Winter Wildlife 3 Day Special

Winter is arguably the best season to photograph many of the speciality species of the Scottish Highlands. The wildlife is in fine fettle with pristine plumage and thick winter coats and tends to be more approachable, allowing for exciting close-up encounters. There are a number of species that can be photographed during the winter months within or close to the Cairngorms National Park and these include Red Squirrel, Mountain Hare, Red Deer, Ptarmigan and Red Grouse and we hope to be able to cover all of these species during your visit if conditions allow. There may also be opportunities to photograph Buzzard, Crested Tit and Snow Bunting depending on activity and current weather conditions.

Typically, we would try to photograph two species per day given favourable weather conditions but for ptarmigan we would dedicate a full day as this involves a longer walk to reach the birds high in the mountains. The itinerary will remain completely flexible so that we can optimise our chances of photographing each species in the best possible conditions. We may have more than one session with some of the species such as red squirrel and mountain hare but again this can be governed by the aspirations of the group. It is also possible to opt out of the more strenuous day for ptarmigan and spend further time in the hides.

For a full break down of what's involved for each species please see the details on the Winter Wildlife page.

Group Size

3 persons

Transport

Transport to or from locations is not included as part of this package but we'll try to adopt a car sharing policy where possible to limit vehicle use.

Times

Typically 0830 until 1700 with approx 5-6 hours of photography in the field depending on subject and travel times between locations.

Recommended Camera Gear

• Digital SLR camera body
• Telephoto lenses are rquired for all species in the range of 300-600mm.
• Solid tripod with suitable head for supporting telephoto lens.
• Bean bag for working from vehicle and / or hide
• Camera bag with waterproof cover

Other Recommended Gear

• Layered clothing - base layer, mid layer, warm layer, waterproof jacket / overtrousers
• Waterproof / warm boots plus waterproof gaiters for walking in snow
• Hat and gloves / mittens (waterproof outer gloves if working in snow)
• Spikes for boots e.g.Kahtoola Microspikes for mountain walking
• Food and warm drink / soup

Price includes

• Full guiding service from pre-arranged meeting point (Carrbridge or Aviemore)
• Photographic guidance in the field
• Use of photographic hides

What’s not included

• Transport
• Meals / drinks
• Accommodation 
• Any other items of a personal nature