Guided by wildlife photographers Nick Garbutt and Alex Hyde, this special photography trip explores the eagle and otter rich, Isle of Mull by land and sea. Enjoy capturing images of some of Britain’s most celebrated wildlife.
With a spectacular range of wildlife on offer, this is a perfect trip to also learn photography techniques and capture images of some of Britain’s most iconic birds, mammals, landscapes, flowers and insects.
We explore the many and varied habitats found across this large and wildlife rich island over the course of our week-long stay. Travelling in early June, the wildlife activity is at its peak, with meadows rich in orchids and buzzing with insect life, while the exciting upland and coastal birdlife is busy rearing the next generation. This tour has been designed to maximise a range of photographic opportunities and styles, covering everything from macro and landscapes to spectacular images of birds in flight.
Early summer sees the seabird colonies of the nearby Treshnish Isles in their full glory with thousands of guillemots, razorbills, shags and fulmars and Britain’s most iconic seabird, the charming puffin, all busily raising their chicks. Our time on these magical islands is an experience for all senses as we're immersed among the seabird city and can capture a wide variety of images of these charismatic birds from just a few metres away. With luck, we may also encounter a pod of playful dolphins, a basking shark and even a minke whale.
On other occasions we venture into the more sheltered waters of sea lochs where our exclusive boat charters offer outstanding opportunities to photograph majestic white-tailed eagles, diving and twisting through the air before they catch fish. There are kilometres of coastline to explore too, where we keep a look out for otters fishing and grey and harbour seals hauled out at their resting sites. The coast also offers a rich and surprising variety of macro subjects from plankton to sea slaters that Nick and Alex are adept at teaching the best techniques for capturing.
Red deer, golden eagles, hen harriers and short-eared owls are other highlights of the hills and moors and the island lends itself to plenty of macro photography opportunities. In the upland meadows, there can be colourful carpets of flowers, harbouring rare orchids and vetches plus colonies of fritillaries and green hairstreaks. While the seashore itself provides further inspiration with unusual rockpool life and dramatic landscapes. A charming and rustic country house provides the perfect base for our week of photography and exploration.
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1:
Arrive & transfer to Mull
The trip begins in Glasgow, where we transfer north along some of the beautiful West Highland Way route to Oban, where we then take the scenic ferry journey to Craignure.
On arrival, we drive along Mull’s western coastline to our base on the shores of Loch Na Keal. This is our base for the next seven nights and is set right in the heart of eagle and otter territories. The journey provides a perfect introduction to this beautiful island as we take in sea lochs, mountains, forests and moorlands.
We have an opportunity to settle into our accommodation and freshen up, before enjoying dinner and an introductory briefing from our leaders.
Accommodation: The Killiechronan House, 7-nights
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Day 2:
Explore the Killiechronan Estate & the north of Mull
Today we have the chance to stretch our legs, and we start the day with a morning walk around the estate looking for photographic subjects that calls this area home. Fallow deer are particularly common in the woods behind the house, and a variety of upland and farmland birds may be found.
After our morning stroll, there's the chance to explore other areas in northern Mull such as Calgary Bay, and the coastline opposite Ulva. Here we visit the impressive Ears Fors Waterfall and several species might be photographed such as dipper, red-breasted merganser, common sandpiper and possibly otter.
This evening, and on subsequent evenings, for those keen, we may go out to see whether we can capture images of the local owls, or otters along the shore, as there's a good local population of barn and tawny owls and otters around the grounds of the estate.
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Day 3:
Full day boat trip to The Treshnish Isles
Today, we head south to the Ulva Ferry embarkation point, but this time to board a boat to the magical Treshnish Isles. Here, we visit both the Isle of Staffa and Lunga, where we have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in a day of wonderful seabird photography.
These islands support an incredible number of photogenic species, including Atlantic puffin, razorbill, common guillemot, fulmars and shags. We have countless opportunities for capturing intimate portraits, birds in flight and environmental imagery too.
We may also be treated to views of raven, peregrine falcon and possibly hear the rasping call of a corncrake. On the journey we may be joined by a pod of common dolphins or spot harbour porpoise or even a basking shark.
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Days 4-5
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White-tailed eagle charter & Macro Photography
Over the next two days, the group is split in two, with one group spending the day with Alex and the other with Nick.
One group embarks on a full day of macro and general photography at various sites around Mull. This may include a very short boat ride to Ulva, which is home to over 500 species of plants, including rare orchids and some rare insects, butterflies and moths. The day includes tuition on how to achieve the best macro images, with expert guidance on aspects such as composition, exposure, use of flash, focus stacking and using different equipment to achieve different results.
The second group embarks on a dedicated photographic boat trip, focusing on the island's thriving population of white-tailed eagles. Driving down to the Ulva Ferry embarkation point once again, we then enjoy a 2-3 hour boat trip photographing one or two pairs of eagles. Your leader is on hand to provide advice to help you get the best out of the opportunities. Depending on the time of our chartered boat trip, we also explore the coastline around Loch Na Keal, which supports a healthy otter and seal population. There are often sea ducks on the water, and golden eagles regularly patrol the mountain ridges surrounding the loch. During both boat excursions, Alex and Nick use a plankton net to sample the rich micro fauna of the sea’s surface layers. This hidden world can provide a surprising and intriguing breadth of subjects for some creative macro photography.
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Day 6:
Photography sessions in southern Mull
Heading out on the road again, we have a flexible itinerary and can take our time today as we explore the southern half of Mull. Travelling along the eastern coastline of the island is a beautiful journey with plenty of wildlife potential. From here we can venture into Glen More – one of the island’s most dramatic valleys and also one of the most reliable places to see golden eagle.
Later we may explore the shores of Loch Scridain. Short-eared owl, hen harrier and even smaller species such as green hairstreak may all provide us with photographic interest in this area. With luck, we hope to find an otter fishing the shorelines of a sheltered bay, but ensure we keep our distance to avoid disturbing these shy mammals.
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Day 7:
Iona Excursion
Today we visit the small island of Iona, a fascinating location for our final day of photography. The island is steeped in history with sandy beaches, hidden coves and endless landscape and macro-opportunities along the foreshore. Depending on our schedule, we may have time to stop at some scenic locations during the drive back, adding further landscape and wildlife photography potential. We conclude with a sumptuous meal back at the house.
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Day 8:
Return to Craignure for ferry to Oban
Sadly, it's departure day, and we head back to Craignure for the ferry to Oban. We then make the scenic journey back past the lochs and glens of the West Highlands to Glasgow, where the tour concludes.
Please note: Depending on weather conditions, the exact itinerary may vary, ensuring that we make the most of the preferable weather for boat trips.
