Autumn Tour Of Scotland - Part 1
I love visiting Scotland, seeking out new places as well as returning to favoured locations. Even though I've been several times over the last few years, I've never been up there during the autumn, around the time of the deer rut. I was thrilled to finally have the opportunity this year, even though I knew the chances of actually seeing any activity were extremely slim. As much as I wanted to see the Red Deer up in the Highlands, there were actually two other species that were higher on my 'Want To See' list for the trip - Mountain Hares and Ptarmigan. I've been lucky enough to see them before, but was eager for more wonderful experiences. I knew they'd still be just as potentially challenging to locate and photograph, with declining numbers even in favoured locations. It would certainly make the trip more of an adventure. The fact I wasn't going alone this time, but instead sharing the experience with Bob - on our first holiday together - made it even more special. I really hoped we would get lucky with our target species, especially as Bob had only seen one Mountain Hare before and never laid eyes on a Ptarmigan.
We had four bases during our mini tour of Scotland. The first was in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs area. We stayed at a lovely B&B on the west side of Loch Arklet on a road that ended at Inversnaid Falls nearby. We had a comfortable en-suite room, which overlooked the bird feeders in the garden. Our hosts were most welcoming and friendly and we enjoyed a lovely cooked breakfast each morning. It was in a beautiful, out of the way spot where we could go walking right from our door. That was part of its appeal. However, the drive back to Aberfoyle each evening for dinner was a bit tedious along the undulating, winding narrow road. It made me nauseous at times. Even though it had lots of passing places, we just hoped we wouldn't meet many vehicles coming the other way, especially the larger food delivery trucks. However, when we discovered The Faerie Tree Inn, we were happy to make the journey. With great quality food at an affordable price and friendly staff, we enjoyed eating there twice. We'd both go back to the area just to enjoy another meal there!
I enjoyed visiting Inversnaid Falls too. We walked up to the higher level, which was worth the effort to see the mass of water tumbling down over the rocks. Conveniently, there was a bench near the top for us to rest and enjoy a hot drink. The only problem was, it made us feel very short! Our feet didn't touch the ground. It wasn't the only time this happened.
Late one afternoon we drove to Killin, enjoying a brief stop at Loch Lubnaig on the way. In Killin, the Falls of Dochart were as impressive as expected and we managed to reach it just before the sun went down.
The main purpose of the visit though, was to try and spot some Beavers at dusk. We walked along the river and saw some evidence of their presence, but unfortunately the creatures themselves eluded us. It was a shame, but we knew it would be a long shot, so we weren't that disappointed. It was an enjoyable scenic walk along the river all the same and we had a lovely meal at the Killin Hotel afterwards. However, the highlight unexpectedly came right at the end of the day on the drive back to Loch Arklet. It was dark and only the headlights from our car lit the narrow road ahead of us. A Weasel suddenly appeared from the side of the road. Immediately, I slowed right down. It stopped, looked our way, then jumped about a little frantically before quickly leaping and bounding back the way it came. We were both thrilled! It's the first time I've seen one in the wild.
From Loch Arklet we travelled north towards the Wester Ross area for our next stay in Ardarroch. It was a stunning drive with moody skies. We stopped a few times along the way at various scenic lookouts, including The Three Sisters, Glencoe.
We decided not to attempt a walk up in the highlands on the first day due to the high winds, but we did drive over the mountain pass - very gingerly, I might add - to Applecross. On the way up, there was a waterfall to one side of the road. The water cascaded downhill, but at the top, wisps of water were being blown upwards. We didn't see any deer high up on the mountain, but once we were lower down on the other side, we spotted a small herd of mostly hinds sitting in a field. Then down on the outskirts of the village, there was a large herd of stags where I'd seen them the year before. Whilst wild and free to come and go, they were all in one field, no doubt enticed there by food. It wasn't until later in the day, when we were driving back, that we were really lucky and spotted a young stag high up on the more rugged terrain, a little distance above the road. Then we heard the deep bellow coming from another stag higher up. Fabulous!
The main reason for being in the area, aside from seeing the Red Deer, was to go searching for some Mountain Hares and Ptramigan on the mountain. Our window of opportunity was diminishing, with only one more day there. But, still the wind was strong. It almost ripped the door open as I got out of the car at the top of the pass. We debated whether it was wise to give it a stab and attempt the walk up. I think we were both having doubts, but then spotted a couple walking down. It gave us the hope we could manage it, if we were careful. We certainly put on plenty of layers to protect ourselves from the cold and used the monopods to assist with walking. There were times the wind literally stopped me in my tracks, and other times, it knocked me sideways making me stagger as if I were drunk. This was perhaps not a good day for walking over uneven ground and on scree. The rocks would often wobble underfoot. I was always slow and careful, taking my time with each step, not least because we were walking uphill. Perhaps not so surprisingly, the Mountain Hares and Ptarmigans were taking shelter from the wind, which any sensible person would also be doing. Even though we didn't see any, we felt satisfied we'd at least tried.
On our way back down along the wide track, I suddenly spotted a hind with a juvenile. They weren't that far from us and thankfully didn't run away. It was fabulous having the opportunity to photograph them, though it wasn't easy. Despite using monopods, the wind made it extremely challenging to remain perfectly still. In our favour, at least, the light was improving somewhat. Although we didn't find what we went looking for that day, seeing the deer at the end made it all worthwhile.
By the end of our first week, we'd certainly done well on our deer sightings. We just hoped our luck would continue for the second week with our quest to find Mountain Hares and Ptarmigan. A lot would depend on the weather and it was still looking very changeable and challenging for the week ahead. I remained optimistic, as we still had plenty more time. Plus, I was having so much fun and couldn't wait for more wildlife adventures with Bob.


