BIG Five Wildlife Species in Highland Perthshire

Red Deer & Roe Deer

Red Deer

Red deer are Britain's largest native land mammal resident since the last ice age about 10,000 years ago. Herds of red deer are frequently seen in the upland areas of Highland Perthshire, although originally this creature was a woodland dweller living in the vast Caledonian forests that once covered much of Scotland. Red deer no longer have any natural predators due to the extinction of the wolf and lynx, therefore numbers are higher than ever before, approximately over 400,000 red deer are roaming wild in Scotland. Heather, grass, mosses, lichens and berries are the mainstay of their diet but they are also partial to tree seedlings and the bark of trees, thus creating a challenge for foresters!

Antlers from the stags fall off each year in spring but a new pair grow in quickly, which have a furry coating called 'velvet' that peels off when the antlers stop growing. During the summer months deer live in the high open mountain areas to escape the worst of the biting insects, favouring areas that are cut by deep peat hags, in which to roll around to give relief from insect irritation. June is the calving time and the hinds tend to choose lonely corries for the birth.

Calves can stand within ½ hour of being born but for the first few days are left hidden in the grass, camouflaged by their spotted coats. Autumn brings the wonderous sound of roaring stags to many Highland Perthshire hills and glens as the rut gets into full swing. Testosterone fuelled stags are at their heaviest at this time of year and the roaring helps to establish seniority within the herd. When two stags are evenly matched a fight ensues, the winner securing the largest harem of hinds. As winter sets in and the weather worsens herds move down to lower ground in search of food.

When watching these marvelous mammals we would suggest using binoculars as deer are naturally shy and blend in well with the colours of the landscape. During the summer when weather is good you can see them on the open hills, during the day they feed and rest on higher sunny slopes, then at night the herd will move to lower, more sheltered ground.

Red deer can be seen throughout Highland Perthshire - Ben Lawers Natural Reserve, Glen Lyon, Balnaguard Glen Nature Reserve, Tay Forest Park, Birnam Glen, Black Wood of Rannoch, Blair Castle Deer Park and Highland Safaris.

Roe Deer

Roe deer are the most widely spread native deer species in Higland Perthshire, they are much smaller than red deer and favour woodlands where they survive on herbs, buds, leaves and twigs. Pitlochry and Dunkeld have excellent way-marked walks networks where roe deer can often be seen darting through the woods or nibbling in the clearings. Woodland edges throughout Highland Perthshire are favourite haunts for this striking wild animal. Roe deer are less socialable than red deer, mostly sighted alone or in small group of 2 or 3.

The roe deer's rutting season takes place during July and August. Their mating ritual involves the bucks (male) chasing the doe (female) around trees, known as roe deer rings. The buck's antlers normally have 6 very sharp points and they too cast their antlers each year and grow new ones.

Winter can often be a good time of year for seeing roe deer, favouring low level woodland, they tend to be more active at first light and as darkness starts to fall. Roe deer enjoy the warmth and can often be seen sunbathing in the sunlit woodland clearings. In late summer male bucks can be heard barking, this is part of a ritual to claim their territory.

Roe Deer can be seen throughout woodlands and path in Highland Perthshire - Dunkeld, Pitlochry, Tay Forest Park, Birnam Glen and Atholl Estates

Red Deer Stalking Session:

Stag - 1st July to 20th October
Hind - 21st October to 15th February

Roe Deer Stalking Session:

Buck - 1st April to 20th October
Doe - 21st October to 31st March

Be Safe!

Deer are often seen alongside the A9 trunk road (especially just North of the Jubilee Bridge at Dunkeld & around the Blair Atholl area) during the winter months at dawn and dusk, please be alert and watch for deer on the road as they can cause serious damage to you and your vehicle.

Please stay well away from any deer calves you encounter whilst out walking, the mother is never too far away!

The Mighty Atlantic Salmon!

Salmon (Salmo salar – Roman for Salmon the leaper)

Watching a salmon leaping up a waterfall on its way home to spawn is one of nature's sights to behold. Records show salmon leaping at least 12 feet in determination to ascend a waterfall. In Highland Perthshire you can often see Salmon leaping at The Hermitage, Pitlochry Dam & Salmon Ladder, Soldiers Leap at Killiecrankie and the Linn of Tummel.

Rivers and burns throughout Highland Perthshire are home to many thousands of migratory salmon, some of which swim many miles into the mountains to reach their home pools to spawn and start another cycle of their amazing life story. The young salmon grow in our clean waters for a few years before starting their epic journeys to the salt water feeding grounds via the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Some of them reach the Davis Straight on the west coast of Greenland before heading home again, a distance of 6000 miles as the crow flies! On their return they battle their way past nets, killer whales, dolphins and the thousands of seals that prey upon them around the coasts. The survivors, a small percentage of those that hatched in our rivers return home safely to re-produce and provide thrilling sport for the angler fortunate enough to encounter them.

Salmon fishing is available throughout Highland Perthshire from 15th January until 15th October although some beats of the River Tay remaining open until 31st October. Click here to peruse our Angling pages.

Salmon may arrive in the River Tay on any day of the year but of course there are peak times. Spring salmon are the earliest running multi sea winter fish. In most rivers the main runs start to arrive in March, but on the River Tay they can arrive much earlier but generally the numbers are fairly low until then. April and May are the hot times for spring salmon, these fish can be large, and in years gone by specimens around the 30lb mark have been encountered.

Salmon require a good freshwater habitat for successful breeding; pollution free water, accessible stable redds, and good water levels.

Catch & Release has been introduced on our rivers to aid the survival of the mighty Salmon, one of our treasured natural resources. Over the last 3 decades the number of salmon returning to our rivers from the sea has fallen by more than half.

For more information on river habitats visit Scottish Natural Heritage, the mighty salmon visit Salmon & Trout Association, fly fishing visit Lets Fly Fish with Ally Gowans

Powerful Osprey

Osprey (Pandionidae)

The osprey is unique in that it migrates from western Africa to Scotland each spring and feeds mainly on fish. This unmistakable bird, a vision in black and white, surprised wildlife experts when it returned to breed in Scotland of its own accord in the 1950s after decades of apparent absence. Since then, the population has recovered and currently stands at around 200 pairs.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve at Loch of the Lowes is home to a pair of breeding ospreys which nest just 150 metres from the observation hide, over the years the pair have become much loved local celebrities. A webcam overlooking the Osprey hide is watched by many, this is a great way to watch nature at its best especially when the chicks hatch!

Ospreys tend to arrive back at their nesting sites during April, just in time to lay their eggs, remaining here throughout the summer, returning south to their wintering grounds in August or September.

Look up to the skies above Highland Perthshire through the summer months and you may get a glimpse of these spectacular raptors gliding through the sky, you will then understand why they have captured the hearts of locals and are now a Scottish icon.

The powerful osprey can raise itself and a fish weighing as much as 2kg out of the water to its tree top nest. Ospreys only weigh about the same as a small chicken but have a very large wingspan, between 1.5m - 1.7m, and is adapted for living exclusively on fish.

Highland Perthshire - Red Squirrel Paradise

Red Squirrels are thriving in our Woodlands here in Highland Perthshire. The mixture of different trees, conifers and broadleaf, evergreen and deciduous means that there is food as well as plenty of shelter from the weather and predators. Many of our squirrels are easy to see because they have become used to walkers and visitors in the woods and gardens where they are fed.

Red squirrels east all kinds of things from the woods, but their main foods include hazelnuts, fruits, berries, beech mast, spruce and pine cone seeds, and fungi which are frequently cached in trees. They will also eat buds, shoot and flowers of trees as well as bark and sap from coniferous trees. They are not territorial, so lots of squirrels can be seen in one area.

Red squirrels have been in Highland Perthshire for thousands of years but grey squirrels are very recent incomers from North America. They have moved up from the south, and Highland Perthshire is on the 'frontier' of their expansion. Some ares still only have red squirrels such as Rannoch, Blair Atholl, Glen Lyon and Strathtay. Grey squirrels usually cause red squirrel numbers to decline but they are not actively aggressive. Gray squirrels have a big appetite and eat a lot of the food that red squirrels like, including some which is not ripe enough for reds to eat. Greys are also good at storing fat, helping them to survive hard times better than the reds. Grey squirrels carry the squirrel pox virus which kills reds, but so far this is only found in England and the South of Scotland, although it is spreading further north all the time.

By joining the Scottish Wildlife Trust you can help save an entire species from extinction in Scotland. You can be part of a conservation success story and not only benefit the red squirrel but other much-loved animals, plants and birds too. To donate to Scottish Wildlife Trust click here.

Scottish Wildlife Trust is collecting information on the distribution of red and grey squirrels right across Scotland. This allows them not only to identify areas of importance where habitat management or grey squirrel control will benefit red squirrel populations, but also to understand natural changes in their populations. The data will be shared with local biological records centres and the national database of squirrel records. Please help them by reporting your sightings of red or grey squirrels in each new place where you see them, click here.

For more information please check visit Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels, in partnership with Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Land & Estates, Red Squirrel Survival Trust.

Why not go on your own Red Squirrel forage through Highland Perthshire, see how many you can spot. Here's where we suggest you take a wee look...
The Black Wood at Rannoch, South Side of Loch Tummel, Loch Dunmore in Faskally Forest, Glen Lyon, Cluny House Gardens, Atholl Estates, Killiecrankie,The Hermitage and Birnam Glen.

Black Grouse Lekking

Black Grouse use communal display areas called 'leks' to attract a mate, the Blackcock (males) give a strange rhythmic call that is interspersed with a sneeze-like call to the Greyhens (females), along with some cool dance moves. The best time to see this amazing site is during April and May from dawn until 0800 hours on moorland edges.

The Blackcock (males) are unmistakable in breeding finery, shiny black plumage over most of the body contrasts with white under-tail feathers, bright red over the eyes add a final cosmetic touch. The Greyhens (females) wear camouflage gear with a mix of grey, brown and tawny feathers.

Drive along the Trinafour to Kinloch Rannoch road, stop near to Mullinavadie, park at the side of the road about a mile west of the turn off to Tummel Bridge, you will hopefully see the big 'lek' near to the road, usually on the left hand side. You will also get great views of Schiehallion from here too.

Special Notes: Please remember to be quiet, don't disturb birds by banging doors or sudden movements etc. This is a natural site to behold, respect it by going slowly and quietly.