Scotland

Day 1

FERRY FROM KENNACRAIG-ISLAY, TRANSFER TO PORT CHARLOTTE HOTEL

There is the option of either joining up with Limosa guide Peter Roberts at our preassigned meeting point in Glasgow (Premier Inn Glasgow Airport) or later in the day at the Kennacraig ferry port from where we take the ferry for the two-hour crossing to Islay.

Once aboard, we will find a good spot on deck to watch for birds as we sail out of Loch Tarbert and head west towards the island with lunch available to purchase from the well-stocked cafeteria onboard the CalMac ferry for those that want.

From the ferry decks, we should soon spot our first Eiders and gulls. The sheltered waters of West Loch Tarbert provide a safe haven for wintering seabirds and we have good chances to see all three divers, along with Slavonian Grebe and Black Guillemot. Further out, we may add species such as Gannet, Fulmar, Kittiwake and a selection of auks.

Our approach to Port Askaig lies between the islands of Jura and Islay and from the ferry we will get our first views of our destination’s gentler, varied and rolling landscape.

Once ashore on Islay, we shall board our minibus and head southwest for the 15-mile journey to our comfortable hotel which is located on the shores on one of the island’s top birdwatching spots, Loch Indaal.

As we travel, we should soon begin to see our first geese with Greylags, Greenland White-fronts and Barnacles all possible. We may well stop on the shores of Loch Indaal to begin our exploration where there is always plenty to see with Whooper Swan, Goldeneye, Rock Pipit, Turnstone and an array of other shorebirds all possible.

In the late afternoon we will arrive at the well-appointed and comfortable Port Charlotte Hotel which will be our base for all five nights on the island. Night at the Port Charlotte Hotel, Islay

Days 2 - 5

BIRDWATCHING ON ISLAY

In birding circles, Islay is most famous for its wintering wild geese and watching these as they head out from or back to their overnight roosts is one of the natural world’s most stirring spectacles.

As many as 35,000 Barnacle Geese fly to Islay from their breeding grounds on Greenland during October, with smaller numbers (c.5,000) of the declining and altogether much scarcer Greenland White-fronted Goose also joining them.

The goose flocks are highly mobile and as we travel the island to find where they are feeding each day, we are likely to encounter Greylags and Pink-feet mingling with the Barnacles and Greenland White-fronts. With luck and careful scanning, we may chance upon something rarer with the possibilities including a wild Canada Goose, Snow Goose, Red-breasted Goose or a diminutive Cackling Goose.

Situated at the heart of the island, the sheltered waters of the two sea lochs of Gruinart and Indaal provide safe roost sites for the geese but both areas also have extensive intertidal mudflats that are attractive to a wide range of other waterbirds, wildfowl and waders.

Grey Heron, Cormorant, Shag, Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Eider and Common Scoter are regularly present in late autumn, along with shorebirds such as Oystercatcher, Knot, Dunlin, Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit and Ringed, Grey and Golden Plovers.

We will explore the roads that skirt around the loch shores and island’s coasts, stopping periodically to scan the bays and quaysides for divers, grebes, swans and other waterfowl, as well as Purple Sandpiper and Black Guillemot. With any luck, we might also come across the odd ‘white-winged’ Glaucous or Iceland Gull.

We are sure to encounter Islay’s many birds of prey on our travels with the chance of a ghostly Hen Harrier coasting low over the fields, a Peregrine causing panic amongst the flocks of feeding shorebird, a dashing Merlin over the moors or a majestic Golden Eagle soaring over one of the island’s more remote sea cliffs.

Common Buzzards are the most numerous bird of prey on the island and there are also Kestrels and Sparrowhawks, Barn, Tawny and possibly Short-eared Owls to enjoy. We will also be looking out for the immense White-tailed Eagle, the UK’s largest bird of prey, which has begun to breed locally in recent years and is now a fairly regular sight.

To the west, the Rhinns is a wild expanse of grass and heather planted with pine. Here, Golden Eagle and Common Buzzard are resident and we will also hope to spot a Dipper on the fast-flowing stream at the Islay Woollen Mill.

The low-lying Ardnave Peninsula extends northwards from the Rhinns and is a good area to try for Chough, Twite and Snow Bunting, while fertile Ardnave Loch is one of the best wetlands on the island for wildfowl including Whooper Swans, which pause to rest here on their journey south from Iceland, with Otter another possibility.

To the east of Ardnave, Loch Gruinart is an important RSPB reserve famed for its concentrations of Greenland White-fronted and Barnacle Geese. The reserve really comes into its own from mid-October, when the geese arrive along with Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Shoveler. We can also expect to find Curlew, Lapwing and Golden Plover and a few Black-tailed Godwits and Greenshank might still be about, either here or out in the bay.

The rolling birch and hazel woodlands in the southeast of the island offer a contrast to Islay’s wilder north and west, along with some areas of attractive Victorian broadleaved plantation woodlands around Bridgend in the centre of the island. In late autumn, these provide a home to a range of resident birds and winter visitors with Woodcock, Redwing, Fieldfare, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Grey Wagtail, Bullfinch, Brambling, Goldfinch and Siskin among many species to look for.

Our hotel is not only extremely comfortable but its location is also ideal for birding, overlooking Loch Indaal and it is a relatively short drive to the dramatic Mull of Oa. Now managed as a 2000-hectare RSPB reserve and working farm, the Oa’s wild moors and towering sea cliffs provide a year-round home for Golden Eagle, Peregrine, Rock Dove, Raven and Chough, while in autumn and winter the specially planted arable fields attract Linnets and significant numbers of Twite.

Weather permitting, we may walk out across the reserve to the clifftop American Monument, a striking landmark that is a memorial to the lives of sailors who perished in shipwrecks off Islay during the First World War.

There is so much wildlife to find and enjoy on Islay that our time on the island will pass all too quickly! Four further nights at Port Charlotte Hotel, Islay

Day 6

FAREWELL TO ISLAY AND FERRY FROM PORT ELLEN TO KENNACRAIG

Having enjoyed our final full Scottish breakfast at the hotel, we will drive the short distance to the port where we catch the morning ferry back to Kennacraig.

The return ferry crossing offers another great opportunity to watch for seabirds, divers and duck and is a fitting way to round off our late autumn visit to the beautiful isle of Islay.

On arrival back at Kennacraig on the Scottish mainland, there will be the option of a transfer back to Glasgow.

Group Size

Maximum of ten participants with one leader if the group is up to seven and two leaders for up to ten clients.

What To Expect

Led by Limosa’s friendly, expert guides, our UK holidays are suitable for birdwatchers of all levels of ability, interest and experience. Just bring your binoculars and enthusiasm for birds and we will do the rest!

Islay is a surprisingly large island, with a coastline that runs for almost 140 miles so there is plenty to see! As we travel around the island in search of the places where the birds are feeding that day, it is not uncommon to suddenly chance upon a goose flock and sometimes at close quarters.

While these birds will often allow close approach in the vehicle, they can be easily spooked if people get out so we will spend some time watching them from the minibus. On other occasions, the feeding flocks will allow us to get out and watch them from the roadside. There are also two well-positioned hides on the RSPB Loch Gruinart reserve which we are likely to visit.

There are also plenty of bays, lochs, woods and wild open country for us to check, so we will be stopping frequently to scan for wildfowl, waders, birds of prey and usually without having to walk very far.

Please note that our itinerary focuses on Islay’s birds and wildlife, and there are no planned excursions to any of the island’s whisky distilleries. We will, however, pass by several of these on our travels so should you wish to arrange a private tour (not included in tour price) and opt out of the group activity that day then this can easily be arranged.

Birds

80-100 species

Mammals

5-10 species

Accommodation

5 nights’ accommodation on Islay, based at the Port Charlotte Hotel in Port Charlotte. All rooms are ensuite.

Meals

All main meals are included in the tour price, commencing with dinner on arrival at the hotel on the evening of Day 1 and concluding with breakfast there on Day 6. Full Scottish breakfasts and delicious dinners will be taken at the hotel which also boasts a fine selection of Islay single malt whiskies! Lunches will generally be picnics in the field. We will also have coffee, tea and biscuits available in the vehicles.

Walking

The nature of watching wildlife on Islay is that much of the island’s birdlife is best observed from the roadside. Where walking is required, these are mainly short and easy and on mostly level ground.

If the weather permits, we plan one or two longer walks, the furthest being at the Oa RSPB reserve, an undulating walk of about 3 miles in total, out across the moors (wet in places) to the sea cliffs. Wellies or sturdy waterproof walking shoes or boots are essential.

Weather

Islay’s climate is relatively mild year round, but it is highly changeable with spells of sunshine, rain and windy weather possible at any season and often all three can occur within a matter of just a few hours!

Late autumn temperatures on Islay are typically in the range of 7-11C (44-52F).

The ferry crossing to and from the island is relatively sheltered, but windchill can make it feel cold when seawatching on deck so be sure to bring layers of warm and weatherproof clothing, including a warm hat and gloves. The sea crossing is usually fairly calm and stable, but participants particularly prone to seasickness might wish to take suitable precautions.

In mid-October, the sun rises on Islay at around 08:00 and sets at about 18:15.

Ground Transport

By minibus or other suitable vehicle depending on the group size.

Boat Trips

The cost of the ferry crossings are included in our tour cost. The ferries are operated by Caledonian MacBrayne and each is scheduled to take about two hours.

Wear warm and waterproof clothing (including a warm hat and gloves) to protect against the effects of windchill and spray.

How To Get There

Public transport, ie train, bus and plane (to Glasgow)

Limosa guide Peter Roberts will be able to meet up with anyone who wishes to travel to Glasgow the day before the tour (night of 15 October 2025). Peter will be leaving the Premier Inn Glasgow Airport in the morning of 16 October (exact timings will be confirmed in our pre-departure information pack but likely to be 08:00-09:00) for the drive to the Kennacraig ferry port.

At the end of the tour (21 October 2025), he will be able to drop participants off again at the Premier Inn Glasgow Airport (by approximately 16:00).

There is no additional charge for pick-up / drop off at the Premier Inn Glasgow Airport, however, our tour price does not include accommodation in Glasgow before or after the tour.

Car

Participants travelling by car should aim to arrive at the Kennacraig ferry port by late morning on Day 1 (16 October 2025) of the tour to meet with the Limosa tour guide and be ticketed and ready to board the ferry. Exact timings will be confirmed in our pre-departure information pack (as the ferry schedule had not been released when this information was prepared) but we anticipate the ferry will depart at approximately 13:00.

If you are travelling any distance, you may wish to spend the night before our tour at a hotel or guest house in the Kennacraig or Tarbert area. There are a range of options with one being the Stonefield Castle Hotel, which is located approximately seven miles from the ferry terminal - see:

http://www.bespokehotels.com/stonefieldcastle

The Stonefield will normally let you leave your car at the hotel while you are away on Islay if you stay a night with them. Cars can also be left at the ferry terminal while you are away on Islay.

Air

It is possible to fly to Islay with Loganair from Glasgow and then take a taxi to our hotel. For anyone choosing this option, £30 can be deducted from the tour price.