Tonys Memoirs 6 – Our Scottish Trip

In April 2018, we drove to Cairngorm National Park and spent a ten-day break watching birds, animals and admiring fabulous views. Here is the detailed account of that wonderful trip to Scotland. We drove 2018 miles.

We set off from Cornwall at a not unreasonable time. The happy chink of wine bottles amused us as we travelled on a wet dull day. The champagne snuggled in amongst large plastic bottles of tonic water as not to show off. The cider sat blatantly in its cardboard carton. Although we were booked in for dinner, we often enjoy a glass of our own in our room later.

We made superb time, reaching Gloucester services in just over 2 hours and even made the north of Birmingham in good time. From Birmingham to Manchester was every motorist’s nightmare. We decided then and there we would return through Wales, a longer but no doubt gentler route.

The top end of the M6 approaching the Lake District was much more beautiful and where the two carriages are divided by a large tract of land we saw several Lapwings flying their courtship aerial dance over their nesting sites. Stunning against the now blue sky. As for other birds, we saw Buzzards, Ravens, Carrion Crows, Rooks, Jackdaws and the odd Jay, Starlings and many gulls, mainly Black Headed and Herring, all on the way to the Lake District.

We arrived at Bassenthwaite after 400 miles and seven hours driving. We were pleased to see a sign for the breeding Ospreys that have been regular visitors. We booked in the Castle Inn for the night. There we met friends, who we have not seen for nine years. However, they are such good friends, it felt like it was only last week that we saw them. They are going to come down to Cornwall in October to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary.

The following morning we set off to return the twenty-five miles to the M6 (too long for future trips). This no doubt, the most attractive section of the motorway with vast scenes and broad valleys and mild hills and mountains. The sun rose early and we quickly passed Carlisle. We decided to take the slower but scenic route to Edinburgh, damp but pleasant. However, ninety-eight miles took almost 3 hours. (Again too long for future trips). Daffodils, cowslips, and primroses abounded, particularly daffodils around the towns and villages.

We then moved on to the A90 to Perth gaining time again, then on to the A95 to Grantown on Spey, to a really majestic building “The Grant Arms”, 670 miles from home. Immediately, we were welcomed by the Manager David who personally helped us with our luggage. He is as we learned over the whole of our stay, the consummate Hotel Manager. The hotel is incredibly beautiful, smart and superbly maintained. The staff are extraordinarily helpful everywhere, the Reception, bar and dining room and no doubt, behind the scenes also. This hotel specialises in bird watching and wildlife. Particularly well organised and professional is the Club Room. The corridor leading to the Lecture Room and Libraries demonstrates various species charts, local maps, and other extremely helpful information. The corridor leads into a general meeting room, a library from which you can borrow books ad lib, a reference library with more than adequate room to relax and learn and small and large lecture theatres. All in all, it is extremely impressive.
All around the hotel are expertly taken photographs of the birds likely to be seen, Slavonian Grebe, Snow Bunting, Ptarmigan to name but a few. Particularly good photographs of Waxwings, Pochard and Dotterel appealed to Cherry and me.

After our hard drive, we retired early the first evening after a good supper of local Scottish products.

Our second morning began with a proper pair of kippers; head, skin the lot. Preparing them on the plate is half the fun. Cherry enjoyed a local poached egg, bright yellow with some delicious bacon from the local butcher.

We decided our first trip in the Cairngorms National Park would be to the Cairngorm Funicular Railway travelling to the very top of the Cairngorms. However due to the fact that the temperatures had the previous night risen from -40C to +40C, the restaurant, museum and shop were all flooded by melting snow. We did not mind as it was anticipated to be re-opened the following day. It was even true to say that even the short journey from the hotel was rewarding. In the West Country, we tend to see Oyster Catchers, Curlews, and Lapwings in fairly large mixed winter flocks on the various estuaries including Hayle and Topsham. We see winter flocks of Lapwing over the moors, Bodmin and Dartmoor, but only occasionally do we see Curlews inland. As far as geese are concerned, again, we see winter flocks of Brent Geese on the estuaries and the far more common Canada Geese at all times of the year including on our own nature reserve. But in this area almost every empty field enjoyed either a courting pair of Oyster Catchers or Curlews, or if not these, either a pair or small gaggle of Grey Lag Geese. Other fields were inhabited with sheep with young lambs and a few by cattle. Our favourite was the shaggy “orange” Highland cattle with very rough long coats and a broad spread of horns.

After we found the railway temporarily closed, we drove down the mountain road. At the top early that morning the temperature was exactly zero degrees centigrade. It was interesting to watch the temperature gauge on the car rise from 10C to 40C and then on up – 60, 70, 80 and rising to 140 at the bottom of the mountain, an incredible change in a few hundred metres. At the bottom of the hill, we took the route that led toward Loch Garten to see the Osprey RSPB watch site. When we arrived, we did indeed see a pair of Ospreys on their nest. There was some concern that although the hen had laid one egg, which was clearly visible, the cock bird was ignoring her begging “chittering” calls and had not started to bring fish to her. He was young, not yet totally committed and had not apparently mated yet. Hopefully, they will become a consummated pair, as the first egg was almost certainly infertile.

We watched through a telescope and binoculars for some time. Then we walked through part of the Reserve. We were actually very disappointed. We saw dozens of Chaffinches as well as Great Tits, Blue Tits, Siskins, Blackbirds and Song Thrushes; not a Crested Tit in sight, not a Red Squirrel anywhere, both famous for easy sighting at Loch Garten. Apparently, the Crested Tits were breeding and less likely to come down to lower levels or to feeders. We missed a Red Squirrel by half an hour. Still, this was only our first day.

The next day again, we decided to visit the Funicular Railway but first we visited Dalwhinnie Distillery. We stopped the car to take photos of the snow-capped Cairngorm Mountains. When stopped, we noticed a pair of Curlews in the field below and on the other side of the road a pair of breeding Oyster Catchers. We actually witnessed physical mating of this pair just thirty feet away. They took no notice of us; other things on their minds.

A bit further on at Insh Marshes two pairs of Mallard were spotted, in each case the drakes standing over and next to the nesting ducks. Yet further on, a huge flock of Black Headed Gulls were going about their business, ready to nest in a marshy valley. Almost immediately, we came across a hundred or so Grey Lag Geese.

We arrived at Dalwhinnie at the same time as a “classic car club” was visiting. The cars looked good. The rally was of the Speyside Distilleries and was obviously very well organised, as there was a lead car and a support vehicle driven by mechanics. There were old Porches, Sunbeam Tigers, Saabs, Ferraris and various other makes of car and the setting at Dalwhinnie was perfect for photographs.

We enjoyed our visit and trip around the distillery ending with a sample of a 15 year old and their undated. Both were rather gentle and not peaty or smokey, in fact rather subtle. We then made our way to Cairngorm again and the Funicular Railway, which was re-opened. Cherry particularly enjoyed the trip up over a thousand metres, to the highest restaurant in Scotland. The restaurant was surrounded by a terrace from which the view was amazing and ever changing. Literally as we stepped outside from the building onto the terrace, Cherry spotted a “Snow Bunting.” It is one of the classic birds we hoped to see.

We have both seen them in Svalbard, but this was our first sighting in the UK together. I had once seen a pair sitting on a jetty on Jersey when I was about nineteen years old. I believe the sighting was near Mont Orgueil Castle, Gorey Port, but it is a long time ago.

On our return journey to the Grant Arms Hotel, we again travelled the back road to Nethy Bridge (near Loch Garten). At a very small loch, we watched a pair of Golden Eyes diving and swimming with four ducklings. A couple of Pochard were feeding on the far side. A mile on we saw the third Buzzard of the day and yet another group of Grey Lag Geese. Our final sighting of the day spotted by Cherry was a beautiful, very still Brown Hare. At first, he was sitting upon his haunches but quickly he laid down with his ears flattened to his body. Only his dark glittering eyes gave him away.

We were on our third day in Scotland and as well as live animals and birds; I noted road kills as an indication of wildlife you might otherwise not see.

We had already seen Red Deer, Rabbit, Stoat, Pheasant, and Polecat. Incidentally, in our whole trip we saw neither live Stoat or Polecat, so it does prove the point. While in a small wood behind the hotel, looking for Capercaillie, we saw only Wood Pigeon, Chaffinch, Tits and the Thrush family, not Crested Tits. Most mysteriously, a pair of Indian Ring Necked Parakeets went screaming over the top of the wood just as we had seen in India. These were almost certainly escapees. We wondered whether they would survive in the Cairngorms, very different from the relative warmth of the City of London where they are common, some say even a pest.

We started the day with the usual Oyster Catchers and Grey Lag Geese. On the way to Findhorn Valley, our first Lapwing pair were carrying out courtship flights.

FINDHOR VALLEY, what a marvellous place, following a tight road along a river, a Sparrow Hawk flew across in front of us. Almost immediately afterwards, Cherry spotted two Golden Eagles flying high. A beautiful Mistle Thrush with huge brown arrow head marks on its white breast sat at the top of a small holly bush making it easy to see him. By a small bridge, a pair of Oyster Catchers were courting next to a stony beach – ideal for nesting. A pair of Teal, our smallest, very beautiful ducks had taken over a small pond next to the road. We travelled ever on. A pair of common Sandpipers bobbed along the riverfront and a pair of Mergansers flew up the river. At the end of the lane surrounded by mountains, we parked in a small parking area. No walking was necessary. We simply looked up to the sky above. It was a glorious day with only a few wispy clouds in an otherwise perfect clear blue sky. Within a quarter of an hour a White Tailed Eagle sailed high being mobbed by three circling Buzzards almost at the same time a Peregrine came into view, then an Osprey being dived upon by another tetchy Peregrine.

We stayed less than thirty minutes, just a wonderful morning.

On our way back, we kept our eye open for Red Kites and Red Deer, but saw neither. Instead, where the road forked to Farr we witnessed a Peregrine attacking a flying flock of seven Curlew, which all scattered calling out their screechy alarms. Later we heard more Curlew singing their happier “bubbling refrain” – the true sound of the high moors.

Once on the Farr road, we saw another stunning Mistle Thrush, again singing from a small tree top. Mistle Thrushes are so much larger and characterful than the much more delicate and subtly marked Song Thrush with which we are so much more used to seeing in Cornwall. As we drove higher onto the moorland, the views were amazing. Although the temperature was 120 C, the wind was such that it felt much colder. Over the moors we spotted three Twite, a very Scottish bird, in fact often called the Scottish Linnet. We then saw our first Red Grouse sitting on a rock at the side of the road. It only moved off slowly as we got out of the car to photograph it. It was extremely relaxed, and not willing to take to its wings. We were lucky enough to see two more flying low very near. Thereafter we saw dozens on our trip.

A massive Raven almost “rowed” across the road in front of the car and then a Wheatear flashed by with its very white wing bar. Finally, we watched a small Meadow Pipit.

We came off the high moor and returned via Avielochan where the hotel maintains a very tidy “hide.” In the first quarter of an hour, we watched Grey Lag Geese, Common Black Headed Herring and Lesser Black Back Gulls, a pair of Golden Eye and Dabchicks. The stars of the afternoon were two pairs of Slavonian Grebe. Apparently, there are only thirty pairs breeding in the whole of Scotland, so to see two pairs was incredible. The Grant Hotels own hide is sited here, although fortunately we did not need to use it for these fabulous sightings. To bring us down to earth a Collared Dove cooed to us as we returned to our car.

After an early supper, we drove to a hide especially organised by Speyside Wildlife. We arrived early and were able to drive right up to the hide, which was set on a slight rise in a valley surrounded Birch trees and Daffodils with short grass and large granite boulders in front. The hide was split in half by a solid division and black curtains. From the front we hoped to see Badgers and from the back, Badgers and Pine Martens. Peanuts and sultanas were scattered front and back. The boulders were smeared with peanut butter. At the back, a specially designed feeding table attached to a Birch tree was set up and this was treated with the same fruit and nuts with the addition of a hen’s egg.

It was well before 10pm that a young male Badger (last years) visited. He hoovered up sultanas first then peanuts. He was joined by a grizzled old male and finally another young male. All busied themselves eating every single item over the next hour. Each moved on and then the site front and back was quiet for over half an hour. Then the highlight – a beautiful delicate sharp eyed female Pine Marten came across the ground, climbed the Birch tree and onto the feeding table. She then consumed the sultanas and the peanut butter but left most of the peanuts and the egg. She left after only ten minutes, then all three Badgers returned with a mature female, likely a complete family; boar, sow and last year’s young.

Tawny Owls called, Pipistrelle Bats fluttered around, Red Deer stags were chewing the cud in the meadow below. The whole day was marvellous from White Tailed Eagles to Pine Marten. During the day, young lambs gambolled together in the fields and calves stayed with their mothers. Daffodils waved in the breeze everywhere and still one of the best spring weather days we have had. In fact, we enjoyed sunshine every day in Scotland. Temperatures up to 140 and the locals, a hardy lot, were in shorts and t-shirts. It puts the Cornish and Devonians to shame!

One of the best days Cherry and I can remember and we talk about it continually.

On the Sunday, the weather was duller but dry, and since we were to go on a three and half hour safari in the afternoon at Glenlivet Estate, we only travelled to Lochindorb Loch, about eight miles from the hotel.

We started to drive from the main road in an area of moorland on the way to the Loch. At last, we spotted our first living Mountain Hare. There were many corpses on the roads being eaten by Crows and Ravens. We drove on through a huge colony of Common Gulls. They were each side of the road, ready to breed. They are beautiful white, small and delicate. Although there were hundreds there, in Cornwall we only see a few each year. Then, our first Red Grouse of the day sitting on a fence. We went on to see over a dozen, some strutting, raising heads above the heath, others sitting on isolated boulders and some in low to the ground heavy flight. Always looking like the animated figure on the famous whiskey.

On the Loch itself and in the surrounding fields and moors we watched Mallards, Oyster Catchers, Lapwings, Meadow Pipits, a Greenfinch, and Pied Wagtails, a pair of Teal on a tiny pond, and some Grey Lag. We then were fascinated by three Ravens pommelling on some creature. Because of the heather, we could not see the prey but the Ravens continued to jump on it with open wings, hitting hard with beak and feet. They appeared to eat it on the spot and flew off as a rowdy gang.

Later that morning, again the highlight was a Golden Eagle soaring over the north, the surrounding mountains. Again, Cherry spotted it first.

In the afternoon, our guide, David, drove us on a four and a half hour safari across the Glenlivet Estate, a part of the 58,000 acre Crown Estate. Just three of us joined him.

We travelled slowly around concentrating on Mountain Hare, Brown Hare and those waders who breed in the uplands. Particularly we watched courting and breeding Lapwings, Oyster Catchers, Redshank and Common Sandpipers, Buzzards flew over; Wheatear, Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipit abounded on the ground. Highlights were Redshank, Roe Deer – Snipe, “drumming” in their fast downward flights, creatures we had not seen to date on this trip. Cherry and I decided the trip was overpriced and we felt that we would have seen the odd species not seen to-date, sooner or later on our week’s trip. We would certainly not do it again.

On our way back to the hotel, we watched an Osprey at the Avon Bridge quartering the river, although we did not see him catch anything.

Early Monday morning (22nd April) we first we went to Aviemore to buy a memory card as I had already filled the one in my camera. On the way, two Stock Doves were feeding in a stubble field.

We then travelled to Findhorn Bay. Unfortunately, the tide was far out so there was no chance to see Dolphins. However, there were two Atlantic Grey Seals hauled out on the sandbank. Two pairs of Shell Duck were patrolling the sands with a huge flock, maybe two hundred Curlew, which flew onto the beach while we were watching. Greater Black Backs patrolled the beach. We did not think much of the area, so drove on to the Castle Hotel at Huntley where we enjoyed a glass of wine and a pint of Guinness. The Grant Arms was so generous with breakfast and dinner that we tended to miss lunch, but here we were both tempted. Cherry enjoyed a leek pastry parcel served with a herby cheese fondue and I, a Haggis (sausage) roll with a whiskey sauce. Both were delicious eaten in beautiful surroundings.

We drove back via the River Avon and Avon Bridge again and then, while taking some photographs, watched a dipper fly down river. Smart little brave birds.

On Tuesday, the penultimate day of our Scottish visit, we drove just four miles, to a place where a huge stone named “Jesus Lives” stands on the side of the road. Near there I watched five Blackcock (male Black Grouse) lecking, that is gathering, dancing and strutting to attract hen birds. It was quite a sight but a little too difficult for Cherry to walk to. However, she was happy as a cock Red Grouse was strutting within a few feet of where we had parked the car. There were Curlew “bubbling” their call in happy mountain bliss and most unusually, a pair of Egyptian geese flew over very low and easy to identify. As I was coming back to the car, a bird poured his heart out singing (halfway between a Blackbird and a Robin, I thought). It was a Ring Ouzel, another worthy sighting very early in the season.

We then visited a shop selling and hiring Scottish regalia. There, we both immediately spotted a beautiful model copper still which held a bottle of Scotch in its cooling tower. We left the shop and each of us agreed we had fallen in love with it. We would consider its purchase.

One of the main reasons for coming to the Highlands was to meet David Barclay at the Highland Wildlife Park, part of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

He is the studbook keeper of the “Scottish Wild Cats.” We had a good long chat and then we went to see the various creatures, particularly the first Polar Bear cub born in twenty-five years in Britain. He was gorgeous, about the size of a large sheep and very curious. We particularly liked the wolf enclosure, and have never seen happier animals acting so naturally.

As we were waiting for David to visit the Scottish cats, a large White Tailed Eagle flew over the Park car park, being mobbed by a Peregrine, a real good sighting, so low we could see all the plumage of the underbelly, wings and tail.

I should also note quite wild were many Barnacle Geese nesting in the various open paddocks.

We met David again and as we were watching the Scottish Wild Cats, he was telling us that he had a litter born three weeks earlier. He has now seen plans and photographs of our enclosures and was pleased to confirm that we should have a pair of young cats later in the autumn.

On our drive back to the Grant Arms we saw some Tufted Ducks on a small-unnamed loch. Wee again had a wonderful day.

On our final day, after breakfast, we went to the “kilt shop” and bought the model copper still, both excited and planning where the still would be best sited at home – probably on a new shelf above our stuffed ‘Scottish Wild Cat’ as a wonderful symbol of the time in Scotland.

We then visited the “Old Bridge” at the back of Anagach Woods. Common Sandpiper, Golden Eye, Mallard, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Pied and Grey Wagtail and Blue Tit were all seen on the river of the wood behind. At last we saw our first Red Squirrel – Cherry spotted him running between some large pines, bounding up one, disappearing and then seconds later reappearing. This Squirrel was rusty red with a very pale tail.

We then went back to Aviemore to buy some gifts for friends and staff, then on to a final trip up the mountain railway to Cairngorm. Cherry, particularly delighted with this and within minutes saw a pure white Mountain Hare. At the top, we had particularly good close up views of a Snow Bunting.

On the way from Cairngorm to the Grant Arms, we squeezed in a final visit to Loch Garten. On the way we saw another Osprey in flight and a pair of Golden Eyes on a mall loch. Further on a very red flashy Squirrel bounded across the road in front of us and then sat for several minutes looking around.

At the RSPB hide itself, we learned that the Osprey pair had settled down and consummated their love affair and produced two more eggs. The male was incubating them. The female was looking on from a nearby perch.

The next day we would be returning to Cornwall via one night in the Lake District at Keswick.

We set off having bought some pies for our journey home and haggis pies for Rab our maintenance man.

In a rather unplanned exercise, we visited Dalwhinnie Distillery again and purchased a twenty-five year old special malt, a collector’s item and then set off on our trip back to Keswick.

The following day, 2,018 miles later, we arrived at Tredivett Mill, our home and the home of our animal collection, especially our three Labradors, Poppy, Darwin and Amber.

It was a superb holiday, one we will remember for ever.