Speyside 2005
Just over a year ago I was somehow volunteered to organise a group holiday to Speyside. So in the early hours of Saturday morning, and still cursing the fact that I had decided to drive up on Bank holiday weekend, 13 of us left sunny Suffolk for the long drive north eventually arriving in a wet Aviemore at 18:00, after dropping of our gear at the highly recommended Ravenscraig guest house we refuelled at the Cairngorm hotel before walking around the Craigellachie nature reserve, Peregrine, Buzzard and Woodwarbler amongst the first birds of the week
Sunday
After a full Scottish breakfast we were soon watching Slavonian grebe and Goldeneye before calling into Loch Garten for an update on the fortunes of Henry and EJ, as neither birds deemed to put in an appearance we strolled down the road to the walk around Loch Garten / Mallachie where most of us had good but brief views of the Crested Tit, Common Sandpiper, Curlew and a female Goldeneye with young before the rain came down again. Back at Loch Garten for lunch EJ had decided to put in an appearance along with the compulsory Red Squirrel, Siskin and Great-spotted Woodpecker back in the minibus we drove up to Tulloch moor for a scan around adding Cuckoo and Little Grebe to the list before walking along the banks of loch Morlich
Monday
Waking to a very rare sight (sunshine) we set off down the Findhorn valley in search of Eagles but while the weather was reasonably good to us the eagles unfortunately were not but we did find a pair of ring Ouzel feeding young. Leaving the Findhorn we drove over the Farr Road managing distant views of two Sub adult Golden Eagles as well as Red Grouse and Buzzard before stopping at Loch Ruthven for the Slavonian Grebe before the heavens opened again. Early evening meal was followed by a visit to the Speyside Wildlife’s Badger and Pine martin’s hide on the Rothemurchis Estate where we were treated to excellent views of 3 Pine martin’s and Badgers eventually wrapping up the evening at midnight.
Tuesday
Amazingly two fine mornings on the trot forced the fitter! members of the party up Cairngorm. Snow overnight and while we were staggering up from the Ski lodge car park made us realise how inhospitable the mountains can be even in June but we were blessed with fantastic views of male Snow Bunting but unfortunately no Ptarmigan or Dotterel. After descending far quicker than going up we drove around the area picking up Black-throated Diver/Short-eared Owl and 4 Ospreys fishing before retiring for the day
Wednesday
Rain, rain and more rain so into the hides at Loch Insh was the order of the day and strangely more species than on any other day including Redshank, Curlew, Spotted flycatcher and a fox hunting out the nests
Thursday
Well two fine days had to be followed by two atrocious days so in the rain we headed north for the Black Isle, first stop Channory point Arctic, Common and Sandwich tern, guillemot and Puffin then on to Udale Bay but not a lot to be seen in torrential rain so we headed up to Cromarty in search of an eider that had been seen earlier in the day but with no luck. As the rain had eased we stopped at Fairy Glen and discovered what an enchanting reserve it is, before the clouds dropped even lower forcing us to spend the rest of the day in a vain hope of spotting eagles around the Muir of Ord.
Friday
With Sunshine and showers forecast (well what else do you expect in Scotland) we took a walk around Forest lodge and then Loch an Eilein catching up on some of the missed woodland birds but still missing out on Caper and Black Grouse before a final scan of Loch Morlich after dinner.
Saturday
Home straight after breakfast and yes the sun was shining until we hit the borders.
In the end we had well over 100 species with one of the group having 16 lifers and still missed out on some notable Scottish birds but then the weather was against us for half the week and you do have to have an excuse to go back next year possibly adding a few days on Mull.
With that many birds you should start your own guided tours. Sounds like a fantastic week, pity about the weather but it was the same nearly everywhere.
I dont imagine you would of seen springwatch with Bill Oddie. You will defenitely be wanting to go to Mull next year if you had. The White Tailed Eagles looked awesome.
Speyside is so beautiful, if it hadnt been for Loch Garten I dont know if I would ever have got interested in birds at all.
You'll be needing a few days to recover now. 
Thanks for the report Simon. We never made it up to the Highlands this year, so it brought back some good memories. Certainly a fantastic place to go birding - though the weather could be more obliging.