Scotland is full of beautiful wildlife, and you do not need to go far from Loch Melfort to experience a diverse selection of it. Whether you take a boat trip, or simply bird watch from the comfort of your bedroom, you will be able to see some of the beautiful wildlife that Argyll has to offer.
Boat Trips
However, to enjoy the full extent of wildlife that the West Coast has to offer, we would recommend that you take one of 2-3 hour wildlife trips available, with the option to go with either Sealife Adventure, Jenny Wren Boat Charter or Seafari Adventures. You can choose the option which best suits your needs and wants, with excellent whale, whirlpool and wildlife watching boat trips available. Each trip will also travel through the infamous Gulf of Corryvreckan, which is the narrow strait between the islands of Jura and Scaraba and is home to the Corryvreckan Whirlpool, the world’s third largest whirlpool. The whirlpool is a natural phenomenon which is tide dependent, flowing four times in any 24 hour period, no matter the weather. This therefore means that at certain times of the day the whirlpool will be quieter. For detailed information and advice on the tides we recommend that you contact the boat trip booking office directly and they will be able to guide you.
Corryvreckan trips offer a fantastic opportunity for extensive marine wildlife sightings in the Firth of Lorn, including whales, dolphins, seals, porpoises, basking sharks, common seals, grey seals, otters. As you pass around the islands you may be able to spot Red deer, fallow deer and the feral goats which reside there. You might also have the opportunity many of the birds and seabirds which populate the West Coast, including Sea Eagles, Golden Eagles, Ospreys, arctic terns, common terns, puffins and smaller birds such as guillemots, razorbills and oystercatchers.
The Firth of Lorn is a Special Area of Conservation and a marine protected area, where damaging fishing methods have been banned for a decade. This has helped fish populations to remain healthy, providing both rich feeding grounds for the abundance of wildlife and helping to support and cause these populations to thrive.
Onshore Activities
Instead of a boat trip, you could take a trip down the coast to the Knapdale Beavers, near Tayvallich. Reintroduced in 2009 as part of a conservation project, visitors can find out more about their return to Scotland before undertaking a three mile walk around the Beaver Detective Trail, where lucky visitors may be able to spot a beaver. Visitors will more likely to be able to spot signs of beaver constructions skills, and a floating pontoon allows for a close up of a real beaver dam.
If weather conditions are not suitable for an outdoor activity, then just up the coast in Oban is the Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary. With seal and otter enclosures this is a fantastic opportunity to see the wildlife up close and learn more about them. It is a great trip to take with children, with an interactive rockpool giving them the chance to join in on the fun.
Because we are so passionate about the area we are situated in, and the wildlife which lives here, we have a special wildlife offer. Giving you an opportunity to relax in the beauty of the Argyll and to take full advantage of the wildlife there is to see here, our 3 night offer includes entrance to Arduaine Gardens, a Corryvrechan wildlife trip on your boat of choice or free entry to the Sea Life Centre, and a trip to visit the beavers at Knapdale.