Islay and Jura in Autumn

We visit the ‘Queen of the Hebrides’ in the peak of autumn to enjoy the spectacle of returning wintering geese to the island and explore inland bays for waders and Chough, hunting raptors over heathland such as Hen Harrier, Peregrine and Merlin, whilst watching the skies for Golden and White-tailed Eagles. Jura’s rugged scenery will be full of rutting Red Deer and we shall keep a close eye on the coastline for Seal and Otters, whilst enjoying a relaxed week of west coast wildlife.

"Otters - a mother and two cubs; Choughs; two Golden Eagles attacking a deer; baby seals; geese at dusk with a full moon; beautiful and varied countryside in autumnal colours; multiple rainbows; no midges." Barbara Yorke, 2021

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Trip Report

Tour DetailsItineraryKey SpeciesFeedbackVideoAccommodationGallery

Leader	Sally Nowell and Ailie Brown
Day 1	Meet in Glasgow and drive to Lochgilphead 1 night Grey Gull Hotel, Lochgilphead
Days 2-6	Travel to Kennacraig for the 2 hour ferry to Islay. Walking and birding on Islay with a day on Jura. 5 nights at Bowmore Hotel, Islay
Days 7-8	After breakfast we take the ferry back to Kennacraig and travel to Lochgilphead, travelling back to Glasgow the following morning. 1 night Grey Gull Hotel, Lochgilphead

Weather	Autumn in The Hebrides can be anything from gloriously calm and sunny to quite cool, wet and windy, with weather quickly changeable. Come prepared for everything from cool, rainy and breezy through to dry, warm and sunny weather (0-15°C)
Walking	Mainly short walks on good tracks, with longer coastal walks on rougher ground. Lightweight walking shoes and boots are advisable. You may also wish to bring walking poles
Meals	All included from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 8
Insects	Unlikely to be a problem at this time of year
Accom	Double, twin and single ensuite

Group

Experience thousands of wintering geese, Chough and seaduck on Islay, with a day on Jura’s rugged coastline watching thousands of Red Deer in their autumn rut, plus soaring eagles and Otter.

	* Spectacle of thousands of Barnacle and Greenland White-fronted Geese
	* A trip to beautiful Jura to witness the Red Deer rut and visit a Gin distillery
	* Hunting raptors including Hen Harrier, Peregrine, Merlin, Golden Eagle
	* Chough, divers, seaduck, Twite and Rock Doves
	* Abundance of historical sites round every corner
	* Enjoy delicious local food at our welcoming hotel
	* Explore Islay and Jura’s rugged coastlines, lochs and bays for a chance of Otter

Day 1	We’ll meet in Glasgow and begin our journey north and west. On this scenic drive we pass Loch Lomond, Loch Long and Loch Fyne before finally reaching our hotel on Loch Gilp. The views across the loch here are beautiful and if we arrive early enough, we shall take a short stroll to start our birding for the week, before enjoying our first dinner together.
Days 2-6	Today we head to Kennacraig where we catch our ferry to Islay. As we wait to board, from the harbour we shall scan for Black Guillemot, seals, gull species and eagles. The two-hour ferry journey will give us time to search the seas for Great Northern Diver and cetaceans, plus seabirds such as Kittiwake, Gannet and possibly even a Great Skua. Arriving on Islay, we’ll begin to explore as we cross the island to our accommodation for the next five nights, the Bowmore Hotel, a comfortable base with excellent locally sourced food and great hospitality. Our next four days on Islay will be spent exploring the best wildlife spots and most famously, the spectacle of arriving wintering geese. Thousands of Barnacle Geese and Greenland White-fronted Geese arrive here from the Arctic to feed on this milder coastline and the view is utterly breathtaking. A highlight of our visit will be the RSPB Reserve of Loch Gruinart, where a sea of geese will cover the landscape, a treat for both our eyes and ears. We shall of course scan for other species such as Pink-footed, Greylag and Pale-bellied Brent Geese. More scarce species such as vagrant ‘wild’ Canada Goose, Lesser Canada Goose, also known as Cackling Goose and Snow Goose will also be searched for. Machir Bay dunes and Ardnave Point give us a great opportunity to look for Red-billed Chough, with Scotland’s largest population here on the island. Glorious Loch Gorm will give us more concentrations of geese, Whooper Swan, Snipe, Redshank, Shoveler and Brown Hare. We shall also be on the look-out for raptors, such as Hen Harrier, Merlin and Peregrine. Down on the south west point of the island, the rugged Rhinns of Islay peninsula is a good place to look for Golden Eagle and other raptor species, with Rock Dove, Linnet and Twite all possible too. At this time of year we can expect large numbers of wintering thrushes to be arriving, so fields here can be filled with Fieldfare, Redwing and migrating Blackbird. If we are very lucky we might even catch up with Waxwing!The point is a great place to look out to sea for cetaceans, Eider and Gannet. Looking onto Loch Indall from the west side, we shall keep a look out for divers, wintering seaduck such as Long-tailed Duck and Otter on the rocky shore. The Oa peninsula on the south west corner is an RSPB Nature Reserve in a remote and rugged environment with a good concentration of wildlife. If the weather allows we shall walk out to the remote American Monument, a good place to look out for Peregrine. The Reserve, with grazed grassland, heath, lochs and cliffs provides excellent habitat for Hen Harrier, Golden Eagle and Buzzard over the land. We should find Stonechat, Twite and Chough and if it is a clear day, we should be able to see Northern Ireland from the point. Islay has a richness of medieval history, Celtic crosses and warrior grave slabs which we shall pass on our travels. Islay’s name is famously linked to its whisky export, so there may be a chance to stop by a distillery or two. Loch Indall near our hotel is a perfect place to check for gulls such as Glaucous and Iceland, as well as all three species of diver, Long-tailed Duck, Common Scoter and Scaup. As the light fades, flocks of geese drop into the bay to roost and we may even be treated to a sunset. We shall choose a day to go over on the ferry to Jura to explore this rugged and remote island, its single road hugging the east coastline. With only 200 human inhabitants, the island is home to 6,000 Red Deer and autumn is the time when these magnificent mammals will be bellowing in the annual stag rut. With the Paps of Jura mountain peaks as a backdrop, we shall also look out for White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle and Merlin amongst other species. Along the rugged coastline a keen eye may also spot Otter and seals out on the rocks. We shall also pop into a local Gin Distillery to sample their wares.
Days 7-8	After breakfast we shall spend our final hours on Islay checking the bay for divers as we take the ferry back to the mainland. On our journey towards Loch Gilp for our final night, we shall explore some coastal areas in Kintyre and maybe take a woodland wander. We shall arrive at our hotel as darkness falls to enjoy a relaxed evening with our final meal together and relive our highlights of the trip. The next morning, we shall continue our travels back through stunning landscape to Glasgow, where we shall say our farewells.

Just some of what we hope to see..

Barnacle Goose	Long-tailed Duck	Rock Dove
Greenland White-fronted Goose	Scaup	Glaucous Gull
Chough	Red-throated Diver	Iceland Gull
Twite	Great Northern Diver	Red Deer
Golden Eagle	Hen Harrier	Otter
'Wild' Canada Goose	Merlin	Grey Seal
Pink-footed Goose	Peregrine	Common Seal
Pale-bellied Brent Goose

"Almost too many to mention! Here are a few.... Close encounter with 2 juvenile White-tailed Eagles almost overhead so we could clearly see their eyes and beaks. Mixed flocks of Redwing, Fieldfare, Mistle and Song Thrush with Starlings feeding together lit by golden sunshine. Beach at Saligo Bay. Huge numbers of Barnacle and White Fronted Geese. Twite feeding on footpath. Golden Eagle mobbed by Buzzard. Huge Jackdaw murmuration at sunrise. Sunset over Bowmore Bay. Autumn colours of the woods and moors. As well as being treated to a helicopter exercise with the Finlaggan ferry en route to mainland!"
Heather James

"Close and extended sighting of juvenile White-tailed Eagles; amazing Jackdaw murmuration; the sight of so many geese; seeing a Merlin for the first time"
Penny & Richard Hatfield

"Apart from thousands of Geese, the sight of a pair of Golden Eagles harassing a solitary Red Deer on Jura, was something, I think, nobody had seen before. As we were well out of the nesting season, the only explanation was that they were trying to injure and disable it - nature red in tooth and claw!"
John Duerden

"Otters - a mother and two cubs; Choughs; two Golden Eagles attacking a deer; baby seals; geese at dusk with a full moon; beautiful and varied countryside in autumnal colours; multiple rainbows; no midges"
Barbara Yorke

A family run hotel with eleven bedrooms, all ensuite with free Wifi. The hotel makes excellent use of Islay’s local produce including beef, lamb and seafood all of which is served in the beautifully appointed dining room. The bar stocks a good selection of Islay’s famous malt whiskies and there is also a decking area at the rear of the hotel for al fresco diners with views overlooking Loch Indaal.

Overlooking Loch Gilp, an inlet on Loch Fyne, this relaxed, 3-storey inn is a 2-minute walk from Lock 4 of the Crinan Canal. The simple rooms are warmly decorated and feature loch or canal views, plus en suite bathrooms, tea and coffeemaking facilities, and flat-screen TVs.

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