Autumn Tour Of Scotland - Part 2
During the first half of our autumn holiday up in Scotland, we'd filled our boots with sightings of deer. Now our focus switched primarily to Mountain Hares and Ptarmigan. Since both species live at high altitudes, it meant a lot of walking uphill! It would be hard work! But, I felt confident I'd be able to manage it, so long as I simply took it slow and steady with frequent stops. At least we were able to intersperse these challenging days with more relaxing ones.
On our first day based in Boat of Garten, we decided to venture up the Cairn Gorm Mountain. The mountain railway was closed, as were the ski lifts, so there was no easy access to higher ground. But, since the car park was located at 635m, we were able to start our walk from a reasonably high point. I was thrilled the top of the mountains were covered in snow. It looked so beautiful, though of course, this meant we'd be walking through the white stuff and would undoubtedly get quite wet. We chose to follow the steep Windy Ridge path up to the Ptarmigan restaurant - the highest in the UK. It was given its name due to the high number of this species on the mountain, which was perhaps a good sign. So, I set off with optimism and very happy that it was a glorious sunny start to the day.
We didn't follow the other hill walkers up to the summit. Instead, we followed a few tracks in a slightly different direction, heading up, but skirting the peak, so we could look for the Ptarmigan amongst the snow covered scree. We didn't have success there either. But, the view across the national park looking eastwards was stunning and made the climb worth the effort.
As we began our descent, a skier passed us, snaking their way down the slope, having trekked all the way up. I was a little envious of the ease and speed with which they were able to descend. However, the beauty in going slow is that you don't miss seeing things, like a Mountain Hare being mobbed by two Ravens. It was our first sighting. The hare was still brown, having not yet moulted into the winter white pelage. It stood out against the snow as it bounded across the smooth white surface, catching the attention of the Ravens. Whenever they flew too close to it, the hare started leaping into the air, lashing out with its paws, running around haphazardly, trying to avoid them. Gradually, it managed to edge closer to some rocks and eventually found refuge amongst them. The birds gave up and flew off. It was amazing to witness. I didn't take any photos, but Bob was able to, as he was more ready than me and had a longer lens.
Our hard slog up the mountain was followed by a day of sitting in a hide. Quite a contrast. Despite wearing lots of layers, it was a lot colder for the hands and feet, sitting fairly motionless for so long. There was still a frost on the ground, which was quite atmospheric for the photography. We were lucky enough to have a lovely sunny day with little wind. You never know what weather you'll have when you book a hide. Though, in a way, it was a shame we weren't out on the mountain in such good weather.
Photographing the Red Squirrels from the private hide was a familiar set up for me, having visited this place before on my previous trips to Scotland. But for Bob, this was a fabulous new experience. He'd only had one brief fleeting glimpse of a Red Squirrel, many years ago. I was so pleased a few showed up to eat the hazelnuts that had been put out for them. Occasionally, they would run off with one in their mouth, presumably to hide it away somewhere nearby for later. There was usually only one squirrel at a time, but when there were two, a chase quickly ensued. They're lightening fast! I just took a burst of shots, hoping that one frame would be reasonably in focus! These gorgeous native squirrels are always such a delight to watch.
When the squirrels were absent, our winged friends would make an appearance and entertain us. They'd search for the peanuts that had been scattered around for them. It was fabulous to see a Great Spotted Woodpecker a few times, but my favourites were the Coal Tits. Periodically, a handful of them would descend and it was magical to watch. They're so light, that even when they landed on the heather, the stem would hardly bow under their weight. I enjoy watching them come and go so much, I decided to take a few videos using my phone. Using the slow motion setting was such a wonderful way to appreciate their flying skills.
A few times, a Coal Tit surprised me by landing on the end of my big camera lens. As they appeared to be quite bold, Bob decided to put some peanuts in his hand and see if any would feed from it. One or two brave ones did, but one flew in close, considered it for a while, then thought better of it and flew off without taking a peanut.
Since we were sitting in the hide most of the day, afterwards we decided on a lovely late afternoon stroll from Loch Garten to Loch Mallachie to give our legs a stretch. The stillness of the water was so calming and the reflections of the trees were wonderful. For a short while, we sat on a large rock with a hot drink, relaxing and taking in the beauty all around us.
It was good to be out in the open and walking again the following day. We had another attempt at spotting Ptarmigan, this time over at Carn Ban Mor. We started our ascent walking through the forest. Coming out the other side, just as the trees were beginning to thin out, we spotted our only Crested Tit of the holiday. It wasn't especially close, nor did it linger, but nonetheless, it was lovely to see.
In the middle of the week, the weather wasn't so good, so it was the perfect opportunity for us to have a more restful day. We enjoyed less strenuous walks around Aviemore (for retail therapy) and Boat of Garten (for nature therapy). We then felt more refreshed for our final two days, which we spent exploring Findhorn Valley.
The weather was not brilliant on either day, but maneagable, with strong winds and occasional breaks in the cloud to reveal brief glimpses of blue sky above. On both days, we had a really heavy downpour, but thankfully they were just as we reached the car at the end of each day. We timed that well!
When we arrived on the first morning, we saw a Dipper and Goosander on the river near the car park, and during our walks we spotted several Fieldfare and birds of prey, including Buzzards, a Merlin, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. However, the Mountain Hares were our main focus. We knew it wouldn't be easy to spot them, since we'd heard the area was no longer considered reliable. The last time I was there, the year before, I'd scoured the mountains with my guide and I didn't see one hare the whole day.
Once more, we set off uphill, following the stony track. Our eyes were constantly perusing the heather on the hillsides looking out for a pair of black-tipped brown ears poking up. We'd be lucky if we saw any more than that initially. Since, there was no snow in sight, I wasn't even sure I'd notice their brown pelage amidst the vegetation. They're great at hiding in plain sight, which of course is crucial for survival against predators. Spotting a hare would be all about luck and timing.
We had only walked about a third of the way up the mountain track, when we paused for a drink. Bob was looking out across the valley towards the other side, whereas I was looking up the hillside behind us, using my bins. That was when I saw it. A beautiful hare with tiny flecks of white at the ends of its otherwise brown hair. Of course, the hare had already seen us coming, but it sat still in its form and didn't move. I was overjoyed at having seen it and also relieved. Unfortunately, we didn't successfully move into a better position to photograph the hare, without spooking it. It ran downhill a short distance, then paused and sat up, probably checking to see if it was being followed, and then it ran away. I felt badly for disturbing it and was annoyed with myself for making a few rookie errors.
We left Boat of the Garten the following day, still filled with the hope of seeing a Ptarmigan, which had eluded us so far throughout our holiday. Plus, we really wanted to have some better sightings of the Mountain Hares. Findhorn had merely whet our appetite. Glenshee was our final stop, for just two nights, and our last chance to see both species before heading home again. The only problem was, the wet weather finally caught up with us and strong winds prevailed. As we sat in the café at the foot of the mountain, watching the walkers descending in the near horizontal rain, we mulled over whether we would attempt the ascent ourselves. Occasionally, the rain didn't seem so heavy. Maybe it would be alright. Our desire to the see the wildlife was strong, especially knowing we only had one day left. After some lunch, we decided we'd go for it. We even put on our waterproofs and boots. We decided to take as little as possible up and put all the essentials into just one rucksack. But then, the wind picked up and the rain seemed even heavier. We soon changed our mind and we thought better of it. Instead, we made our way back to Dalmunzie Castle, where we were staying, and enjoyed a shorter walk in the grounds, in the rain.
The following morning, the weather wasn't much improved. It was perhaps ever so slightly less windy and wet, but it was difficult to tell. It still wasn't very inviting. Since it was our last day and our window of opportunity was ever decreasing, we decided we should at least make an attempt up the mountain. If it became too much, we could always change our mind and come back down again. At least we would know we'd tried our best! I knew how much Bob wanted to see a Ptarmigan and I didn't want us to end our holiday without a single sighting. So we set off, full of hope and eagerness to see both species despite the bad conditions.
Boy! Was it a tough walk! Perhaps it was partly because my legs were tired from all the walking we'd done on the holiday so far. Following the path more or less directly uphill, it was very steep and hard work. Bob made it look quite easy, powering ahead, but then again, he lives close to the South Downs and is used to hill walking. I'm pretty fit, but not so much for hill walking. Taking small steps, I abided the slow and steady approach. In places, the water was trickling down the path and unsurprisingly, higher up it was very muddy. To avoid it, we tramped over the boggy grass, which felt spongy underfoot. To our left, the chairs on the ski lift were bouncing and swinging. Everything was shut, ahead of the ski season. There weren't any patches of snow in sight. In better conditions, I thought how nice it would be to take the lift up rather than walk! The wind and rain was bashing into us from behind, so it didn't seem too horrendous as we gradually worked our way up the mountain. Not another soul was in sight. We had the mountain to ourselves, which was fabulous, though maybe that was also a sign of our utter madness being up there in such conditions. However, I didn't feel like it was unsafe, just unpleasant.
It was extremely windy at the top of the mountain and misty. We couldn't see the other mountains beyond. But, once we walked a fraction lower on the lee side, out of the wind, it was definitely better. In fact, as the day progressed there were some breaks in the rain and even the sun made a very brief appearance. It wasn't long after we were over the other side of the mountain that we started having viewings of the Mountain Hares, whilst we were looking for the Ptarmigan. There were so many. At first, as usual, they were all running away, having heard us before we saw them. But there were some we were able to edge a little closer to and photograph. It was lovely seeing them starting to moult and in such good numbers.
We continued working our way around the mountain, near the top, checking all the rocky areas and keeping our eyes wide open for Ptarmigan. We saw scat near the peak, so we knew there were some around, but as ever, they were being elusive. This was becoming the story of our holiday. After several hours of fruitless searching and battling the elements, I started to tire. I was running out of steam. We split up. Bob continued searching in the same area, skirting the peak, but I started to walk closer towards our route back down to the car park in the light rain. I was carefully walking across the scree when I suddenly noticed three Ptarmigan appear from their hiding place in the rocks. I couldn't believe it. Success at last! Though it was fleeting.
The descent wasn't too challenging, with the spongy grass definitely making it easier on the knees, but it felt long. I just wanted to be indoors in the warmth, sipping hot chocolate. Eventually, we made it into the café at the base, tired and very wet. We peeled off our sodden outer layers and the damp second layers. Thankfully, everything else was dry under that. We'd have a tough job though, drying everything out before heading home the next morning.
That evening we checked the weather forecast for the next day. It was going to be sunny, but still quite windy! How could we leave when we'd finally have the kind of weather we'd hoped for? We had to go back up the mountain for one last chance to see the Ptarmigan, especially since we knew there were definitely a few up there. Bob was up for it as much as me. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. I worked out we could still reach our hotel the following evening in time for dinner, if we left early in the afternoon instead. So, we decided to go for it.
'Here we go again!' I thought to myself, the following morning as we began the same ascent as the day before, retracing our steps. At least the sunshine made it seem much easier. I was full of hope and optimism. Once again, at the top, it was the hares we saw first and the Ptarmigan were nowhere in sight. We did one complete circuit around the mountain with no joy. I could tell by the look on Bob's face that he was starting to feel dejected. But, I remained positive. 'We'll see them! There's still time!'
We trudged our way back up and over, starting a second circuit. Suddenly, I heard Bob calling out my name. I turned to look at him and my eyes followed where he was pointing to. On the other side of some large rocks, fairly close to us, he'd spotted three Ptarmigan. They looked like the same three birds from the day before. Yay! Finally!
That last excursion up Glenshee was the perfect ending to our holiday. We'd done a lot of mountain walking over the course of the two weeks, seeing quite a bit of wildlife. We'd stayed in some great locations, enjoyed some delicious meals and of course, having the company through it all was the icing on the cake for me. I'm so grateful I've found someone who enjoys doing the same kinds of things as I do! We're both looking forward to more wildlife outings together in 2024. We're even heading back to Scotland and the Isle of Mull in the spring, so there's lots to look forward to.
Bob has shared his photos from the trip and written his own blog (6 separate posts), which you can see/read by clicking on this link: Bob's Blog.


