Wildlife Tours
Otters, eagles and the corncrake's call
The same ground, without a rod or rifle
The loch, moor and machair that make North Uist such good sporting ground are just as rich in wildlife. Otters fish the sea lochs by day, both of Britain’s eagles hunt over the hill, and in summer the corncrake, one of the country’s rarest birds, calls from the machair.
A wildlife tour takes you out with someone who knows North Uist and where its wildlife is likely to be on the day. It suits non-shooting partners, families, photographers and anyone who would rather watch than catch. Lochmaddy Hotel and Langass Lodge both make a comfortable base for the trip.
Your guides
Local guides who spend every day on the ground, so you spend the tour watching, not searching.
On the hill
Red deer on the run
Month by month
What you might see
Wild animals keep their own diary, so nothing is promised. These are the months each one is most likely.
Sea lochs and shore
Otters
North Uist is one of the best places in Britain to see otters by day, fishing the kelp along the sea lochs on a rising tide.
Hill and moor
Golden & white-tailed eagles
Both eagles hunt over the island all year. White-tailed eagles often work the shore and sea lochs; golden eagles keep to the hill.
Machair and croft margins
Corncrakes
One of Britain's rarest breeding birds, back from Africa in late April. Heard far more often than seen, rasping from the iris beds at dusk.
Moor
Hen harriers & short-eared owls
Both quarter the moor by day in spring and summer, hunting low over the heather.
Machair
Machair waders & wildflowers
Lapwing, redshank, dunlin and ringed plover nest on the machair in spring, and the flowers are at their height in June and July.
Skerries and sea pools
Grey & common seals
Hauled out on the rocks at low tide, and often curious enough to follow you along the shore.
Hill
Red deer
North Uist's wild red deer, at their most dramatic in the autumn rut, when the stags roar across the hill.
Lochs and machair
Winter geese & swans
Barnacle and greylag geese and whooper swans winter on the lochs and grazings.
Booking a tour
How tours run
Wildlife Tours
Guided by Estate staff
Local guides who know where the wildlife is on the day
Half or full days
Shaped around the tide, the weather and what you'd most like to see
Small private groups
Your own party, not a coach tour
Families welcome
Gentle walking; tell us about anyone with limited mobility
Tours run all year: spring and summer for corncrakes and the machair, autumn for the rut, winter for geese, with otters, eagles and seals in every month.
For prices and availability, send an enquiry or call the Estate Office on 01876 500329. Tell us what you’d most like to see and we’ll plan the day around it.
What to bring
Your wildlife tour packing list
Bringing your own
Bring your own binoculars if you have a pair you know: they make the difference between a dot on the skyline and an eagle. A camera with a long lens is worth packing too.
Footwear
- Waterproof walking boots: machair is firm, but the moor and loch edges are wet
- Wellingtons for the shore and boggy ground
Clothing
- Waterproof jacket and trousers: Hebridean weather turns quickly
- Warm layers, even in summer, for standing still while you watch
- Muted colours that don't stand out against the moor
- Hat and gloves
Accessories
- Binoculars
- Camera, ideally with a telephoto lens
- Midge repellent and a head net, June to September
- Small rucksack with water and a packed lunch
FAQs
Wildlife tours on North Uist: FAQs
Straight answers to what visitors ask us most. Open any question for the detail.
All questions about the EstateWhat wildlife can I see on North Uist?
Otters, golden and white-tailed eagles, grey and common seals and red deer are on the island all year. Corncrakes call from the machair from May to August, hen harriers and short-eared owls hunt the moor in spring and summer, and barnacle and greylag geese and whooper swans winter on the lochs.
When is the best time for a wildlife tour?
Any month: otters, eagles and seals are seen all year. May to July is best for corncrakes, nesting waders and the machair in flower; the autumn rut brings the red deer to life; winter brings the geese and swans. See what you might see, month by month.
How do I book a wildlife tour, and what does it cost?
Send an enquiry or call the Estate Office on 01876 500329 with your dates, party size and what you'd most like to see. The Estate Office quotes prices and availability directly.
Still have a question?
The Estate Office replies within one working day. Call, or email info@northuistestate.co.uk.
Book your tour
Plan your wildlife tour
Also on North Uist
More to do at North Uist
Fishing
Salmon, sea trout and brown trout across fourteen sea pools and hill lochs.
Explore fishingStalking
Red deer stalking over open Hebridean hill ground.
Explore stalkingWildfowling
Driven and walked-up snipe, woodcock and geese.
Explore wildfowlingLooking for somewhere to stay? View accommodation
Ready when you are
Plan your trip to North Uist
Got your dates, or still deciding? Tell us what you'd like to do and we'll put a trip together around the fishing, stalking, wildfowling or wildlife that suits you.
- Run by the same family since 1961
- Local guides and keepers who know the ground
- A reply within one working day