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Home , Dunnet, Dunnet Head, Scrabster, Thurso

Courtesy of Head Educational Trust &

To John O’Groats and BeyondCourtesy of Northshots

Courtesy of Educational Trust

Leave on the A9, As you continue north past From Wick, follow the A99 Past , the A9 takes The tidal reaches of the River travelling north towards the imposing Dunrobin to John o’ Groats where an you to where the Thurso are good for waders Dornoch. Once over the Castle, any stop along the unclassified road takes you ferry across the Pentland and ducks. The A836, west Kessock Bridge, a detour can coast gives a chance of to the seabird colonies of to Orkney only takes of the town takes you along be taken across the Black common seals hauled out . During the 1 1/2 hours. Look out for coastal stretches which hold Isle on the A832 to Cromarty on the shore or dolphins breeding season shags, puffins cetaceans throughout the waders, divers and eider in for a boat trip out into the out to sea. Inland lochs are and guillemots can be seen crossing and seabirds whilst the sandy bays and rock Moray Firth with Ecoventures home to ducks and waders, on the Geo of Sclaites and the rounding the Old Man of dove, skuas and harriers to look for the UK’s most whilst the hills are the haunt offshore stacks. Heading west, . You can join tours with on the moors. At Melvich northerly pod of bottlenose of peregrine, golden eagle any sheltered bay along the local wildlife guides, such Bay, turn left onto the A897 dolphins. Continue up the A9 and red deer. At Dunbeath, A836 may harbour divers and as Orcadian Wildlife or you towards Kinbrace. This is the lookingDay out for1 the distinctive theDay signposted 2 woodland eider,Day whilst offshore3 watch for canDay take the car4 ferry over heartDay of the “flow5 country”, shape of common seals walks give you a chance minke whales and risso’s and to the island of Hoy, haunt home to golden plover, hen hauled out on the sandbanks to see yellowhammer and white-beaked dolphins. The of short-eared owls and hen harrier, short-eared owl, as you cross the bridge over greenfinch, whilst merlin, large hide at the Loch of Mey, harriers and a further array of greenshank and dunlin, as the Cromarty Firth. Continue short-eared owl, hen harrier just past the Castle of Mey, majestic seabird cliffs. Return well as red deer and golden on until and turn and kestrel can all be found is a good spot for ducks and to Scrabster at the end of eagle. At Forsinairn, walks right down the unclassified on the open moors. Where waders, and white-fronted geese the day. through Forestry Commission road to Littleferry. Car parks the A9 turns inland, continue in winter. At Dunnet, the B855 Woodland can give you the along this road give access along the coast on the A99 to takes you past a small hide at chance of Scottish crossbill. to SWT’s Loch Fleet Reserve. Wick. The unclassified road St John’s Loch, haunt of little At Forsinard, the RSPB Scanning out over the bay north east of Wick will take grebe, terns and otter. The pools visitor centre has details of will reward you with views of you out to Noss Head where on the road to Dunnet Head, the all the birds seen in the “flow eider, shelduck, red-breasted puffins and other seabirds most northerly point of mainland country” as well as cameras merganser, oystercatcher, can be seen during the Britain, are frequented by red- trained on a hen harrier nest. wigeon, bar-tailed godwits, summer, close to the ruined throated diver, and the moors Red throated divers nest on terns and geese, depending Sinclair and Girnigoe Castles. are home to raven and red small lochans and in spring on the tides and the season. grouse. Dunnet Head is a good the area is alive with the spot to watch breeding seabirds. sounds of breeding waders. Watch out great and arctic skuas that divebomb the unwary.

Wildlife Highlights Jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sept oct nov dec

1 Bottlenose dolphin best in summer ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 2 Common seal ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 3 Golden eagle ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 4 Great northern diver ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 5 Guillemot ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 6 Hen harrier ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 7 Puffin all year round ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 8 Red throated diver ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 9 Short-eared owl ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 10 White fronted goose ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Caithness & Orkney To John O’Groats and Beyond www.wild-scotland.co.uk 2 John o’ groats SCOTLAND thurso Orkney 5 caithness & orkney

wick

To John O’Groats and Beyond

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dornoch

Courtesy of Northern Light Charters 1

6 inverness

Courtesy of Dunnet Head Educational Trust

ROUTE STATISTICS Length 5 days / 4 nights Mode of transport Car Organisations not shown on the map are either Start/finish Inverness regional initiatives or run holidays to the area, but are based elsewhere.

1 ecoventures 4 north tourism holiday companies Wildlife watching boat trips from Tourism association for the North Highlands. C-N-Do Scotland Cromarty on the Moray Firth. Tel: 01786 445703 www.cndoscotland.com Tel: 01381 600323 Tel: 07970 027741 www.ecoventures.co.uk www.northhighlandsscotland.com Heatherlea (Scotland) Tel: 1479 821248 www.heatherlea.co.uk 2 dunnet head educational trust 5 orcadian wildlife Speyside Wildlife Tel: 01479 812498 Small charity promoting the Dunnet Head area. Wildlife watching holidays on www.speysidewildlife.co.uk Orkney and . Wild Green Travel Tel: 01847 851774 Tel: 01856 831240 Tel: 0131 4786500 www.dunnethead.co.uk www.orcadianwildlife.co.uk www.wildgreentravel.com Wildoutdoors Tel: 01350 727201 3 highland unbridled 6 red kite tours www.wildoutdoors.info

Trekking centre and riding school Wildlife tours throughout the Highlands And even further North... offering wildlife watching rides. with wildlife guide, Jonathan Willet. Shetland Nature Tel: 01408 622789 Tel: 07740 216595 Tel: 01957 733372 www.highlandsunbridled.co.uk www.redkitetours.co.uk www.shetlandnature.net

Caithness & Orkney To John O’Groats and Beyond www.wild-scotland.co.uk