Scotland January 26th - 30th 2025

 I visited the 2024 Rutland Bird Fair and whilst talking to Holly, Mark and Toby on the Heatherlea stand I somehow signed up for a Birder's Blast holiday at the Mountview hotel Nethy Bridge in the Cairngorms. Having stayed there a few times before I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. I was pleased that Clare who I met in Lesvos in April 2024, later said she wanted to come as well.

So we met up on the Saturday 25th January at Heathrow Airport terminal 4 Premier Inn, after checking into our rooms we had dinner and an early night.

Sunday 26th.  After breakfast we made our way to Terminal 5 for our British Airways flight to Inverness. Departing at 09.20 we arrived on time. After collecting our luggage we made our way to the car hire desk and after a bit of a wait we picked up our Nissan Juke hire car.

I warned Clare that I hadn't driven a manual car for around 6 years and after a few kangaroo starts I got the hang of it despite Clare calling me Valerie as I was driving just like her mother did.

We headed around the Black Isle stopping at various places looking at distant waders on the low tide, stopping at Udale Bay RSPB and the church of the Kirkmchael Trust. Our next stop was at Jemimaville where we saw a flock of around 40 Greater Scaup. Our next stop was at Cromarty where there was little on the sea and then on to Chanonry Point where we saw a pod of Dolphins in fairly close.

We then made our way back to Inverness and down the A9 turning off for Carrbridge where we took a walk in the snow covered forest which was devoid of birds apart from a few Coal and Blue Tits.

   

Dressed for the weather looking like gnome

A stop at the river Nethy to look for Dipper was fruitless so we checked into the hotel just before dark. Our rooms were on the top floor the bonus is you don't hear other guests above walking on  the creaky floorboards.

Top floor room 

A pre dinner drink in the bar and we met a few of the guests that will join us for the next few days, the food as usual was good and a couple of drinks afterwards and so off to bed.

Monday 27th. After a good breakfast we traveled towards the coast as the weather was to be better than locally. Our first stop was at a Loch (name forgotten) but been there before, and were treated to seeing both Iceland and Glaucous Gulls amoung the ducks and Goosanders.

Iceland Gull

Glaucous Gull

Iceland and Glaucous Gulls

Our next stop was at Loch Spyney, we didnt look at the water as a group from the Grant Arms had filled the hide, so we made do looking at the Red Squirrel feeder and other bird feeders.

Red Squirrel

At the coast it was wet and breezy and the best I could photograph was a Long-tailed Duck, Eiders and a Red-breasted Merganser

Long-tailed Duck

Eiders

Red-breasted Merganser

Tuesday 28th,  This morning we stayed local and first went to Abernethy Forest where we watched numerous Coal Tits at the feeders plus a couple of Crested Tits.

Crested Tit

Our next stop was at the River Nethy where we spent some time watching a Dipper.

Dipper

The weather started to decline so we headed back towards the coast stopping on the way to look for Red Grouse but none were seen.

Photo courtesy of Clare

At the coast the weather was better and the highlights were at Nairn where along the beach by the golf club there were Pale-bellied Brent Geese, Hooded Crows and some Purple Sandpipers.

Pale-bellied Brent Goose

Hooded Crow

Purple Sandpipers

Wednesday 29th, overnight there was a light snow fall on the lower ground, and we made our way to a Black Grouse Lek where we got brief views before being flushed by traffic. Our next stop was at Cairngorm where there was a bit more snow.

Ski Centre Cairngorm

Appropriately there was a flock of 30+ Snow Buntings in the car park.

Snow Buntings

Snow Buntings

Snow Buntings

From there we then moved onto Lochindorb where we had lunch and great views of Red Grouse and a very distant White-tailed Eagle.

Red Grouse

Red Grouse

White-tailed Eagle !

Our final stop of the day was at the end of the valley of Strathdearn where we were able to scope up to three very distant Golden Eagles.

Golden Eagle!

Thursday 30th, there was another snow fall overnight, as we had a bit of time before our flight back Clare and I went to look for the Black Grouse again. Unfortunately the Nissan Juke couldn't make it up the  snow covered hill onto the gritted main road so we made a U turn and headed for the airport arriving in plenty of time. 

Our flight was on time and we arrived back at Heathrow at 13.35. Clare continued her journey by train and I collected the car from the long stay car park arriving back home around 17.00.