Birds and Wildlife
Red Squirrel at Cormonachan Woodlands, Loch Goil
In this article, we've chosen some birds and animals you can see in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. For each one, there are examples of locations where you are likely to spot them, together with appropriate times of day or year.
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Black Grouse (Unsplash)
Black Grouse
Where: Woodland edges and clearings, for example, at Cashel
When: Early mornings in spring are the best time to catch a glimpse of them lekking.
Male black grouse is as big as a domestic hen, but they are hard to see; they hide away in woodland clearings and forest edges.
Pine Marten
Where: Pine woodland; the Trossachs pine forests or David Marshall Lodge hides
When: Evenings or sometimes during the day at quiet times
Wily pine martens are elusive animals, and you are often more likely to see their tracks or scats than the animals themselves. However, they can show themselves at feeding stations, so the hides at The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre in Aberfoyle are a great place to go for a glimpse of these beautiful chocolate brown and cream relatives of the stoat and weasel.
Red Squirrel
Where: Viewing hide at Benmore Botanic Garden; The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre in Aberfoyle; Woodlands of Strathyre, Balmaha, Lochgoilhead, Ardgarten, Bracklin Falls (Callander)
When: All year round; early morning spring and autumn in the viewing hides
The sight of a red squirrel is exciting now because, in many parts of Britain, they have been driven out entirely by invading grey squirrels or loss of habitat. They are more likely to be found above the Highland Boundary Line, and it is good to see their population growth in places like Balmaha.
Read more about Red Squirrels in the National Park at our guide.
Roe deer
Where: Balmaha woods; Balloch Castle Country Park; East Loch Lomond Woods; Aberfoyle; Port of Menteith
When: All year round, but often easier to see in winter and at dawn and dusk.
If you stroll through the woods and catch sight of a small deer with a white rump, it’s likely to be a roe deer. They are the smallest of our native deer – half the size of their cousins, the red deer. And unlike the reds, they prefer their own company rather than hanging around in herds.
Otter
When: All year round
Where: Almost all waterways in the National Park
An otter swimming across a river or lolloping along a rocky shore is still a magical sight – though not nearly as rare as it was thirty years ago when pollution and habitat loss decimated their numbers in Britain. Now cleaner waters and a concerted conservation campaign have meant otters are back in all the places they used to live in Scotland.
Osprey
Where: Lake of Menteith; Loch Katrine and the southern basin area of Loch Lomond area around Balmaha
When: April to October
Ospreys are summer visitors, flying from the heat of African spring to nest in our cool Scottish climate. Come autumn, and they fly south again to escape our cold Northern winters. They mate for life, returning with their mate year after year to the same nest site, mostly perched high in pine or other tall trees.
They are our only birds of prey that feed solely on fish. Although they are about the size of a buzzard, that’s where the similarities end. Ospreys are slim, elegant birds in flight, with long, narrow, almost gull-like wings. Hunting over a loch, they will hang on the air with slow, languid wingbeats, legs dangling, ready to plummet into the water to snatch pike or trout. You may see one carrying a fish back to its nest – carefully holding it parallel to its body to reduce the drag as it flies. Mostly, the male does the hunting, especially when the chicks are small, while the female stays at the broad, twiggy nest to feed and protect her brood.
Osprey (Unsplash)
Seals
Grey Seal - Where: Loch Long; Loch Goil
Grey Seal - When: All year round
Common Seal - Where: Loch Long; Loch Goil; Balloch end of Loch Lomond in summer
Common Seal - When: All year round
The grey seal’s Latin name means ‘hook-nosed sea-pig’ – and if you can remember that you will always be able to tell them apart from their snub-nosed cousins, the common seals.
You can see both kinds of seals in Loch Long and Loch Goil. They often haul out on the rocky skerries just offshore. Sometimes they even turn the tables on us and come people-watching. If you’re playing on the beach, look for their whiskery snouts bobbing in the waves when they can’t resist peeking back at the curious watchers. An excellent way to see them is by hiring a self-drive motorboat from Loch Goil Cruisers.
Grey Seal (Unsplash)
Red deer
Latin name: Cervus elaphus
Where: Loch Arklet; Inversnaid; North Loch Katrine; Brig o’ Turk; ; Inverlochlarig; Arrochar Alps
When: All year round: autumn for the rut; winter at lower levels
You are most likely to see these magnificent animals in winter when they come down from the snowy mountain plateaux to escape the bitter cold and to find food in the glens. At this time of year, it’s hard to understand why they are called ‘red’ deer. They have changed their rich, russet coats for a thicker, muddy grey version to keep out the icy cold.
To see them at their most magnificent, you must walk in the hills in autumn. The mature stags are in full rut – their roars drifting eerily across the glens, their coats glowing foxy-red, and brandishing their massive antlers at lesser challengers.
Red Deer (Unsplash)
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See Loch Lomond Book…
For more ideas of what to see and do on your next visit, purchase our book - 101 things to do in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, either here or from stockists throughout the National Park.
Thanks for reading
Words and photography by Paul Saunders. Visit Paul’s Marketing and Photography websites for details of his services in Scotland.
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Buy our guidebook, 101 Things to Do in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, packed with attractions, views, and activities to enjoy.