Holiday Scotland - award-winning holidays & short breaks in Scotland from McKinlay Kidd

• Call us on: 0844 804 0020*

• Request a tailor-made holiday

• Search

  Search
• Map search
• Sign up for our e-newsletter

Wildlife Holidays: Scottish Wildlife holidays

Itinerary WE-6: Cairngorms Wildlife from GBP 349 per person for 3nts

This special holiday combines two unforgettable Scottish wildlife experiences with a conveniently located, relaxed country house hotel.

Day with a private wildlife guide

What better way to experience Scotland's wildlife than in the company of a highly experienced and knowledgeable guide? Your programme for the day will be tailored to suit, with your guide using their unbeatable local knowledge to track down the species you most want to see.

Choose from the following themes:
Highland Glens for golden eagles, red deer, red-throated divers, red kites, ring ouzels
Pine Forest, with such species as capercallie, black grouse, crested tits or Scottish crossbills, and the chance of red squirrels.
Moorland & Moray Firth – begin the day exploring moorland for red grouse, black throated divers and mountain hares then on to the Moray Firth for osprey, seaduck and reans, with a good chance of bottlenose dolphins and otters.

Evening wildlife watching

This unique experience includes up to three hours at a comfortable purpose-built hide in the Cairngorms National Park, where pine martens and badgers, as well as other wild mammals, are regularly seen. (Bill Oddie and the BBC have visited here regularly to film.) Throughout your visit to the baited hide - which is fitted with outside spotlights - you will be accompanied by an expert guide who will keep you informed about everything that you see. You will be in a small group of no more than 12.

Your Hotel

Originally a sporting lodge, your elegant hotel is set amidst 10 beautiful acres of the best ‘Monarch of the Glen’ countryside within the Cairngorms National Park. Surrounded by forests and mountains, you can even glimpse an ancient castle as you stroll through the gardens or take tea on the elevated garden terrace. In a throwback to Victorian tradition, two majestic, shaggy highland cows provide a captivating focal point among the leafy trees and bushes. Recently refurbished and updated the hotel is a wonderful blend of the traditional and modern, and has become an elegant yet informal ‘boutique-style’ country house where you immediately feel at home. Dining in the impressive Victorian conservatory is quite an experience. There is an extensive and imaginative wine list and a menu focussed on the best local produce.

What else to see and do

This is a great touring centre for the stunning Cairngorms National Park and the surrounding highland landscape of majestic mountains, rivers and lochs. The hotel is a mine of information on local walks and excursions, several beginning in and around the village itself. The towns of Aviemore and Grantown on Spey are within easy reach, as are the glorious sandy beaches of the Moray coast and the myriad distilleries of Speyside.

Prices & Dates

This holiday can be arranged from mid February to end October 2010.

The price is £349 per person for holidays in February, March, £359 per person in April & October, £379 per person for May, June & September  and £389 per person for July & August 2009.
All prices based on 2 people sharing a double room, for 3 nights on a bed & breakfast basis, including a day with a private wildlife guide exploring the highlights of Cairngorms wildlife, and an evening visit to a wildlife hide to view badgers and pine martens.

Note for wildlife trips: We of course cannot guarantee that you will see any of the wildlife described - these are wild animals and as such cannot be called to order, and no refund will be made if you are unlucky enough not to see any of the animals described, despite the very best efforts of the guides.

All our touring holidays include a map of Scotland with recommended routes from your specified starting point, suggestions on places to see and visit depending on your personal interests and our expertise to help you get the most from your holiday. All itineraries and room types are presented subject to availability at specific hotels.

The McKinlay Kidd Guarantee

All our holiday prices include a service charge of £8 per person per night towards the costs we incur in researching, planning and designing your holiday. We guarantee to refund this service charge if you believe that arranging your holiday through McKinlay Kidd has not met your expectations for value. All we ask is that you write to us within 7 days of your return and explain your reason for claiming the refund. This will ensure that we can improve the experience for all our future guests.