on film for the public to see at the centres.
Osprey spotting sites elsewhere in Scotland are run by Forestry Commission Scotland and RSPB at David Marshall Lodge visitor centre at Aberfoyle, Dumfries & Galloway Council in Wigtown, Scottish Wildlife Trust at Loch of the Lowes, near Dunkeld, and the RSPB at Loch Garten, near Aviemore.
And if you can't make it in person, you can always log on to the Forestry Commission's live webcam, where pictures are refreshed on line every two minutes.
Dolphins and whales
The Moray Firth is one of the most important areas in the UK for whales, dolphins and porpoises, and the two species most often seen from the shore are bottlenose dolphins, which there are said to be about 130 of, and harbour porpoises. There are several sea-watching spots around the edge of the firth which can be excellent for catching a glimpse of them, in particular Chanonry Point, on the Black Isle and Kessock Bridge, one mile north of Inverness.
Minke whales are commonly spotted in the outer firth during late summer and autumn, and orcas (killer whales) have also been known to occasionally enter the Firth, travelling in small family pods, as well as about a dozen other species of whales and dolphins which have been recorded in the area at various points.
Red squirrels
Despite being endangered throughout the UK as a result of their dominant grey cousins, red squirrels are relatively easy to spot in Scotland.
Potential Tufty spotters should head to Galloway, Perthshire or the Cairngorms National Park where the fluffy red creatures have adapted well to commercial forestry plantations as well as their native Scots pine and oak woods - so could well make a surprise appearance. You can even follow the 'Red Squirrel Trail' at the forest near Dalbeattie and learn more about them.
Atlantic salmon
This animal has been a celebrated symbol of Scotland since ancient times - as well as now being a staple of Scottish menus - but while Wild Atlantic salmon used to occupy almost every river in Britain and much of Northern Europe, man's impact on their freshwater environment has meant that far fewer rivers in the UK now contain significant numbers of salmon. However all major Scottish rivers offer key locations to admire its progress.
Fighting its way upstream to spawn is when you can see the species at its most dramatic, and Atlantic salmon are at their easiest to spot where the fish have to negotiate waterfalls or man-made obstacles. Good viewing sites in particular are the Falls of Shin in Sutherland, Pitlochry Fish Ladder in Perthshire, Philiphaugh Fish Pass on the Tweed near Selkirk and various locations in the Hebrides.
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