Experience More

"What a great holiday and, for the Shetlands, the weather was kind. Dan and Rachel know the islands well and so had chosen good locations for us to visit. Some of these were a nice walk from the minibus to a cliff top or a stroll along the beach, others were a quick stop at a place they had previously had good sightings. Ferry crossings and especially the boat trip to a gannetry were also highlights.

We have done many wildlife holidays and we have never enjoyed our guides being so enthusiastic, good at spotting, and knowledgeable. My main interest is mammals, whereas my husband is a birder, but Dan and his moth trap was an unexpected pleasure and he even got me looking out for rare plants!

Rachel’s knowledge and commitment were also key to the enjoyable trip, but her snack provision and her meal and hotel location choices ensured we were well fed and watered. Being based in two different hotels allowed us to travel around the various islands, which giving us a good feel for the different habitats, geology, local history and archaeology.

A great trip, with 9 mammals and 78 bird species seen. We certainly look forward to travelling with Wild Discovery again." M and A Fisher, UK (Spectacular Shetland tour 2024)

"In 2024, we were fortunate enough to take part in Wild Discovery’s  Western Isles Wildlife, as well as their Mammals of the Highlands tour. Rachael and Dan both worked tirelessly to make sure that all aspects of the trip ran smoothly, from the vehicles to organising all the food and accommodation along the way.  They were always enthusiastic to share their extensive knowledge and passion for the natural world with us. We both came away with a broader understanding of the range of ecosystems that we explored. Thank you Dan and Rachael for a wonderful experience." John and Claire, New Zealand

“As avid birders and nature enthusiasts, my husband and I were thrilled to travel with Dan and Rachel throughout the Cairngorms and the Aberdeenshire coast of Scotland. We saw so many varieties of birds and wildlife, learned so much about the entire ecosystem, and had a great deal of fun as well. The scenery was spectacular and having Dan and Rachel as knowledgeable guides and taking care of all the logistics made for a seamless and very pleasant overall experience. I would highly recommend taking a tour with them as you will certainly gain an even greater appreciation for our natural world.” Cindy Lenkiewicz and David Polek, New York, USA

“A very well organised tour travelling with two guides whose knowledge on natural history and ecology was extremely impressive. Islay and Jura in Autumn offers large numbers and a wide variety of flora and fauna together with stunning vistas. We would recommend this tour to anyone who wants to spend lots of time watching wildlife with expert guides. Accommodation and meals added to the enjoyment of the holiday.”

Lesley and Phil, UK.

“Wow - what an incredible couple of days. Rachael & Dan are brilliant guides - they are hugely knowledgeable, and we loved hearing them tell tales of the natural history and changing landscapes as we walked through the beautiful Cairngorms. But we were not expecting such abundant and diverse wildlife sightings; Eagles, Short-eared Owls, Red Squirrells, Red & Black Grouse, Dolphins... the list goes on. We felt like we were on an episode of Wild Isles! They made us both feel at ease with our lack of experience, helping us sight things and explaining things carefully. The next opportunity we have to head to Cairngorms, we'll be back for another tour with the awesome duo!” T. Holmes, UK

“It was a wonderful trip! Varied, fascinating, educational and inspiring. Honestly, I enjoyed it all so it’s hard to pick a highlight. Rather than a single “event” being a highlight, the most enjoyable thing was your interest, passion and joy for the natural world and your desire to share this with our group. I really enjoyed learning about birds, flowers, trees, snakes/ beetles/ moths etc., mammals…and lots else. You were both so incredibly knowledgeable about everything! Also the prompt replies to our email queries was welcome when we were planning.” Peter and Valerie, UK

“We had the most wonderful week with Wild Discovery! They knew the perfect spots to search for wildlife and it was magical to observe beavers, an otter, adder, pine marten, badger, huge herds of deer and lots of interesting birds like puffins and ospreys in their natural habitat. Dan and Rachael have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the natural world, from tiny moths and lichens to large mammals, and they are the perfect combination of super-organised while being relaxed and fun tour leaders. The hotel we stayed in was lovely and the food was excellent. It was also a great group of people on the tour. Highly recommended!” Natalie & Adrian, England

“What an amazing trip! Just back from two incredible weeks of a combined private tour of the Shetland Islands and a tour of Royal Deeside with Dan and Rachael.

Two highly memorable experiences with some absolutely amazing wildlife sightings. Whilst there was an element of “right place, right time”, Dan and Rachael worked incredibly hard to put us in the right place to have those opportunities. The research and planning that they had done to make this trip a life-time memory certainly paid off.

Shetland is a magical place and we had some truly magical sightings of both a big bull Orca and also a feisty dog Otter feasting on a huge scorpion fish. That day I ran out of superlatives!

Royal Deeside was stunningly beautiful in glorious weather and raptor heaven. Buzzards, Peregrines, Kestrels, Golden Eagles and some very special sightings of Osprey chicks getting ready to fledge.

We also took time to explore the fabulous flora in both locations with an abundance of both species and colour bringing the fields, hills and verges to vibrant life.

Dan and Rachael’s knowledge across the whole natural world and their willingness and love of sharing that knowledge was truly inspirational. I learnt so much on this trip and have returned home with a much better appreciation of what is around us.

I cannot recommend this great husband and wife team highly enough for an outstanding wildlife experience. Will definitely be back!” C. Hilton, England