Best Birdwatching Sites: Scottish Highlands 1st edition
By Gordon Hamlett
"...it is the yardstick by which other guides must now be measured."
I CANNOT think of any way to improve upon this formula, content or presentation – it is the yardstick by which other guides must now be measured. From which you will gather I am a fan of this series; the look feel, layout, design and very practical maps drawn up by the publisher herself; Hilary Cromack, are all first class.
This volume is no exception and Gordon Hamlett has made sure that this is well written and has a lightness of touch which lifts what would otherwise be a dry and practical guide. I like the way he presents the guide as a series of drives through the Highlands – not least as this is the way that disabled birders will see the countryside and birds as many of the sites have topography which is too steep to allow ingress by wheelchair or those who, like me, are ‘hard of walking’. He does not neglect this aspect of access and, where there is such access he records it.
For the rest of you able-bodied birders it is still the best way of seeing the country and its birds – which are often as spectacular as the scenery they inhabit. As he points out you may not see as many species in a week as you could at one of East Anglia’s reserves in a day; but many you have little chance of seeing south of the border.
As someone who, like Gordon, travelled to Scotland every May for a number of years the drives were a journey down memory lane as well as down the single track roads that abound in the area. Few places on earth can match the physical beauty of the Scottish Highlands in the light of an early summer dawn or dusk. One of my most memorable days was spent on the Farr road where no less than 7 raptors appeared before me in a 10-minute purple patch that comes once in a lifetime.
If you have never been – go! When you go, take this book with you and experience the best birding drives for yourself.
Bo Beolens (fatbirder website)
............................................
"...a true and accurate reflection of what you can expect to find..."
THIS PAPERBACK covers the Scottish Highlands (ie north of Perth) and is an excellent guide to some of the best bird sites that are easily reachable from the road. Remember that Scotland is a big country and it is not possible to cover it all in a day or two (..even by car !!).
To get the best from some of the sites it is necessary to park the car and walk, carrying a tripod to the lochs can be very rewarding for the views of the different divers and ducks available. Some of the "tours" involve mountain walks and should only be undertaken by fit walkers who have the necessary map and compass skills to navigate in a Scottish mist. (note... mobile phones don't always work in mountainous areas). The author gives the appropriate warnings.
It is worth buying this book to plan birding trips to the Highlands as it can save a lot of time in the planning stage. Some of the trips are on single track roads and the time taken to traverse these is considerable, with average speeds of 20 mph being achievable, lots of blind summits and crazy bends.
I have visited half the sites reviewed and the descriptions given by the author are a true and accurate reflection of what you can expect to find, with some unexpected treats. Plus, some sites have other natural attactions, plants, fungi, moths, pine martins, seals and dolphins.
I recommend this book to anybody planning a birding holiday in the Highlands.
Amazon review - Adrian F. Condon (Hertfordshire, England)
......................................................................................
"....a handy companion for visiting the Scottish Highlands throughout the year."
THE AUTHOR has used his experience and knowledge to put together an informative guide to the Scottish Highlands. The majority of featured tours work well, although some information is either out-of-date or, in some cases, missing. It may have been more useful to have taken each site by name, with its interesting birds featured on a seasonal basis.
The choice of sites is a little baffling. Easter Ross is hardly mentioned at all, while Tarbat Ness, Nigg Bay and Loch Eye are omitted entirely – a major error as these are three of the premier birding sites in northern Scotland.
The general layout of the book is good, with useful tips at the start of each tour itinerary mentioning food, fuel, tourist offices and other information. The maps would have been better if they were in colour to reflect habitat types; in their present form they appear rather washed out. The main map of Scotland and sites is a little misleading; for example if you look up Grantown-on-Spey, it suggests Tour 13 but the area is in fact covered under Tour 6.
Useful information includes the code of conduct for observing Capercaillie and Black Grouse, but there is no mention of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, which is an important piece of legislation for birders and others using the countryside in Scotland.
The Scottish bird list provided in the book is interesting, although it may have been better to display this information in the form of a yearly graph rather than a checklist, to allow readers to easily interpret whether the birds they hoped to see would be present during their planned visit. Although it needs a bit of updating, this book is nonetheless a handy companion for visiting the Scottish Highlands throughout the year.
Mark Finn (Birdwatch magazine)
...............................................
Best Birdwatching Sites: Scottish Highlands 2nd edition
'Making the most of the Highlands'
ANYTHING that helps you get most out of your wildlife watching has got to be a good thing, especially when in an area you don’t know very well. And if that is Highland Scotland then a step in the right direction would be picking up a copy of the excellent Best Birdwatching Sites: Scottish Highlands.
This is the second edition of Gordon Hamlett’s book, first published in 2005. This 240-page paperback contains 27 birding routes, 217 maps, a complete Scottish bird checklist and a month-by-month guide.
Though primarily covering Highland, this expanded version includes a few spots in Perthshire, Aberdeenshire and complete coverage of Handa, Mull and Skye. Scottish sites south of these regions are not included. [Ed: Dumfries & Galloway is covered comprehensively in BBS: The Solway].
The locations mentioned are excellent and the narrative well explained, helping you to get the most from each. The maps are invaluable at pointing out where to spend time and what to expect. The iconic Scottish species are all well covered, and lots more besides, but never to the detriment of the birds’ nesting or lekking locations. And it’s not just birds – other wildlife ranging from pine marten and dolphins to otter and Daubenten’s bat – is also included.
Advice for less mobile visitors is very helpful. There is plenty of information on navigating, driving and parking too.
This book will certainly put you in the right place, and if you put the time in, you will maximise your chances of connecting with target species. This guide is pretty much a ‘must pack’ for your Highland birding trip.
Mark Caunt (Birdwatch magazine, May 2014 edition).
Fat birder View
I said of the first edition… “…you will gather I am a fan of this series; the look feel, layout, design and very practical maps drawn up by the publisher herself; Hilary Cromack, are all first class' This volume is no exception and Gordon Hamlett has made sure that this is well written and has a lightness of touch which lifts what would otherwise be a dry and practical guide.
Updated and added content are an added bonus and this is even more the guide of choice to the Highlands.
Bo Beolens Fatbirder website
I CANNOT think of any way to improve upon this formula, content or presentation – it is the yardstick by which other guides must now be measured. From which you will gather I am a fan of this series; the look feel, layout, design and very practical maps drawn up by the publisher herself; Hilary Cromack, are all first class.
This volume is no exception and Gordon Hamlett has made sure that this is well written and has a lightness of touch which lifts what would otherwise be a dry and practical guide. I like the way he presents the guide as a series of drives through the Highlands – not least as this is the way that disabled birders will see the countryside and birds as many of the sites have topography which is too steep to allow ingress by wheelchair or those who, like me, are ‘hard of walking’. He does not neglect this aspect of access and, where there is such access he records it.
For the rest of you able-bodied birders it is still the best way of seeing the country and its birds – which are often as spectacular as the scenery they inhabit. As he points out you may not see as many species in a week as you could at one of East Anglia’s reserves in a day; but many you have little chance of seeing south of the border.
As someone who, like Gordon, travelled to Scotland every May for a number of years the drives were a journey down memory lane as well as down the single track roads that abound in the area. Few places on earth can match the physical beauty of the Scottish Highlands in the light of an early summer dawn or dusk. One of my most memorable days was spent on the Farr road where no less than 7 raptors appeared before me in a 10-minute purple patch that comes once in a lifetime.
If you have never been – go! When you go, take this book with you and experience the best birding drives for yourself.
Bo Beolens (fatbirder website)
............................................
"...a true and accurate reflection of what you can expect to find..."
THIS PAPERBACK covers the Scottish Highlands (ie north of Perth) and is an excellent guide to some of the best bird sites that are easily reachable from the road. Remember that Scotland is a big country and it is not possible to cover it all in a day or two (..even by car !!).
To get the best from some of the sites it is necessary to park the car and walk, carrying a tripod to the lochs can be very rewarding for the views of the different divers and ducks available. Some of the "tours" involve mountain walks and should only be undertaken by fit walkers who have the necessary map and compass skills to navigate in a Scottish mist. (note... mobile phones don't always work in mountainous areas). The author gives the appropriate warnings.
It is worth buying this book to plan birding trips to the Highlands as it can save a lot of time in the planning stage. Some of the trips are on single track roads and the time taken to traverse these is considerable, with average speeds of 20 mph being achievable, lots of blind summits and crazy bends.
I have visited half the sites reviewed and the descriptions given by the author are a true and accurate reflection of what you can expect to find, with some unexpected treats. Plus, some sites have other natural attactions, plants, fungi, moths, pine martins, seals and dolphins.
I recommend this book to anybody planning a birding holiday in the Highlands.
Amazon review - Adrian F. Condon (Hertfordshire, England)
......................................................................................
"....a handy companion for visiting the Scottish Highlands throughout the year."
THE AUTHOR has used his experience and knowledge to put together an informative guide to the Scottish Highlands. The majority of featured tours work well, although some information is either out-of-date or, in some cases, missing. It may have been more useful to have taken each site by name, with its interesting birds featured on a seasonal basis.
The choice of sites is a little baffling. Easter Ross is hardly mentioned at all, while Tarbat Ness, Nigg Bay and Loch Eye are omitted entirely – a major error as these are three of the premier birding sites in northern Scotland.
The general layout of the book is good, with useful tips at the start of each tour itinerary mentioning food, fuel, tourist offices and other information. The maps would have been better if they were in colour to reflect habitat types; in their present form they appear rather washed out. The main map of Scotland and sites is a little misleading; for example if you look up Grantown-on-Spey, it suggests Tour 13 but the area is in fact covered under Tour 6.
Useful information includes the code of conduct for observing Capercaillie and Black Grouse, but there is no mention of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, which is an important piece of legislation for birders and others using the countryside in Scotland.
The Scottish bird list provided in the book is interesting, although it may have been better to display this information in the form of a yearly graph rather than a checklist, to allow readers to easily interpret whether the birds they hoped to see would be present during their planned visit. Although it needs a bit of updating, this book is nonetheless a handy companion for visiting the Scottish Highlands throughout the year.
Mark Finn (Birdwatch magazine)
...............................................
Best Birdwatching Sites: Scottish Highlands 2nd edition
'Making the most of the Highlands'
ANYTHING that helps you get most out of your wildlife watching has got to be a good thing, especially when in an area you don’t know very well. And if that is Highland Scotland then a step in the right direction would be picking up a copy of the excellent Best Birdwatching Sites: Scottish Highlands.
This is the second edition of Gordon Hamlett’s book, first published in 2005. This 240-page paperback contains 27 birding routes, 217 maps, a complete Scottish bird checklist and a month-by-month guide.
Though primarily covering Highland, this expanded version includes a few spots in Perthshire, Aberdeenshire and complete coverage of Handa, Mull and Skye. Scottish sites south of these regions are not included. [Ed: Dumfries & Galloway is covered comprehensively in BBS: The Solway].
The locations mentioned are excellent and the narrative well explained, helping you to get the most from each. The maps are invaluable at pointing out where to spend time and what to expect. The iconic Scottish species are all well covered, and lots more besides, but never to the detriment of the birds’ nesting or lekking locations. And it’s not just birds – other wildlife ranging from pine marten and dolphins to otter and Daubenten’s bat – is also included.
Advice for less mobile visitors is very helpful. There is plenty of information on navigating, driving and parking too.
This book will certainly put you in the right place, and if you put the time in, you will maximise your chances of connecting with target species. This guide is pretty much a ‘must pack’ for your Highland birding trip.
Mark Caunt (Birdwatch magazine, May 2014 edition).
Fat birder View
I said of the first edition… “…you will gather I am a fan of this series; the look feel, layout, design and very practical maps drawn up by the publisher herself; Hilary Cromack, are all first class' This volume is no exception and Gordon Hamlett has made sure that this is well written and has a lightness of touch which lifts what would otherwise be a dry and practical guide.
Updated and added content are an added bonus and this is even more the guide of choice to the Highlands.
Bo Beolens Fatbirder website