Western Isles Wildlife

Day 1:

Dan and Rachael will meet you in Inverness late afternoon and then transfer to our hotel for the night.

Day 2:

We will depart Inverness and drive north to Ullapool keeping a sharp eye open for Ospreys and eagles as we travel. We will then take the ferry across the Minch to Stornoway, an excellent opportunity to see whales, dolphins and seabirds, arriving on Lewis early afternoon. The remainder of the day will be spent exploring the northwest coast of Lewis, including the Calanais Standing Stones, before heading to our hotel for the night on Harris.  

Day 3:

Today we will soak in the dramatic Isle of Harris with its spectacular mountains, stunning coast, golden beaches and impressive numbers of eagles. We will then take a remarkable meandering ferry journey through many islets and shoals which are great for Common and Grey Seals, Otters and White-tailed Eagles to our base for the next two nights on North Uist. 

Day 4:

North Uist will hold our attention all day today as we explore sites such as RSPB Balranald, home to a plethora of habitats and species from the machair to wetlands. Here we will look for Red-necked Phalaropes, Corn Buntings, Arctic Terns and a variety of plants and insects. Night North Uist.

Day 5:

Our journey takes us south through Grimsay, Benbecula, South Uist and Eriskay before continuing by ferry to Barra, our base for the next three nights. During the day we will be looking for Golden Eagles, Hen Harriers, Otters and enjoying the spectacular machair habitats.

Day 6:

The islands of Barra and Vatersay are the southern-most inhabited islands in the Western Isles and we will spend the entire day exploring them and looking for eagles, Frog Orchids, Great Yellow Bumblebees and exceptional variety of species that occur beneath the tideline. Night Barra.

Day 7:

Our final full day on the Outer Hebrides will be spent on the island of Mingulay, the penultimate island in the chain and home to a plethora of wildlife including a huge seabird colony, close Puffins, Corncrake, Grey Seals and there’s also a great chance of encountering White-tailed Eagles here too. Weather permitting we will explore the south and western cliffs of Mingulay and Berneray by boat. Night Barra.

Day 8:

We will depart Barra first thing in the morning bound for Oban. Once again this ferry route takes us across the exceptionally rich waters of the Sea of the Hebrides where there is a great chance of whales, dolphins, Basking Sharks and seabirds. The afternoon will be spent returning to Inverness with stops to look for rarer Highland dragonflies such as Northern Emerald as well as Slavonian Grebes and Black-throated Divers. Return to Inverness early evening. This tour includes our final night in Inverness, alternatively we can transfer you to the train station in time to catch the sleeper train south (hotel cost to be reimbursed if you opt for the sleeper train). 

Day 9:

Tour concludes in Inverness after breakfast.

The itinerary outlined is indicative and Wild Discovery reserves the right to alter the itinerary if conditions require.