Best Wildlife Areas on the West Coast of Scotland

There are many great reasons to visit Scotland’s West Coast, from beautiful scenery on the mainland and nearby Hebridean islands, to quaint towns and villages serving delicious local produce. However, perhaps one of the most exciting reasons to visit is the West Coast’s incredibly diverse range of wildlife.

As an island nation, Scotland contains a variety of marine and coastal ecosystems, each teeming with an enormous variety of birds, mammals, and aquatic life, as well as species on its mainland that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

With opportunities to get up close to local wildlife all along the coast and on nearby islands, join us below as we run through some of our favourites.

Staffa National Nature Reserve

As a nation with some incredibly dramatic coastal scenery, it’s no surprise that Scotland, particularly its west coast, plays host to a diverse range of bird species, and one of the premier examples of this is at Staffa’s National Nature Reserve.

Staffa’s reserve is home to several bird species, including (but not limited to) puffins, razorbills, guillemots, gannets and shags. Enthusiasts will delight in the ability to stand just a few metres away from many of these birds (although some may be more pleased to see you than others).

As a boat is required to visit the island, you’ll have the chance not just to admire the local scenery (including the iconic Fingals Cave) but also, on rare occasions, to see a number of marine mammals and fish, including seals, dolphins, minke whales and warmer months, basking sharks!

Visiting Staffa from Oban or Mull is easy. Staffa Tours offers several great tours geared toward visitors to the island. If you’re looking for more info on Staffa, visit our Staffa/Puffin blog.

Isle of Skye

Did you know that Scotland’s most iconic animals are collectively known as ‘The Big Five’?

These are:

• Red deer
• Red squirrel
• Golden eagle
• Otter
• Common seal

While there are many places in Scotland where you can see these magnificent creatures, one of the most popular is the Isle of Skye. With its incredibly scenic backdrop, seeing any of these animals in this dramatic landscape is a real treat for tourists and wildlife enthusiasts alike.

That’s not all Skye has to offer, however. On its coasts, you’ll find whales, dolphins, and the genuinely magnificent sea eagle (particularly near Glendale). While inland, you might even have a chance to spot the rare pine marten or corn crake.

Visiting Skye from Oban is most commonly achieved via car or bus and can take at least three and a half hours, so be prepared for an early start to make the most of your time on the island.

Largiebaan

Moving south, we come to the Largiebaan nature reserve on the Kintyre peninsula. A sprawling area covered in bog and heath, the 100-mile Kintyre Way passes through this area, allowing visitors to see one of Scotland’s most remote landscapes for themselves.

Consequently, wildlife is abundant here. Not only will you find many other terrestrial species elsewhere on this list, but an enormous variety of incredible birds, such as snipes, skylarks, lapwings, kestrels, crossbills, grey seals and otters, and even reptiles, including the adder and common lizard.

While the drive to Largiebaan from Oban will take just under three hours by car, those wishing to visit via the Kintyre way can travel to Tarbert in just over an hour by car, or three hours via bus.

St Kilda

This location is a little more out there… literally.

While Staffa is one of the most common ways to admire Scotland’s seabirds, St Kilda is the ultimate destination for those who want an experience like no other.

Inhabited for 4000 years until 1930, when the island was permanently evacuated, St Kilda is known as the ‘island at the edge of the world’ due to how secluded it is.

It’s now a dual UNESCO World Heritage Site. Due to its historical and natural significance, it is the only one of its kind in the UK, and just 39 worldwide!

Regarding its natural heritage, St Kilda boasts the largest puffin colony in the UK and one of the largest gannet colonies in the world (Bass Rock on Scotland’s East coast is the largest of all), as well as many other seabird varieties.

However, those exploring the island will be pleased to find some rather interesting terrestrial beasties, including the Soay sheep, from which all Soay sheep worldwide are descended, as well as larger species of wren and mice that are found only on the St Kilda archipelago.

Despite being 45 miles from the mainland, visits to St Kilda are more abundant than you might think, with tours and cruises.

Summary

While these sites are just a fraction of the possibilities available to those visiting Scotland’s West Coast, they highlight its immense natural diversity at its most resplendent and dramatic.

With the town of Oban acting as the perfect base for excursions to all these locations, you should consider experiencing luxury before diving into your wildlife journey and stay at our seaside hotel.

Find more travel tips around the West Coast on our blog page and booking info here.