Visit a Scottish island in the depths of winter? Really? Ewan Miles from Nature Scotland is here to tell us why the unlikeliest timing might just be the best…

Despite what you may think, Scotland can be a stunningly beautiful place to spend some time over the harsher winter months. Yes, the weather can be challenging. But,it can be equally as challenging in July and August too. The west coast is known for glorious white sand beaches, turquoise blue seas and comical puffins. The puffins are long gone in winter, but the Isle of Mull still has much to offer, including those beaches (and often you’ll be the only soul there).

So, come prepared with your waterproofs and wooly hats and hop on the ferry to witness some island wildlife. Here are five iconic species that you can encounter on the Isle of Mull throughout the colder season.

Golden Eagle

Secretive but splendid. The classic Golden Eagle sighting leaves you wanting more. Often, you glimpse a distant yet intimidating silhouette just before it vanishes beyond the crest of a hill. Particularly in the summer months, these wary raptors are focused (hopefully) on their eaglet in the eyrie and avoid humans where possible.

With the arrival of cold winds and snow on the higher mountain tops, Golden Eagles can be seen actively hunting in the shorter daylight hours.

In late winter these birds are already thinking ahead. They become yet more territorial, aggressively removing intruder birds from their wintery home and can be seen displaying to their partner. The male uses powerful wingbeats to gain height, before tightly folding them against his body and plummeting down, clearly sending a message to his mate and any would-be suitor. This sight is repeated against stunningly beautiful landscapes with snow-capped peaks and angry skies.

White-tailed Eagle

The Sea Eagle, fondly referred to as the ‘flying barn door’. The bigger (and better) UK equivalent to the American Bald Eagle. One of the largest eagles in the world, with a staggering 2.9m record wingspan, the White-tailed Eagle is a species to see.

The Isle of Mull has become an iconic location for this eagle since their reintroduction to the Isle of Rum, they set up home here on Mull in 1980s and got comfortable. Fame came in 2005 with Skye and Frisa and their eaglets Itchy and Scratchy.

Like Golden Eagles, these raptors are present here all year round, breeding in the summer months. However, encountering in the winter can be quite different. Often a gregarious bird, juveniles and sub-adults may congregate in small groups together when the going gets tough. They’ll make use of intertidal zones to scavenge any delightful, dead detritus that may have been washed up.

Adult pairs will remain territorial and can be spotted roosting together in trees or nest building before spring arrives again.

Otter

This elusive mammal is still an uncommon sight in mainland river systems despite their successful population resurgence. The Otter remains shy and is primarily nocturnal, making it a tricky species to encounter. Luckily for those visiting the Isle of Mull, particularly in the winter months, you have a good chance of observing these aquatic predators in our coastal waters.

Thanks to the icy cold sea water temperatures, Otters need to be actively hunting for large parts of the day to meet their energy requirements. This makes winter a great time to observe them and marvel at their ability to cope with the wild and choppy Atlantic ocean on our western shores.

They may look like cute, cuddly mammals, but don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. They’ll bring large prey like crabs, fish, octopus and lobster to land and make quick work of devouring the good bits, leaving slim pickings behind for the gulls and hooded crows.

Red Deer

Mull has a substantial population of the Red Deer, the country’s largest deer species. They’re an impressive sight to behold, particular in autumn and early winter. Wildlife watchers look forward to the ‘rutting season’ each year. The primal sounds of bellowing stags and the clashing of their antlers as they battle out for top mating position are worth getting up for.

Throughout winter though, Red Deer can be seen quite easily as they spend time on the lower, richer feeding areas. Female Red Deer (hinds) will remain in groups with their fast growing calves born earlier in the summer.

We’ve lost many of our larger native herbivores in the UK, including the Aurochs (wild ox), Tarpan (wild horse), Moose and the few Reindeer we do still have are confined only to the Cairngorms, so all the more reason to seek out the majestic Red Deer here on the Isle of Mull.

Hen Harrier

Eagles rightly take a great deal of the glory among birds of prey. However, the Isle of Mull is home to another rare raptor, the Hen Harrier which despite a smaller stature is just as intriguing.

The Hen Harrier is present in greatly reduced numbers throughout much of England and parts of mainland Scotland and is unfortunately linked to ongoing raptor persecution incidents on managed land. Thankfully, many islands including Mull are safer havens for these ‘sky-dancing’ birds.

We often have a good number of these vole-loving birds breeding here in summer months. Yet, our oceanic climate provides a warmer region to overwinter on our lower grounds. A crisp, cold winter day can yield excellent views of harriers hunting across rough ground searching out small mammals and birds.

Colder months also spur these birds to communally roost together, a spectacularly unusual sight, but spending time here in winter might increase you chances of seeing multiple harriers arriving at a night time roost to settle down.

Book your winter break on Mull this year and find out more about Nature Scotland wildlife tours.

What do you do on Mull in winter?

What is it like on Mull in winter and what is there to see?  Whether aspiring for adventure or searching for solitude, the Isle of Mull has something for everyone. I am going to share with you some of my memorable adventures and encounters that I’ve had on Mull in winter…

 

A time travelling geo-adventure!

I’ve always been curious about the origin of our landscapes and the rocks themselves. Observing the magnificent, diverse topography on Mull can inspire a life-long interest in the subject of geology and severely enhance any outdoor adventure of the natural world.

On a wet day on Mull in winter you don’t need to put on the DVD of Jurassic Park to travel back to the age of the dinosaurs. Small parts of our exposed sedimentary coastline date back 183 – 197 million years to the Jurassic period. When the tide ebbs to low water it reveals a time machine, transporting you back to the mesozoic era. Immerse yourself and explore ancient fossilised species.

One memorable winter geo-excursion I had on the south coast of Mull was exploring the mudstone dominated Jurassic coast to see what fossils I could find. I tried to visualise what the planet would have been like during that time period. The key thing I wanted to see was large congregations of Belemnite fossils, which I noticed last time I was there. After discovering why they’re embedded in big concentrations, I wanted to see the fossils again with a fresh understanding.

    

As you can see from the photo, these bullet shaped, ancient squid died in large numbers and in tight groups. Geologists think that this was not due to a catastrophic climatic event but a species orientated natural fatality after a sexual gathering had taken place, in the same way present day squid do. They shared the same fate as the dinosaurs, marine and flying reptiles, and ammonites at this time. There is no fossil evidence of these animals beyond the end of the Cretaceous period, 65 million years ago.

One of the great things about enjoying rocks and minerals is that the weather conditions aren’t a problem. The rocks have been there for millions of years, and they’re not going anywhere in a hurry. So whatever the weather on Mull in winter, get out and explore the cornerstone of life on our wonderful planet!

 

Photography – capturing the motion

Due to the dynamic weather systems often experienced on the island, the photography opportunities are endless. There are angry seas, moody skies and constantly changing light patterns… A later sunrise and earlier sunset also makes the ‘golden hour’ more accessible.

Just last month we had a fresh autumnal easterly wind blowing at force five, which provided a great opportunity to photograph the power of the ocean continuously crashing into Mull’s easterly coastline, which is usually more sheltered. I checked the tide table and planned out the areas that I would cover, enhancing photography opportunities. It was a cool breeze so I wrapped up warm and headed out with my camera gear, excited about capturing images out in the wilds!

I arrived at my intended location in mid-afternoon so that the position of the sun was more suitable and the state of tide exposed some good photography subjects in the beautifully coloured seaweed. I watched the dramatic surge crash in to the shoreline a number of times in admiration. Then I planned out how I would compress that time into a single frame to capture the power of the motion.

I found a location with Duart Castle showing distantly in the backdrop and a nice varied shoreline of rocky outcrops and seaweed. Using a dark filter to slow down the amount of light reaching my camera’s sensor, I was able to shoot frames consisting of a few seconds. Once I was happy with my composition I attempted to time the pressing of the shutter button in sync with a stronger wave crashing against the shore. After about half an hour persevering I managed to get a frame that I went home happy with!

 

A ‘Natural Treasure’ hunt

Winter time in the Hebrides brings a number of Atlantic storms, which is to be expected with islands located on the edge of one the world’s youngest oceans. These storms bring an increased chance of natural treasures being brought in with the seas. The best place to look is in the strand lines at low tide. They are long lengths of seaweed stretched across the coast, potentially full of natural wonders!

One winter walk with my family (who were staying in one of the Isle of Mull Cottages on the south coast of the island) produced an exciting find when I was looking for shark egg cases in the strand lines. I ended up finding a ‘Sea Heart’ on the beach!

I since discovered that they’re large, heart-shaped seeds that drop from their tropical vines in Costa Rica and ride the ocean currents of the world. Sea Heart vines are locally known as ‘monkey ladders’, because they actually provide arboreal thoroughfares for monkeys high in the rainforest canopy.

      

See what you can find on Mull in winter. Whether it’s Mermaid’s Purses (egg cases), Sea Beans or absolutely any other tidal treasures, the wonderful unpredictability of nature makes it hugely exciting every time.

 

The dark side of Mull

I’ve had some unbelievable nights out under the dark skies of Mull over the years. Once I finish guiding on a wildlife tour during the day, I am always curious to see what else mother nature has to offer me, providing never ending beauty, wonder and learnings. Mull lies under some of the darkest skies in Europe, due to minimal light pollution.

One of those many nights was in the late winter of 2014/15 when I was out in the field with a friend monitoring owls at dusk. The early evening was very productive as we heard Long-eared Owls vocalising as they prepared for the breeding season. We looked to the north and noticed a pale green glow on the horizon, an auroral arc commonly known as the Northern Lights!

Our perseverance out in the wilds paid off throughout the night as we were treated to dancing columns rippling throughout the northern sky at 40 degrees high! The spectacle of the Aurora Borealis was improved with the accompanying soundscapes of Barn Owls screeching and the odd shooting star overhead!

Like geology and any natural history subject, if you know more about the origins of the topic, it greatly improves your all round experience. With the Aurora Borealis, when you’ve been waiting for many years to see it, it is worth considering how long a single display really has been in the making.

We need to go to the centre of our solar system to understand where the Aurora was truly born. Fifteen million degrees celsius and crushing gravitational pressure – these are the conditions required in the core of our sun to generate the energy to seed the Aurora Borealis. It can take thousands of years for these electrically charged particles to reach the cooler outer parts of the sun. From there, they are released into outer space through moderate solar winds or a more explosive mass ejection. It can take 48 hours for these solar winds to reach our planet. When drawn towards our magnetic poles they can trigger the wonderful showing.

In this modern age we have more accurate space weather reports and also increased networking of local aurora sightings. With Mull’s higher latitude and unpolluted skies, if you put yourself in a position to be lucky, just maybe, you’ll get rewarded with a sighting of the greatest show on earth, thousands of years in the making!

I hope these stories exemplify how exciting it can be out in wild areas on Mull in winter. There is so much to admire, explore and discover on the island of Mull in winter and we would be delighted to share it with you.

 

Kick start your winter exploration of Mull with stargazing experiences, wildlife and photography tours provided by Nature Scotland who operate year round on the island: info@naturescotland.com

Browse our range of winter breaks with short stays and special deals available on holiday cottages throughout Mull: Winter Breaks