Northern Scotland (2 Viewers)

[Nikolai Kolev]

Hello
I will visit Scotland next month, mainly to see some seabirds. My route will be something like that shown on the screenshot, and maybe to Orkney islands.
Is there some good places around this route good for red grouse, rock ptarmigan and scotish crossbill? I have a friend who live in Scotland, and i will use it like a driver, but he is not birdwatcher, and i don't want to ask him to walk a lot, so i am searching for a places with easy access.

 

[Andy Lakin]

I would seriously recommend the app Where to Watch Birds in Scotland for info on sites and what might be seen.

 

[delia todd]

Hi Nikolai

On leaving Aberdeen you will soon come to Newburgh and the Eden Estuary. You can view some of this from the car. Further north, before Fraserburgh is the RSPB reserve of Loch of Strathbeg, they will no doubt be able to give you quite a bit of the latest news.

I agree with Andy about the Where to Watch Birds in Scotland. Also there is our Opus articles, you can access the Scottish ones from this page: Category:Scotland - BirdForum Opus

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Some good seabird colonies can be accessed as you leave Aberdeen. Bullers of Buchan is just south of Peterhead (Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes) and Troup Head (breeding Gannets) is to the west of Fraserburgh. You should start seeing Black Guillemots regularly along the coast from there on.

You will need to go to more mountainous areas for Ptarmigan, although you may get Red Grouse on moorland near your route. You won't be able to reliably identify Scottish Crossbill without good sound recordings and maybe not even then.

 

[Farnboro John]

There is no Scottish Crossbill.

John

 

[Nikolai Kolev]

Thank you all

 

[Andy Lakin]

Just found a good website that I've not used before highlandbirds.scot with up to date sightings and a site guide.