The headline list reads: red deer, golden eagle, red squirrel, otter, seal, hare, salmon, pine marten. The real list is what we see on the day. We watch the weather, we watch the tides, we know which estate keepers are happy to have us at first light, and we plan the route around the hour the wildlife is actually moving rather than the hour the tourist board prefers.
The Cairngorms for the deer and the snow buntings. Galloway for the kites and the dark-sky reserves. The Tay estuary for seals. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs for woodland walks and pine marten feeding stations. Mull for white-tailed eagles when the day stretches that far.
For wildlife photographers, families with curious kids, slow travellers, painters, twitchers, and anyone whose ideal day in Scotland is one with as little tarmac as possible. We carry tripods, hold the lens lid, and stay quiet at the right moment.
