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Lisa G Saw • Dec 29, 2023

Autumn Tour of Scotland - Part 1

I love visiting Scotland, seeking out new places as well as returning to favoured locations. Even though I've been several times over the last few years, I've never been up there during the autumn, around the time of the deer rut. I was thrilled to finally have the opportunity this year, even though I knew the chances of actually seeing any activity were extremely slim. As much as I wanted to see the Red Deer up in the Highlands, there were actually two other species that were higher on my 'Want To See' list for the trip - Mountain Hares and Ptarmigan. I've been lucky enough to see them before, but was eager for more wonderful experiences. I knew they'd still be just as potentially challenging to locate and photograph, with declining numbers even in favoured locations. It would certainly make the trip more of an adventure. The fact I wasn't going alone this time, but instead sharing the experience with Bob - on our first holiday together - made it even more special. I really hoped we would get lucky with our target species, especially as Bob had only seen one Mountain Hare before and never laid eyes on a Ptarmigan.

On the drive northbound - as well as southbound, at the end of the holiday - we stayed overnight in Ormskirk, so we could visit WWT Martin Mere. It was where I'd had the fabulous Stoat Encounter during the summer. We only had an hour before closing to visit the reserve at the end of our long drive north, so not much time! But, it was fabulous to see a male Marsh Harrier flying close to the hide in the evening light, just above the reeds. I also had one fleeting glimpse of a Barn Owl flying across the same field on the far side, but trees soon obscured my view.


Thankfully, we could enjoy a few more hours walking around the site on our way south. The reedbed walk didn't garner any sightings of a Bearded Tit unfortunately, a species that has so far eluded me, but I did enjoy seeing a large number of Snipe flying overhead. Shortly after, about half a dozen of them were spotted skirting the edge of the wetlands.  They were tricky to photograph as they weren't that close and other ducks and vegetation sometimes got in the way! But, I enjoyed watching them all the same as it's a species I've not seen often.

On the drive northbound as well as southbound (at the end of the holiday), we stayed overnight in Ormskirk so we could visit WWT Martin Mere. It was where I'd had the fabulous Stoat Encounter during the summer. We only had an hour before closing to visit the reserve at the end of our long drive north, so not much time! But, it was fabulous to see a male Marsh Harrier flying close to the hide in the evening light, just above the reeds. I also had one fleeting glimpse of a Barn Owl flying across the same field on the far side, but trees soon obscured my view.

Thankfully, we could enjoy a few more hours walking around the site on our way south. The reedbed walk didn't garner any sightings of a Bearded Tit, a species that has so far eluded me, but I did enjoy seeing a large number of Snipe flying overhead. Shortly after, about half a dozen of them were spotted skirting the edge of the wetlands. They were tricky to photograph as they weren't that close and other ducks and vegetation sometimes got in the way! But, I enjoyed watching them all the same as it's a species I've not seen often.

We had four bases during our mini tour of Scotland. The first was in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs area. We stayed at a lovely B&B on the west side of Loch Arklet on a road that ended at Inversnaid Falls nearby. We had a comfortable en-suite room, which overlooked the bird feeders in the garden. Our hosts were most welcoming and friendly and we enjoyed a lovely cooked breakfast each morning. It was in a beautiful, out of the way spot where we could go walking right from our door. That was part of its appeal. However, the drive back to Aberfoyle each evening for dinner was a bit tedious along the undulating, winding narrow road. It made me nauseous at times. Even though it had lots of passing places, we just hoped we wouldn't meet many vehicles coming the other way, especially the larger food delivery trucks. However, when we discovered The Faerie Tree Inn, we were happy to make the journey. With great quality food at an affordable price and friendly staff, we enjoyed eating there twice. We'd both go back to the area just to enjoy another meal there!

The weather wasn't the best those first few days, as it was mostly dull and grey. But, it didn't rain and there was very little wind. We did occasionally have glimpses of the sun, when there were breaks in the cloud. Although I didn't have the opportunity to photograph lovely reflections in the loch, the low lying mist over the water still made for some interesting arty shots.

The weather wasn't the best those first few days, as it was mostly dull and grey. But, it didn't rain and there was very little wind. We did occasionally have glimpses of the sun, when there were breaks in the cloud. Although I didn't have the opportunity to photograph lovely reflections in the loch, the low lying mist over the water still made for some interesting arty shots.

We enjoyed some lovely walks in the local area, in the Inversnaid nature reserve, around Loch Arklet and along the eastern shore of Loch Lomond. Whilst there wasn't an abundance of wildlife, we did have a fleeting view of a Dipper, some lovely closer sightings of a Treecreeper and Nuthatch, and disturbed some Hooded Crows scavenging for food. The highlight of those days was probably on the first day, when we walked above and beyond the nature reserve. We found a gorgeous picturesque burn (stream) and a lone tree. In the distance, we could hear the Red Deer stags roaring. It was like a teaser. I wanted to see more of the deers and not just hear them far away.

We enjoyed some lovely walks in the local area, in the Inversnaid nature reserve, around Loch Arklet and along the eastern shore of Loch Lomond. Whilst there wasn't an abundance of wildlife, we did have a fleeting view of a Dipper, some lovely closer sightings of a Treecreeper and Nuthatch, and disturbed some Hooded Crows scavenging for food. The highlight of those days was probably on the first day, when we walked above and beyond the nature reserve. We found a gorgeous picturesque burn (stream) and a lone tree. In the distance we could hear the Red Deer stags roaring. It was like a teaser. I wanted to see more of the deers and not just hear them far away.

I enjoyed visiting Inversnaid Falls too. We walked up to the higher level, which was worth the effort to see the mass of water tumbling down over the rocks. Conveniently, there was a bench near the top for us to rest and enjoy a hot drink. The only problem was, it made us feel very short! Our feet didn't touch the ground. It wasn't the only time this happened.

Late one afternoon we drove to Killin, enjoying a brief stop at Loch Lubnaig on the way. In Killin, the Falls of Dochart were as impressive as expected and we managed to reach it just before the sun went down.

The main purpose of the visit though, was to try and spot some Beavers at dusk. We walked along the river and saw some evidence of their presence, but unfortunately the creatures themselves eluded us. It was a shame, but we knew it would be a long shot, so we weren't that disappointed. It was an enjoyable scenic walk along the river all the same and we had a lovely meal at the Killin Hotel afterwards. However, the highlight unexpectedly came right at the end of the day on the drive back to Loch Arklet. It was dark and only the headlights from our car lit the narrow road ahead of us. A Weasel suddenly appeared from the side of the road. Immediately, I slowed right down. It stopped, looked our way, then jumped about a little frantically before quickly leaping and bounding back the way it came. We were both thrilled! It's the first time I've seen one in the wild.

From Loch Arklet we travelled north towards the Wester Ross area for our next stay in Ardarroch. It was a stunning drive with moody skies. We stopped a few times along the way at various scenic lookouts, including The Three Sisters, Glencoe.

In Ardarroch we stayed in a fabulous cabin overlooking Loch Kishorn. On our first evening, we walked down to the beach and surprisingly, we saw a Red Deer - our first for the holiday. I hadn't expected to see one so close. Later, we could hear bellowing, once again from the mountains. I was hopeful we'd be lucky and have some better views in daylight. However, Storm Babet had reached Scotland, bringing extremely strong winds to the west, with gusts well over 40mph. Not ideal for driving on a narrow mountain pass or walking in the highlands.

In Ardarroch we stayed in a fabulous cabin overlooking Loch Kishorn. On our first evening, we walked down to the beach and surprisingly, we saw a Red Deer - our first for the holiday. I hadn't expected to see one so close. Later, we could hear bellowing, once again from the mountains. I was hopeful we'd be lucky and have some better views in daylight. However, Storm Babet had reached Scotland, bringing extremely strong winds to the west, with gusts well over 40mph. Not ideal for driving on a narrow mountain pass or walking in the highlands.

We decided not to attempt a walk up in the highlands on the first day due to the high winds, but we did drive over the mountain pass - very gingerly, I might add - to Applecross. On the way up, there was a waterfall to one side of the road. The water cascaded downhill, but at the top, wisps of water were being blown upwards. We didn't see any deer high up on the mountain, but once we were lower down on the other side, we spotted a small herd of mostly hinds sitting in a field. Then down on the outskirts of the village, there was a large herd of stags where I'd seen them the year before. Whilst wild and free to come and go, they were all in one field, no doubt enticed there by food. It wasn't until later in the day, when we were driving back, that we were really lucky and spotted a young stag high up on the more rugged terrain, a little distance above the road. Then we heard the deep bellow coming from another stag higher up. Fabulous!

The main reason for being in the area, aside from seeing the Red Deer, was to go searching for some Mountain Hares and Ptramigan on the mountain. Our window of opportunity was diminishing, with only one more day there. But, still the wind was strong. It almost ripped the door open as I got out of the car at the top of the pass. We debated whether it was wise to give it a stab and attempt the walk up. I think we were both having doubts, but then spotted a couple walking down. It gave us the hope we could manage it, if we were careful. We certainly put on plenty of layers to protect ourselves from the cold and used the monopods to assist with walking. There were times the wind literally stopped me in my tracks, and other times, it knocked me sideways making me stagger as if I were drunk. This was perhaps not a good day for walking over uneven ground and on scree. The rocks would often wobble underfoot. I was always slow and careful, taking my time with each step, not least because we were walking uphill. Perhaps not so surprisingly, the Mountain Hares and Ptarmigans were taking shelter from the wind, which any sensible person would also be doing. Even though we didn't see any, we felt satisfied we'd at least tried.


On our way back down along the wide track, I suddenly spotted a hind with a juvenile. They weren't that far from us and thankfully didn't run away. It was fabulous having the opportunity to photograph them, though it wasn't easy. Despite using monopods, the wind made it extremely challenging to remain perfectly still. In our favour, at least, the light was improving somewhat. Although we didn't find what we went looking for that day, seeing the deer at the end made it all worthwhile.

That wasn't the last we saw of the deer either. I was keeping my eagle eyes open whilst Bob was driving us back down the winding pass. I spotted a small herd above the road, spread out on the mountainside. But, a few were eating grass very close to the road, near a large boulder. It wasn't exactly a place where we could stop easily for any length of time, but for a short spell, whilst there were next to no cars around, we managed to use the car as a hide and take a few photos without disturbing the deer at all.


Further down the road, we spotted even more deer and were able to stop the car and alight the vehicle. The day really had turned into a deerfest. I hadn't expected to see so many.

That wasn't the last we saw of the deer either. I was keeping my eagle eyes open whilst Bob was driving us back down the winding pass. I spotted a small herd above the road, spread out on the mountainside. But, a few were eating grass very close to the road, near a large boulder. It wasn't exactly a place where we could stop easily for any length of time, but for a short spell, whilst there were next to no cars around, we managed to use the car as a hide and take a few photos without disturbing the deer at all.

Further down the road, we spotted even more deer and were able to stop the car and alight the vehicle. The day really had turned into a deerfest. I hadn't expected to see so many.

The following day was wet and very overcast, but since we were driving east from Kishorn to Boat of Garten, it didn't disrupt our plans. It just meant we weren't able to fully appreciate the beauty of the scenery along the drive. We followed the north coast route to Torridon and then cut inland. The views of the mountains were impressive though. It was wonderful to see snow on the peaks of the mountains - the first of the season. I love the snow. I know it can be extremely inconvenient, but it makes everything look so gorgeous. I was excited at the possibility there would also be snow up in the Cairngorms, where we were headed.

The following day was very overcast and wet at times, but since we were driving east from Kishorn to Boat of Garten, it didn't disrupt our plans. It just meant we weren't able to fully appreciate the beauty of the scenery along the drive. We followed the north coast route to Torridon and then cut inland. The views of the mountains were impressive. It was wonderful to see the snow-covered peaks - the first of the season. I love the snow. I know it can be extremely inconvenient, but it makes everything look so gorgeous. I was excited at the possibility there would also be snow up in the Cairngorms, where we were headed.


Over the previous two days we'd worked fairly hard to locate any deer and photograph them. We were so chuffed we'd been lucky enough to have a few fairly close sightings. So, you can imagine our surprise when we pulled into a car park to find a Red Deer stag loitering right beside the cars. Despite signs warning visitors not to feed the deer, food had been left out on the ground in places. The temptation of an easy meal for the deer was overriding its natural instinct to avoid humans. Some people didn't seem to fully grasp it was a wild animal - one they probably ought not to interact with, for the sake of the animal as much as themselves. One woman thought it was a good idea to try and stroke it. Naturally, we were keen to take some photographs, but we tried to keep our distance - not easy when it would walk towards us. All the photos of the deers I'd taken before then were using my telephoto lens at its full length, but now, with it pulled in to its widest, the deer was filling the frame. Crazy!

Over the previous two days we'd worked fairly hard to locate any deer and photograph them. We were so chuffed we'd been lucky enough to have a few fairly close sightings. So, you can imagine our surprise when we pulled into a car park to find a Red Deer stag loitering right beside the cars. Despite signs warning visitors not to feed the deer, food had been left out on the ground in places. The temptation of an easy meal for the deer was overriding its natural instinct to avoid humans. Some people didn't seem to fully grasp it was a wild animal, one they probably ought not to interact with, for the sake of the animal as much as themselves. One woman thought it was a good idea to try and stroke it. Naturally, we were keen to take some photographs, but we tried to keep our distance - not easy when it would walk towards us. All the photos of the deers I'd taken before then were using my telephoto lens at its full length, but now, with it pulled in and it's widest, the deer was filling the frame. Crazy!

By the end of our first week, we'd certainly done well on our deer sightings. We just hoped our luck would continue for the second week with our quest to find Mountain Hares and Ptarmigan. A lot would depend on the weather and it was still looking very changeable and challenging for the week ahead. I remained optimistic, as we still had plenty more time. Plus, I was having so much fun and couldn't wait for more wildlife adventures with Bob.



Autumn Tour of Scotland - Part 2

Autumn Tour of Scotland - Part 2

By Lisa G Saw • 14 Jan, 2024
During the first half of our autumn holiday up in Scotland, we'd filled our boots with sightings of deer. Now our focus switched primarily to Mountain Hares and Ptarmigan. Since both species live at high altitudes, it meant a lot of walking uphill! It would be hard work! But, I felt confident I'd be able to manage it, so long as I simply took it slow and steady with frequent stops. At least we were able to intersperse these challenging days with more relaxing ones. On our first day based in Boat of Garten, we decided to venture up the Cairn Gorm Mountain. The mountain railway was closed, as were the ski lifts, so there was no easy access to higher ground. But, since the car park was located at 635m, we were able to start our walk from a reasonably high point. I was thrilled the top of the mountains were covered in snow. It looked so beautiful, though of course, this meant we'd be walking through the white stuff and would undoubtedly get quite wet. We chose to follow the steep Windy Ridge path up to the Ptarmigan restaurant - the highest in the UK. It was given its name due to the high number of this species on the mountain, which was perhaps a good sign. So, I set off with optimism and very happy that it was a glorious sunny start to the day.
Marsh Fritillary

A Day Trip To Wiltshire

By Lisa G Saw • 10 Sep, 2023
April 2023 marked the end of my quest to see all the butterflies that live their complete life cycle in Sussex. The final species I saw, during the Easter weekend, was the Large Tortoiseshell. Following the exciting conclusion to my adventure, I wrote a post about Discovering the Butterflies of Sussex . In it I mentioned how chuffed I was with what I'd achieved and how I didn't really want to start the next obvious quest straight away, to see all the UK butterfly species. But, with the spring and summer months stretching out before me, it seemed silly not to make a start this year. Bob and I were still in the early stages of our budding romance, and the idea of spending a lovely long day out together was just too enticing to pass up. So, in late May, we headed over to Martin Down National Nature Reserve in Wiltshire, in the hope of seeing the Marsh Fritillary. It would be my first, but not for Bob. He's already seen all the UK butterfly species, except for the Cryptic Wood White, which is only found in Ireland. We woke super early and reached the nature reserve by 8am. Unsurprisingly, we were the first ones there. It was still quite cool and a little windy, but nice enough to enjoy our breakfast sitting on a bench by the car park, overlooking the wildflower meadow and the hills just beyond to the south. We heard a Cuckoo calling nearby - an unmistakable sound of spring. Lovely! It was a great start to the day.

Negative Mental Chatter

By Lisa G Saw • 03 Sep, 2023
I’m generally a positive person. Most of the time I’m optimistic and hopeful, but not always. Sometimes my negative mental chatter dominates and it can really bring me down. It makes me worry too much about things. Even though I know worrying is a waste of time and energy, even though I know it can make me unhappy, I’ve still been guilty of doing it. I’m sure I’m not the only one who does. Worrying is like a bad habit I haven’t been able to kick – that is, until now – and I wanted to share this blog post about my recent experience in the hope it helps others. Last year, I realised just how much I was worrying and how detrimental it was to my wellbeing. With all the challenges I was facing, which I’ve written about in this blog series , I eventually realised the negativity was causing me added stress. It was bad enough I had two chronic injuries to deal with, I didn’t really need more on my plate. However, many of my worries and fears were actually related to my injuries. I had lots of concerns, like how I could continue teaching, how long I’d suffer, what treatment I should have, what would happen if I took a prolonged break, if I’d manage financially and would the business recover. Gradually, it wore me down. It all just became a bit too much. I felt overwhelmed. I didn’t feel like my usual bubbly happy self at all. Finally, I reached a point when I knew I had to do something to change the downward negative spiral that I was on. One of the first steps I took to turn things around was to try thinking more positively. I realised I had to stop thinking about the worst-case scenario and all the possible things that could go wrong, but instead tell myself that everything will be alright. I wrote a series of positive affirmations, which I read daily, many of which related to the worries mentioned above. Pretty quickly, I started to feel a bit happier. Soon after, my sister recommended turning these affirmations into Conscious Questions – an approach she’d learned from author and international speaker Nicholas Haines (founder of the Five Institute). With this exercise, I realised that telling myself to be positive was not as powerful as believing deeply that good things would happen. By asking questions, it made me really consider the possibilities. As an example, I’d been worrying about taking a prolonged break from teaching and whether all those attending my classes would return afterwards. My positive affirmation about this was that I needed to let go of the worry about my classes and trust that everything would work out okay. But, by turning it into a question – Why should I not worry about my classes? – and writing it down, I then considered all the reasons and wrote them down too. It was so interesting to observe the thoughts that came to me. I remembered all the lovely supportive messages from my dancers and how understanding they were about my needing to take the time out. I felt reassured a large number would return, when I was able to – after all, they enjoyed my classes and had already returned after the Covid pandemic lockdowns. Plus, I knew that if numbers were low and some people had moved on to other classes, I could advertise again and build the class numbers back up gradually. With a little time and patience, I felt more confident my business would recover eventually. Going through this process with the things that worried me, across all areas of my life, was so insightful. But, more importantly, it helped to build my confidence. I was feeling so empowered and positive by the end of the exercise. It was the turnaround I needed to help me along my path to recovery. The tricky part was making sure the positivity lasted! Throughout my life, I’ve been motivated to better understand myself and others by observing, reading and analysing events and people and the ways they’ve impacted me. It’s something I enjoy doing, even if it can be emotionally challenging at times. I’ve often turned to self-help books because I always find them to be so beneficial and last year was no different. There’s usually plenty that resonates with me and I’m always thinking positively whilst reading them. However, when I’m getting on with living my life, challenges always seem to come along and it’s never quite so easy to maintain that positivity. I invariably slip back in to my old ways. But, last year was different. When I finally took a break from teaching, I had a lot more time. My hunger to learn, about my mind and my body, meant I devoured books like there was no tomorrow. Each book I read led me to another, and so it continued. I felt sure this was the key to my physical and emotional healing and I wasn’t wrong. Even though each book I read had a slightly different focus or approach, they were all more or less saying the same thing. The common thread was basic and easy to understand. Think positively. Be positive. It’s the key to happiness. There were two books that had a significant impact on me with regards to understanding my negative mental chatter and why I worry so much – The Secret and The Greatest Secret by Rhonda Byrne. The first one I’d even read before, nearly 20 years earlier. This time, it resonated with me in different ways. It’s funny how that happens. I love it when I read or hear something at just the precise moment in time when I need to. It’s like a little sign guiding me forward.
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