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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Isle of Mull - Can anybody help us? (1 Viewer)

J

JoshB

New member
Hi,

First post this, please be gentle with me!

My family are spending the last 2 weeks of August on holiday around Loch Ness, I have a bird mad 12 year old son who is on a mission to try and find some of the special birds and I'm going to try my best to help him succeed.

We're discussing driving down to Oban and having a day over on Mull. Does anybody have an opinion/experience regarding the guided tours available? The other option is to travel around Mull ourselves and see what we can find, I presume this will be less productive, but obviously cheaper!

Also, we're considering visiting Aviemore/Loch Garten to try and view the Ospreys. Will this still be worthwhile in late August or can anybody advise us on a beter location?

Any help would be greatly appreciated or any other ideas regarding birding opportunities around the Loch Ness area.

Thanks

Josh
 
In late August you might miss the ospreys they can be away by then, but your son will be able to see Crested Tits on the feeders, a species only found there in the UK.

There is lots to see on Mull but it is a long way from Loch Ness, the tour companies will pick you form Craignure so you can offset the cost of the guided tour by not taking the car on the ferry.
 
JoshB said:
Hi,

First post this, please be gentle with me!

My family are spending the last 2 weeks of August on holiday around Loch Ness, I have a bird mad 12 year old son who is on a mission to try and find some of the special birds and I'm going to try my best to help him succeed.

We're discussing driving down to Oban and having a day over on Mull. Does anybody have an opinion/experience regarding the guided tours available? The other option is to travel around Mull ourselves and see what we can find, I presume this will be less productive, but obviously cheaper!

Also, we're considering visiting Aviemore/Loch Garten to try and view the Ospreys. Will this still be worthwhile in late August or can anybody advise us on a beter location?

Any help would be greatly appreciated or any other ideas regarding birding opportunities around the Loch Ness area.

Thanks

Josh
Click to expand...

Josh
There are some of the tours will pick you up at the ferry. I have used Wild About Mull and it was very good. Have a look at the Mull Birds website, there are others on there. Never been to Mull in August, the website has sightings so you could look at last year. When you balance ferry cost against tour cost and fuel etc may not be hugely different. You would certainly see more on a tour I guess.

Around Loch Ness at the Northern end you have Loch Ruthven for Slav grebes, again don't know if they are still there at end of August, perhaps someone else on he forum can help. I'd invest in Gordon Hamlett's book Best Birdwatching Sites in the Scottish Highlands, its excellent.

Hope others chip in to help you.

Regards

Phil
 
AS Mono says Mull is quite a long drive from Loch Ness. I, would concentrate on the birding sites around Loch Ness and Inverness. A visit to the Findhorn valley is usually good for Eagles, and the small towns along the Moray Firth provide good views of seabirds usually. Try Spey bay and Burghhead along that coast and inland there is Loch Garten and Inch Marshes and Loch Ruthven.As mentioned also Gordon Hamlett's book lists all the best birding places in that part of the world.
 
d.steeley said:
According to Google maps Fort Augustus to Oban is 75 miles, likely to take a little under 2 hours.

Dave
Click to expand...
It can be done in quite a bit less Dave unless you get caught behind campers/ caravaners/ Micras. We left early from Loch Ruthven and comfortably got there for the ferry with time to spare.

Black Guilemots btw from where you wait for the ferry Josh.

Rich
 
From the Loch Ness area the quickest and cheapest way by far to Mull is via the Coran Ferry-Lochaline-Fishnish route.....not Oban! It's about 90 minutes from Fort William depending on ferry timing to Fishnish, Mull. I doubt if you'd do it within three hours including ferry crossing via Oban.
 
Last edited:
markgrubb said:
Or if Tobermory is the departing point for tours the Kilchoan-Tobermory route is an option
Click to expand...

Though it would still be quicker to cross to Fishnish and drive to Tobe from there. :)
Whichever route getting there is half the fun in my book anyway!
 
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