CROSSING TIME ZONES
A male capercaillie in Speyside. Photo by Nigel Wedge, used under a Flickr Creative Commons license.
I’m standing on a forest road in the Scottish highlands along with 10 or so companions, scanning the slopes for signs of the bird we’ve come here to see. Instead, what appears out of the woods is our guide, Mark Denman. He’s been creeping about quietly, hoping to spot a capercaillie, the world’s largest species of grouse, but the bird remains stubbornly uncooperative.
Mark and his colleague, John Grierson, are naturalist guides with Speyside Wildlife, one of Scotland’s premier wildlife tour companies, and I’ve joined their group for a day of birdwatching to get a sense of the natural richness of the native Scottish pine forest. Over the course of the day we’ve explored several different areas of the Abernethy Forest and the Loch Garten Reserve, searching for specific birds to add to our tally. With just a day, I’m happy just getting a feel for the character of these woods, but the rest of the group has a whole week to meet their wildlife goals, and they seem to be doing quite well at ticking species off their list. Earlier in the morning we took a walk through a magically misty forest, where elaborate spider’s webs hung draped over pine trees and mosses. Before we even set off down the trail, the group was thrilled to spot a group of Scottish crossbills, a species they’d been hoping to see. Mark and John set up scopes so that even an unprepared interloper like me could get a good view.
Until I visited Scotland last fall, I had no idea the country was such a great wildlife destination. I knew of its stunning scenery, of course – and the mountains, moors, and lochs certainly did not disappoint – but I’d never realized just how much wild flora and fauna there is in this small country on the edge of Europe.
Speyside (the area surrounding the Spey River) is at the heart of Cairngorms National Park, the largest national park in Britain. The park covers 1,500 square miles, contains four of Britain’s five highest peaks, and is home to a range of wildlife including pine martens, otters, Scottish wildcat, and numerous bird species from the elusive capercaillie to eagles to ptarmigan.
Abernethy Forest on a misty morning
My visit took place in October as the days were starting to get cold – not the best time of year for some species, but quite good enough to give me a sense of what the country has to offer. After a day of guided sea kayaking on the Moray Firth near Inverness to see world’s most northerly population of bottlenose dolphins, I headed down to Aviemore, where I met up with Sally Dowden, the owner of Speyside Wildlife, who arranged for me to join the day’s birdwatching excursion. She also took me to see the company’s specially built hide on the Rothiemurchus Estate, which gives guests the opportunity to see nocturnal mammal species such as the pine marten and badger, often at very close range.
Despite its name, Speyside Wildlife does not confine itself to Speyside area, though the region is certainly central to the company’s identity. Programs in Speyside are based at the Steading, a comfortable converted homestead in Glen Feshie. Many itineraries include at least a few days here, though programs range throughout Scotland, from the estuaries of the east coast to the northwestern tip of the Scottish mainland, and from the Inner and Outer Hebrides to Shetland and the Orkneys.
The group I joined was on a week-long “Autumn Wildilfe” program that was based at the Steading but included explorations further afield. The previous day, it turned out, they’d been up at the Moray Firth as well. Some of the group told me they’d spotted a couple of kayakers heading out across the water as they watched for dolphins from a narrow point of land poking into the Firth. The following day the group was heading off for a full-day excursion to the west coast, where they hoped to see an array of sea birds and other species, particularly the majestic white-tailed sea eagles soaring over the lochs of Wester Ross. I wished I could go with them, but other adventures beckoned. Still, this small taste of Scotland’s wild side was enough to make me start planning my return before I’d even left.
For more info: www.speysidewildlife.co.uk
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