If you thought you needed to endure a long haul schlep and all the costly, khaki capers to gawp at wildlife in the wild? Think again. From the lonely, weather-beaten glens of the Highlands to freckled, unpopulated islands dotted off the coast of Northumberland, the varied, off-grid landscapes of our fair isles are brimming with all creatures great and small.
Lockdown unearthed a few of these domestic safaris, long overshadowed by African and South American epics, whose itineraries take groups or private parties through the most evocative, spine-tingling landscapes not often associated with Blighty.
Wetsuits, hiking boots and binoculars at the ready...
Basking Sharks
Where? Around the Inner Hebrides
Head far north to the Inner Hebrides, where the shallows lapping the Isle of Coll are gin-clear and aerial views form a Caribbean-like patchwork of turquoise and blue, and you’re in basking sharks country.
On low-impact ‘cold swims’ (mainly snorkelling in small, guided groups) or aboard the boats, guests can spot minke whales, common and bottlenose dolphins and porpoises (there have even been sightings of orca, sunfish and leatherback turtles).
But the star of the show here is the basking shark – a majestic, rather menacing creature which glides over the vibrant reefs with its jaws wide open, scooping up plankton and sending fish darting into the rocks.
Itineraries are at the mercy of the weather, so opt for the week-long tour if you’re desperate to bag a basking shark sighting, somewhere amid the swarms of bonxies, terns, razorbills and shags that will circle above. £1,250 for the Week-long Basking Shark and Wildlife Tour (excluding accommodation) with Basking Shark Scotland (baskingsharkscotland.co.uk)
Stay: Why not draw out the Hebridean epic in Treshnish Shepherd’s Hut on the Isle of Mull, with its woodfired pizza oven, outdoor bathtub and cinematic views over the mottled cliffs and grey, twinkling sea. From From £120 per night, coolstays.com
Sharks, whales and dolphins
Where? In the Celtic Deep
Few are aware that only 30 miles off the Welsh coast is deep, staggeringly clear water that sharks, whales, dolphins and even giant bluefin tuna call home. To float among them is an other-worldly experience, one that conservationists and freediving team Celtic Deep have finessed over years of expeditions into the blue.
Departing from Dale or Neyland Marina along the Pembrokeshire Coast, the low-impact expeditions set off in search of mega-marine life such as blue sharks, common dolphin, basking sharks, porpoise, porbeagles and threshers (July to October), while between August and October, sightings of minke whales and fin whales are more common, and for Bluefin tuna, it’s from September onwards.
Above water, there’s plenty of bird action (gannets, arctic terns and storm petrels), as well as the occasional dolphin pod breaking the horizon or playfully diving alongside the boat. The Weekend experience tacks on a trip to the gannet-teeming island of Grassholm, and the Smalls where a particularly eerie lighthouse, 20 miles from land, inspired its namesake horror film. £350 for Celtic Deep Weekend (celticdeep.org, excluding wetsuit hire)
Stay: If retreating from the Celtic Deep into crisp linen and fireside armchairs with sea views sounds appealing, check into one of Penally Abbey’s 12 creamy-classic rooms. Hearty, home-cooked food and afternoon teas are easily walked off along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. Doubles from £190 per night, penally-abbey.com.
Sea eagles and marine life
Where? In Mull, Staffa and Iona
Wildlife adventure aficionados Wilderness Scotland takes wide-eyed groups through some of Scotland’s most unchartered, poetic landscapes and offshore for marine sightings many are surprised to learn are even possible in the UK. Of their smorgasbord of cycling, walking, kayaking and photography holidays, the Mull, Staffa and Iona one is the most wildlife-focused, and perhaps, the most epic.
Hiking some of the remote islands scattered in the Atlantic off Scotland’s wild west coast, groups (or private parties) can keep their eyes peeled for white-tailed sea eagles, puffins, whales, dolphins and seals. The week-long trip begins in the whimsically pretty town of Oban before using the Isle of Mull as a base.
Highlights include a boat trip to the storybook Castle Stalker, seemingly floating on the glassy water; encountering Beavers introduced to Argyll; and sailing through the archipelago of the secluded and bird-heavy Treshnish Isles (with dolphins, minke whales and even basking shark sightings possible here). £2,375 for Mull, Staffa and Iona with Wilderness Scotland
Stay: Accommodation is included, but should you wish to extend your west coast stay, why not hole up in The Green House in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull – a Scandi-Scot Airbnb with Danish furniture and views over a moody, ever-changing sea. From £223 per night (sleeps 4), airbnb.co.uk).
Grey Seals
Where? The Farnes Islands, Northumberland
This small cluster of islands off Northumberland’s coast is brimming with grey seals and seabirds, while the surrounding waters are a playground for dolphins.
Billy’s Shiel’s Boat Trips set sail throughout the year, offering a variety of wildlife and culture trips, from a 5-hour ocean explorer private charter (an adrenaline-fuelled high-speed zoom to the Farne Islands and their grey, slippery inhabitants, via cliff-nesting birds) to a 3-hour exploration of Inner Farne for nesting seabirds including puffins, razorbills and Arctic terns, as well as the Grey Seal colonies. From £15 for Billy Shiel’s Boat Trips, farne-islands.com
Stay: 40 minutes South of Bamburgh, Georgian beauty Eshott Hall puts on the traditional, silver-service theatre for dinner, and days swing to the aristocratic rhythms of yore – croquet, pre-lunch gin and tonics and reading in the walled garden. Doubles from £140 per night, eshotthall.co.uk
For Orcas
Where? The Shetland Islands, Scotland
Sightings of killer whales off the coast of the Shetland Islands have increased in recent years – and it remains the best place in the UK to see these captivating, intelligent creatures in their natural habitat.
As with all whale watching, there is never a guarantee that you will see one, or even set sail with the capricious North Sea weather, though eco-tourism holiday company Shetland Wildlife’s ‘Ultimate Shetland’ epic (shetlandwildlife.co.uk) features an offshore jaunt for minke whale, Risso’s dolphin, porpoise, orca and humpback whales.
Shetland Sea Adventures offers dedicated whale-watching trips, though they caution that these winter trips are not for the faint-hearted, with sea conditions rough and any requests to turn back duly ignored. £1,895 for the 8-day Ultimate Shetland with Shetland Wildlife; POA dedicated winter whale-watching day trips, shetlandseaadventures.com
Stay: Woefully lacking in places to stay, the Shetlands are ripe for a reverential boutique hotel, clinging to the windswept cliffs or tucked away near a glistening bay. Sumburgh Hotel is a classic though – once a laird’s far-flung pile and now a rather austere, turreted stay with sea views and vegetables performing balancing acts on plates of venison. Doubles from £105 per night, sumburghhotel.com
For owls and birds of prey
Where? Elmley Kent
Only 40 miles east of London lies 3,000 wildlife-brimming acres on the isle of Sheppey, where the Thames Estuary meets the North Sea. Owned by passionate conservationists Georgina and Gareth Fulton, these woods and wetlands (festooned with wildfowl, butterflies and roaming cattle) are a playground for nature enthusiasts.
Of all the immersive wildlife experiences in the Elmley National Nature Reserve, the early evening Owls and Birds of Prey guided tour is the most exhilarating (particularly for those only staying for one or two nights). Following a Kentish cheeseboard washed down with English sparkling wine in the Farmhouse garden, head guide Simon preps small groups on the birds to be looking out for, and their evening hunting habits, before leading them into the marshes and woods to spot little owls, marsh harriers, kestrels and hobbies.
It’s not a given, but some guests have been lucky enough to spot long-eared owls and peregrine falcons. From £60 for Owls and Birds of Prey at Elmley National Nature Reserve, elmleynaturereserve.co.uk
Stay: Elmley’s wetlands are scattered with a blend of shepherds’ huts or cult log cabins as well as the Scandi-rustic Kingshill Farmhouse and contemporary-cosy Elmley Cottage. Hampers of organic farm produce can be posted to every Elmley door for breakfast, then guests can saunter into the Elmley Kitchen for seasonal lunches and suppers, with dishes such as plaice with foraged sea vegetables and capers, and poached rhubarb almond crumble. Traditional huts from £130 per night, elmleynaturereserve.co.uk
Minke Whales
Where? Off the Yorkshire coast
Once tragically famed for its Whitby Whaling fleet, the coast of Yorkshire is thankfully now known for its superlative whale watching – particularly for minke whales. Setting sail from the pretty fishing village of Staithes in the late afternoon, boat trips last up to four hours (and are preferable to the quick seabird and whale adventure scoots that run throughout the day).
With Sean Baxter as their skipper, those aboard can squint into the horizon for the curved, grey silhouette of a minke whale slinking through the water, with late summer a particularly good time to spot them as they follow the mackerel shoals.
Those travelling to the Yorkshire coast for some cetacean action later on in the year may have missed the boat on the minke front, but will be pleased to learn that bottlenose dolphins and porpoises call these melancholic, misty stretches home throughout the year. £90 for the Seabirds and Whales Adventure with Yorkshire Coast Nature
Stay: Just below Staithes lies Whitby, the bucket-and-spade seaside town of Whitby, divided into a cluster of 18th-century fishing cottages and a Victoriana patch along the West Cliff. Stay at this coastal-fresh Airbnb ‘Ravenswood Sandsend’ with glorious, frothy sea views that stretch all the way to Whitby Abbey. From £235 per night (sleeps 2), airbnb.co.uk
Reptiles and amphibians
Where? Dorset
What may sound like a three-day jolly for the reptile nerds is in fact a thrilling dive into ‘on-your-doorstep’ British wildlife – a fascinating reminder that safari need not be confined to the African continent.
With the elegant Morton’s Manor House hotel in Corfe Castle as the trip’s base, a small group will head off into the velvety green surrounding Thomas Hardy market towns such as Bridport, to sites where reptile and amphibian conservation is at its very best in the UK.
Expert guides will lead them into adder and sand lizard territory, keeping eyes peeled for amphibious species such as the great crested newt and natterjack toad. Most of these sites are owned by the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC), offering visitors a privileged insight into their work and research, as well as a deep understanding of how these delicate habitats are under threat. £795 for a three-day Britain’s Reptiles and Amphibians holiday with Nature Trek, naturetrek.co.uk
Stay: Stretch out your Dorset escape in Burton Bradstock, where the Seaside Boarding House occupies a privileged clifftop perch overlooking the Jurassic Coast and Hive Beach below. From the team behind the Groucho Club, this white-washed Edwardian beach house dons minimalist, coastal interiors with a light-filled restaurant and sun-trap terrace serving up enormous West Bay lobster, crab and oysters with sparkling wine. Doubles from £150, theseasideboardinghouse.com
