Loch Garten – Red Squirrels, Crested Tits and the Old Pinewood
A few hours.
The route
Loch Garten sits in the old Caledonian pinewood of Abernethy, between Boat of Garten and Nethy Bridge, and the RSPB's Nature Centre there looks out over the forest, its bird feeders and an osprey nest.
Red squirrels and crested tits come to the feeders, and in spring and summer the ospreys come back to breed. A gentle walk runs through the great Scots pines to the lochs.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Park Cottage in Kincraig, 11 miles away. Sleeps 6; next free Fri 23 Oct to Sun 25 Oct.
The day
Abernethy
A morning among the old pines: the Nature Centre's windows and feeders first, then a quiet walk to the lochs.
About two and a half hoursAbout 2 miles on foot
Loch Garten Nature Reserve
An attraction
Follow the brown RSPB Loch Garten Nature Centre signs from Boat of Garten or Nethy Bridge to the free car park, where there are toilets; a firm 250-metre track leads up through the pines to the centre. The Nature Centre is open every day from 1 April to 31 October, 10am to 4.30pm, and entry is £6 for adults and £3 for children at the time of writing, with the first child, under-fives and RSPB members free. Arrive for the 10am opening, when the forest is at its quietest. Its windows look out over the forest, the bird feeders and the osprey nest, with live camera pictures inside, fixed telescopes and binoculars to hire. Watch for red squirrels and crested tits at the feeders; the ospreys are here in spring and summer only, and a sighting is never certain. Afterwards, a 2.7-kilometre loop through huge old Scots pines reaches viewpoints over Loch Garten and Loch Mallachie. Dogs aren't allowed in the centre, and from April to August they must be on a lead and kept away from the loch, where birds are nesting.
If it rains
The Nature Centre is under a roof, with its windows on the feeders and live camera pictures, so a wet morning still works; leave the walk to the lochs for a drier spell.
Where to stay
Photographs by Enrique Ariza and Mike Lord via Google