Wildlife and Heritage Trip to the Islands of Skye And
OTTERS, WILDLIFE AND HERITAGE OF SKYE AND RAASAY (£390 including accommodation with Bed and Breakfast only and ferry cost) 13 - 18 June 2011 (5 Nights) 8 – 13 August 2011 (5 nights) Walking about 6-8 miles a day over rough tracks This trip is designed to introduce you to the wildlife, scenery and archaeology of Skye and Raasay. Specialities include otters, eagles and seals together with some fascinating archaeological remains. Skye has the densest breeding population of golden eagles in Western Europe and the white-tailed sea eagle is also sometimes seen. The West Coast of Scotland and the Northern Isles are also the last remaining stronghold of the Eurasian otter in the UK. Two species of seal are to be found in our coastal waters: the common or harbour seal with its puppy-like face and the much rarer, large grey Atlantic seal, which likes the ruggedness of the coast around the Hebrides. Skye and Raasay lie at about 58o latitude - the same as Moscow or the Labrador Sea which freezes over every winter. We are, after all, only 5o from the Arctic Circle and yet we have a much milder climate brought about by the influence of the Gulf Stream, that huge ocean current which transports heat from the tropics to our more temperate area. Rainfall is high on the islands averaging 120cm on the coast and 300cm on the hills. The average summer temperature is about 16o and the islands have about 1,200 hours of sunshine per year. Some Highlights ... Otters, common and grey seals, red deer, porpoises, dolphins, minke whales, northern bottle-nosed whales, golden eagles, white-tailed sea eagles, kestrels, buzzards, ravens, black guillemots, golden plovers, tufted ducks, eider ducks, red- throated and great northern divers ..
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