The North East 250 Tour

The North East 250 combines wildlife with a unique and famous road trip taking you through the Granite City of Aberdeen, Royal Deeside, Speyside, the spectacular mountain passes of the Cairngorms National Park, the rugged North Sea coastline to the east, and the picturesque seaside villages of the Moray Firth Coast with birding from the high tops to the coast so expect fabulous raptors, Otter, Mountain Hare, seaducks, geese and waders. Minibus transport and mostly easy walking though we may be on our feet for extended period.

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Trip Report

Tour DetailsItineraryKey SpeciesFeedbackAccommodationGallery

Leaders

Kate Mennie and Craig Round

Days 1-3	Meet in Aberdeen and drive to our hotel in Braemar, hopefully stopping enroute at Glen Tanar. Full days in the beautiful Royal Deeside, with possible visits to Glenshee, Muir of Dinnet, Balmoral and Linn of Dee. 3 nights Braemar Hotel
Days 4-5	Drive out of the mountains, north towards the coast, where we stop for the next two nights, visiting the coastal sites of Spey Bay, Burghead and Rosemarkie. 2 nights Cullen Bay Hotel
Days 6-7	Travel to our final hotel stopping at Loch of Strathbeg Reserve, Fraserburgh and Rattray Head. Last day around some of the classic east coast sites such as the Ythan Estuary and Blackdog. 2 nights Saplinbrae Hotel
Day 8	Travel back to Aberdeen.

Weather	Weather can be extremely variable at this time of year so come prepared for everything from rain and wind to calm early spring sunshine! 5°-15°C.
Walking	Mostly easy walking on level paths up to 2 miles or perhaps a little more if rarities require it! We may be on our feet for a lot of the day even if not walking far.
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	12

Visiting some of the wonderful landscapes of N/E Scotland, from the stunning Royal Deeside, to the rugged coastline of the Moray Firth, through to the Ythan Estuary.

	* Ancient forests, upland moors, lochs and estuaries
	* Good chances of Golden Eagle, Osprey and Peregrine
	* Only Scottish mainland colony of Gannets
	* Spectacle of UK’s largest Eider population
	* Hen Harrier, Merlin, Ptarmigan and Snow Bunting are possible
	* Breathtaking views around Royal Deeside and Balmoral
	* Early morning visit to see Black Grouse lekking

Day 1	We meet up in The Granite City and head inland to our lovely accommodation in Braemar, situated in the heart of Royal Deeside. Enroute we shall take the minor road from Aboyne through Glen Tanar, where roadside stops and a potential short walk, could produce some Caledonian Forest species, which could include Red Kite, Common Buzzard and our first Dipper along the river. Early evening we shall reach our hotel where we spend the next three nights.
Days 2-3	Royal Deeside offers some wonderful areas of ancient Caledonian Forest, upland moor and mountain. We shall be visiting the best of them, including the skiing area of Glenshee, where from the station car park we shall scan the surrounding mountainside for Ptarmigan, hopefully still in their white winter plumage. We could also encounter Golden Eagle and Peregrine overhead and if we are really lucky, a few Snow Buntings may be lingering around the car park. We shall spend time at the Muir of Dinnet and hopefully make a short walk around the stunningly beautiful Loch Kinord. We’ll wander through Birch woodland looking for Siskin, Redpoll, tits and thrushes, with the loch possibly holding a few Goldeneye and maybe even a Red-throated Diver setting up territory. One morning we’ll make a pre-breakfast visit to a wonderful Black Grouse lek and if successful, will be one of the highlights of the week in this stunningly beautiful valley. However, this is not all about wildlife as we shall also see the historic castles of Braemar and Balmoral – who knows royalty might be an added bonus!
Days 4-5	This is where we leave the forested mountains behind us and make our way north to the Moray coast, stopping along the way at spectacular viewpoints. Our hotel is perfectly positioned at Cullen Bay so we can explore the wonderful areas both east and west, this whole stretch of coastline is riddled with fabulous bays and headlands. This is a haven for wintering seaduck such as Common Scoter, Long-tailed Duck and Red-breasted Merganser, all the time keeping a sharp eye out for scarcer species such as Velvet Scoter, Great Northern Diver and Slavonian Grebe. The beautiful beaches should be quiet, so at low tide we shall search for waders such as Bar-tailed Godwit, Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Redshank, Grey and Ringed Plovers, making for a wonderful contrast to our earlier mountain days. One morning will be spent at the wonderful seabird cliffs of Troup Head where we shall marvel at the assembled, Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks with Puffin being a distinct possibility flying into their wee burrows. Not only is the wildlife great here but the scenery is spectacular!
Days 6-7	The next day we shall meander slowly along the coast to our final accommodation inland from Peterhead. Our first port of call is the famous RSPB Loch of Strathbeg, which is the UK’s largest dune slack loch. This is a magnet for migrants and over-wintering Scottish waterbirds. The shallow pools attract waders and hordes of wildfowl, with an awesome track record for rare and scarce species turning up. In the surrounding fields there could be Yellowhammer or Corn Bunting, along with Pink-footed Geese and within the huge flocks we might be lucky to find Barnacle or White-front. This is also a fabulous coastline for gulls, with all the commoner species well represented, but annually ‘white-winged’ turn up and we shall be hopeful of a Glaucous or Iceland. Our final full day will be spent around the fabulous Ythan Estuary – this is the perfect early spring location, with large numbers of waders taking advantage of the intertidal mud and sand flats. Most of these will have over-wintered, but we may see the vanguard of northward moving migrants, arriving to fuel up on their epic journey. Large numbers of common waders such as Dunlin, Redshank, Knot and Golden and Ringed Plover wheel and turn above the estuary and amongst them we hope to find scarcer species such as Greenshank, Whimbrel and Ruff. Here one of the largest colonies of Eider duck in Britain can also be seen. This is also a wonderful place to see ‘hauled out’ seals with both Grey and Common vying for attention on the sandy beaches.
Day 8	After breakfast we shall load the minibus for one final time and return south to Aberdeen, where we say farewell to the NE 250.

Just some of what we hope to see..

Ptarmigan	Long-tailed Duck	Glaucous Gull
Black Grouse	Red Kite	Short-eared Owl
Red-throated Diver	Hen Harrier	Redwing
Great Northern Diver	Golden Eagle	Fieldfare
Slavonian Grebe	Peregrine	Crossbill
Red-necked Grebe	Golden Plover	Snow Bunting
Whooper Swan	Purple Sandpiper	Mountain Hare
Pink-footed Goose	Bar-tailed Godwit	Otter
Velvet Scoter	Iceland Gull	Bottlenose Dolphin

Had a very enjoyable time with excellent knowledgable guides and a friendly group of people, which all in all made for a very good holiday.
Margaret Mowbray

At the Cullen Bay Hotel the beach is just a stone’s throw away and is rich in marine wildlife and dramatic coastal scenery. Banffshire is named as Scotland’s Dolphin Coast so the hotel is a natural spot for dolphin watching as well as a haven for natural wildlife. All rooms are ensuite with either a bath and/or shower, tea and coffee making facilities and free WiFi. The hotel’s restaurant looks out onto breath taking views of the sea and boasts excellent local cuisine.

All of the bedrooms at the Saplinbrae Hotel have historic charm— original cornices, quirks and nooks and crannies. Each complemented with local art, antique prints and touches of tweed from the local mill. Free WIFi available throughout.

Braemar Lodge Hotel extends a welcoming, comfortable ambience that is evident from the moment you step through the door. Dating from 1870, this splendid Victorian shooting lodge is set in its own grounds only two-minute’s stroll from the centre of Braemar. Best described as a hotel of character, it has the air of a large family house that has not forgotten its sporting origins, and is personally managed by the owners, thus ensuring a continuity of the finest standards. All bedrroms have en-suite facilities, a television and tea and coffee making facilities.

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