Wednesday 17 December 2014

A week in the Cairngorms.

Back in late November Joyce & I were joined by Dan & Mary ( son and daughter in law) for a weeks holiday in the Cairngorms NP in Scotland, a region we really love and have visited on a few occasions. We were based in a nice cottage near Granton on Spey which was ideal for getting to some of the sites I knew should provide us with good wildlife and scenery, I tend to drag them around with me but they have learned to trust me to take them to some nice places (mostly).A really nice week ,the weather was kindish (though they had snow a week later which would have been nice) and we managed to see some of the wildlife on the agenda, although we tried to find Capercaillie without any luck, saw Crested Tits but no photo and I decided against the Pine Martin hide (so a good reason to return in the future)
Cairngorms National Park

View behind the cottage

Roe Deer Buck

Roe Deer, pretty common

Red Grouse near Cairngorm ruffling wet feathers

Red Grouse calling in the rain

Red Grouse ,Cairn  gorm

Red Grouse in the Heather

Whooper Swan at Boat of Garten

Whoopers Swans at Boat of Garten

Scots Pines at Loch an Eilein

Golden Eagle at Findhorn Valley

Three of the five Golden Eagles seen together at Findhorn Valley

Golden Eagle-Findhorn valley

Golden Eagle joined by a White Tailed Eagle at Findhorn Valley

White Tailed Eagle-Findhorn Valley

View over Findhorn complete with Mountain Hare

Mountain Hare portrait

Mountain Hare, some of the whiter ones stuck out like sore thumbs

Mountain Hare

Mountain Hare

Mountain Hare

Findhorn Valley-Joyce walking on the right.

Red Deer Stag at Findhorn

Red Deer Stag by the roadside.

Red  Deer on the slopes

Trees in the mist-near Granton on Spey.