Scotland's coolest wildlife-spotting adventures to enjoy this summer

The Herald Scotland

12-07-2025

Here, we round-up some of the top places to enjoy epic Scottish wildlife-spotting adventures.
Otters
The hide at Kylerhea on Skye is reputed to be among the best in the UK for spotting otters. Managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, it can be reached via a 1.25-mile (2km) scenic walk, known as the Marine Mammal Trail.
As well as otters, the likes of dolphins, porpoises, seals and occasionally basking sharks have been seen in the waters around Kylerhea. It is also great for potentially catching a glimpse of Scotland's largest bird of prey, the white-tailed eagle.
Make it a proper land and sea adventure by hopping on MV Glenachulish, the last surviving manually operated turntable car ferry in the world, for the five-minute passage between Glenelg and Kylerhea. The entrance to the latter car park is half a mile up the road from the ferry slipway.
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Red squirrels
Perthshire is synonymous with red squirrels. Faskally Woods, Killiecrankie, The Hermitage, Birnam Glen and the Black Wood of Rannoch are all excellent for sightings.
There is a red squirrel feeding station at Glen Righ near Fort William, with another delight the Garbh Eilean Wildlife Hide on the shores of Loch Sunart. Family-friendly hides include The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre at Aberfoyle and Kirroughtree near Newton Stewart.
There are a clutch of red squirrel hides in Argyll, including at Benmore Botanic Garden, Glenbranter Forest and Cormonachan Community Woodlands overlooking Loch Goil.
The soul-salving majesty and Caledonian pinewoods of Glen Affric and Glenmore Forest Park, near Aviemore, are also renowned as prime red squirrel habitats.
Seals
A couple of years ago, as I walked along a deserted beach on South Ronaldsay in Orkney, I felt a pair of eyes upon me. A lone seal, bobbing just offshore, was watching curiously.
It followed my progress with some interest, variously disappearing below the waves, only to pop up again a few metres further on. It was a mesmerising encounter that I will always treasure.
Seals are special to Scotland, not simply because of their abundance in our waters, but because of their strong ties to folklore, from tales of shape-shifting selkies to haunting ballads.
The 'big five' list technically refers to the harbour variety, aka common seals, but I also have a soft spot for greys, so we'll give both a nod in this instance.
Orkney is a great place to see seals (Image: unknown)
Orkney is wonderful for seal-spotting, as is neighbouring Shetland and the Hebridean islands of Mull and Iona. The Isle of May in the Firth of Forth is another gem I can highly recommend, with daily boat trips from Anstruther and North Berwick.
Red deer
On a list of bucket list species, red deer may not typically get top billing. There are also those, in biodiversity terms, who sometimes regard them as pests. Yet, there is something unfailingly magical about spending time in their presence.
The landscapes these splendid beasts inhabit adds to the theatre. Red deer can be found across the Cairngorms National Park, with an estimated 64,000 said to reside in this area alone. Jura, Skye and Rum have decent populations too.
Another location to see Scotland's largest land mammal up close is at the Red Deer Range in Galloway Forest Park.
Golden eagles
Arran is a shrewd choice for anyone looking to do a clean sweep of the big five, particularly those seeking to spy a golden eagle.
There are a number of pairs, with Lochranza one such locale where golden eagles are commonly seen. Be sure to keep your eyes to the skies in Glen Rosa too.
A Golden Eagle (Image: PA)
Red deer are copious across the island, with otters and seals often spotted at Kildonan. According to the VisitArran website: 'Arran doesn't have any foxes, moles, weasels or grey squirrels – but we do have lots of lovely little red squirrels.'
Susan Swarbrick is a columnist and freelance writer who loves history and the outdoors. Follow her on X @SusanSwarbrick and Bluesky @susanswarbrick.bsky.social