wildlife watching

We are very lucky to live in such a wildlife-rich area, and we often find ourselves becoming used to seeing otters in front of the caravans, roe deer on the school run and hen harriers on the way to the shop! It is lovely to be able to share some of these experiences with our guests, especially children.

otters

Much of the wildlife can be seen from your caravan window as Cuan Sound is seldom empty of life. We are lucky to have a resident pair of otters who, although they spend little time together when not breeding, can both be seen at different times in the Sound. 2008 has been particularly good as the female (who until early spring had a cub in tow) has been very active and frequently seen by guests even through the summer months. Unlike otters that live in rivers, the local otters have their daily activities governed by the tides which is why they are not strictly nocturnal. The latest news (November 2008) is that the mother now has two young cubs that have been seen out with her .... and hopefully we will be seeing lots more of them over the coming months.

bottlenose dolphins

2007 was very much the "year of the dolphin" for us, with a small pod passing through the Sound on a regular basis, and even staying put for one week in the spring! The sittings in 2008 have been less frequent but have still provided us with some breathtaking displays. The photo shown was taken in February 2008 by Mike from our garden! We were able to provide the Scottish Bottlenose Dolphin Project with some id photos and sightings during 2007, which was great fun.

Cuan Sound is also a great spot for watching seals. There is a local population that often hauls out on the skerries close to us, and they pass through the Sound regularly. They are very nosy (and sometimes noisy!) and will often hang around in front of the caravans or the ferry slipway to see what is going on! This year they seem to have developed a new trick of leaping out of the water and crashing back on their sides, creating a lot of noise and spray. We're not sure if they are doing this for fun or for a particular reason, or even if there is just one individual doing it, but hopefully we will be able to find out more ... watch this space!

bird watching

Your caravan window is also a good bird watching spot as at certain states of tide a steady flow of birds coming in and out of the Sound on their way to the open sea to feed. Much of the year the species are mainly gulls, shags and cormorants but autumn sees rafts of juvenile razorbills and guillemots coming into the sound, often accompanied by a cloud of gulls who think they are missing out on a feed! During more stormy conditions we also see gannets dive-bombing in the relatively sheltered waters of the Sound.

Much of the island is grazed, but there are areas of wet grassland, bog and native woodland as well. We see a variety of bird species from the more common garden species to those of grassland such as skylarks, and those of more wild terrain, including hen harriers. We also have a good range of waders, wildfowl and shore birds, plus the more sea going species such as gannets and the occassional diver during winter months. Often the autumn and winter months are as good for seeing birds as the summer months.

We are very lucky to also enjoy the occasional sighting of the golden and white tailed sea eagles that are in the area. Both species nest within a few miles of Luing and can be seen all year round if you are very lucky and keep looking. To improve your chances of seeing them we highly recommend either a trip on the wildlife watching boat Porpoise II or by taking a day trip to Mull. We also regularly see sparrowhawks, peregrine falcons, kestrel, and hen harriers on the island.

mammals

Being on an island means that there are certain species that you will never see ... including hedgehogs, rats, rabbits and snakes. But instead we have a very healthy population of hares (including a resident family on site which you will probably only see at night). Fallow and Roe Deer are also present on the island and tend to keep well hidden away in the more wooded sections of the island, but can still be seen if you are lucky at dusk and dawn from the road. There is also a small but hardy population of feral goats. They tend to stick to the slopes and cliffs along the western edge of the island so need a little more perseverance to spot.

wild flowers

With a range of habitats there are also a wide range of wild flowers to be seen on Luing through the summer, including the only recorded site for Greater Spearwort in Argyll. The orchids are particularly apparent as they are so visible from the roads on the island, and also in large patches on the caravan site.

There is much in the area to interest keen wildlife enthusiasts, but if you are less confident, then the range of guide books available to borrow at Sunnybrae should help you identify your finds. There are a wide variety of day trips available in the area, including cetacean watching by boat, viewing breeding puffins on the Treshish Isles, and landrover wildlife safaris on Mull. If you are interested in any of the trips in the area, please ask us when you book as some are only available at particular times of year.

So whether it is a sighting of otters or seals in the Sound in front of the caravans, peregrines and buzzards patrolling for prey, or spotting the fallow or roe deer on the island, many guests find that the wildlife is one of the highlights of their stay at Sunnybrae.

Firth of Lorn Marine Special Area of Conservation
Luing borders the eastern edge of the Firth of Lorn. Renowned for its powerful tidal currents, rugged coastline and scattering of islands the Firth shelters a rich diversity of marine life. There are a wide variety of boat trips available locally to explore the area, ranging from high speed RIB rides, to more leisurely hardboat cruises. If you would like to know a little more about this important marine area see the Firth of Lorn SAC website.

Ballachuan Hazel Wood (Scottish Wildlife Trust Reserve)
Just across Cuan Sound from us on the south-east corner of Seil Island, the reserve includes 49 hectares of hazel wood, wet grassland and rocky shore. The wood has a rich ground flora and is an important site for lichens. Species of interest on the reserve include otter, badger and marsh fritillary. It is a rich site for breeding birds with a good cross section of summer migrants. It is best visited in the spring before the bracken grows up, and again in the autumn and winter.

More information is available at www.scotland4wildlifeholidays.co.uk about local wildlife tours and nature reserves in the area.

astronomy

The highlands and islands of Scotland are one of the best areas in Europe for dark skies ....perfect for good star gazing! We enjoy fantastic views of the night sky free from light pollution and can see the Milky Way, shooting stars and even satellites here at night. There is some excellent information and resources provided by Dark Sky Scotland that are well worth a look, especially if you are coming here on holiday with children. We also have some astronomy books and charts available for guests to borrow.