Scotland09

Drawn north by the sad (though very moving and celebratory) occasion of Duncan Stewart's memorial service in Oban, we added on a few days on Mull and in the Highlands, as we think Duncan would have suggested! While the weather thwarted us in our attempt to see Chequered Skipper (next time....) and we just couldn't find a Golden Eagle, we saw a remarkable cross-section of Scotland's special species in just a few days.

The highlights were undoubtedly Otters in the sealochs of Mull, an ultra-tame Pine Marten at a B&B booked for just that purpose (!), White-tailed Eagle at the nest, calling Corncrakes (invisibly) on the Tresnish Isles, plus hundreds of Puffins and other seabirds, numerous Ospreys, Black Grouse, Capercaillie, Scottish Crossbill, Slavonian Grebe, Red-throated and (vocal) Great Northern Divers, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Dipper, Twite and all the 'regular' species too. Farewell, dear Duncan.