Scottish anchorages

Wild life is really one of the main reasons to sail off the West Coast of Scotland. So much better than Greece or the Caribbean or the Whitsundays, and almost anywhere else in the British Isles. Make the most of it. So what do you want to see?

Corncrakes, you will hear them not see them: Ardalanish, South Mull; Canna, north of Ardnamurchan; Eilean Mor, Kintyre; Iona, West Mull; Tiree.

Sea bird nesting cliffs: Canna, north of Ardnamurchan; Lunga, West Mull

Ground nesting birds: Eilean Dubh, Lower Loch Linnhe; Lunga, West Mull; Soa island, West Mull.

Puffins: Lunga, West Mull

Bonxies: Canna, north of Ardnamurchan

Ospreys: Fairy isles, Loch Sween

Waders: Muck, north anchorage, north of Ardnamurchan

Sea Eagles: keep an eye open anywhere around the Sound of Mull

Stags: Jura, in particular Bagh Gleann nam Muc

Seals: Ardmore Islands, Islay; Carsaig Bay, South Mull; Creag islands, Lower Loch Linnhe; David Balfour's Bay, South Mull; Eilean Dubh, Firth of Lorne; Loch Cuan, West Mull; Loch Scavaig, Skye, north of Ardnamurchan; Lunga, West Mull; for seal pups in September, Muck north anchorage, north of Ardnamurchan and Lunga, West Mull.

Porpoises: more or less everywhere, usually singly

Dolphins: west of Mull, Coll and Tiree, and north of Ardnamurchan around the Small Isles, but could be anywhere

Whales: west of Mull mostly. For cetacean sightings, and basking
sharks too, at least around the Mull area, have a look at the
Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust website. And report any sittings that you may have made. Unusal in Oban bay!

Basking sharks: mostly around Coll, Tiree and west of Mull - numbers seem to be increasing.

Sunfish: never seen one here, only in Loch Hourne

And there are some rather good wild life centres: Barcaldine, Loch Creran; Sealife Centre; Glenmore Bay, Nadurra Visitor Centre; Port Charlotte, Islay, Wild Life Centre.

and the legendary parrot sanctuary on Kerrera, Firth of Lorne, but only now open occasionally