Whilst you may need a little bit of luck and be in the right place at the right time, your chances are good when it comes to otter spotting on Loch Sunart. The Garbh Eilean wildlife hide near Resipole is a great starting point. The hide can be reached by a five minute all ability walk from the nearby Forestry Commission carpark or a slightly longer wander through the woods and heath from the car park at Ardery.
Join the local RSPB warden on one of the weekly wildlife walks around the RSPB reserve at Glenborrodale on the shores of Loch Sunart. Look out for otters, eagles and red deer as you take a tour around the RSPB reserve. Learn about the tracks and field signs left by the local Highland wildlife and discover what lurks beneath the water in the bog pools along the walk.
Ardnamurchan Charters offer both two hour and four hour private charter wildlife tours. The two hour tour on Loch Sunart takes in Loch Teacuis and The Isle of Carna and offers opportunity to spot seals, harbour porpoise and a host of sea birds. the four hour cruise can be customised to suit your needs. In addition, Ardnamurchan Charters offer half day and full day self drive boat hire.
The MV Sileas cruises the length of Loch Shiel each Wednesday and Saturday over the summer months. You can either take a return trip from Glenfinnan or pick up the afternoon sailing from Acharacle and get the bus which awaits you in Glenfinnan to return.
Follow The Gaelic Alphabet Trail around a wee lochan (Lochan Na Dunaich) and into the Atlantic Oakwoods on the shores on Loch Sunart and learn about the Gaelic Language in this land of trees. A great walk for spotting fritillary butterflies and for dragonfly stalking in the summer months. If you are lucky enough you may catch sight of the rare Northern Emerald dragonfly, one of the jewels of Ardnamurchan. This is an easy level walk around the lochan with options for woodland and upland extensions. However, take care to avoid the mythical waterhorse/kelpie that inhabits Lochan Na Dunaich, which, according to local Scottish folklore, would lure children into the loch, never to be seen again.
Castle Tioram was the 14th Century stronghold of The Clanranalds. Ruined since the 18th Century, this romantic castle, on the tidal island of Eilean Tioram, serves as a testament to the changing fortunes of a Highland clan in Ardnamurchan and Moidart. This lovely circular walk heads into the hills, past some isolated lochans to the deserted settlement of Briaig, before desending onto The Silver Walk which skirts around the coast of Loch Moidart. Look out for otters, eagles and coastal birds along the walk. Take time to visit Castle Tioram, which is only accessible at low tide or have a picnic by the beach at Dorlin.
Step back in time and visit the old crofting village of Smirisary in Moidart, and then head out to a lovely isolated white sandy beach with wonderful views of The Small Isles and Eilean Shona. The beach is a delight at any time of year. However, the best time to visit is in Spring and Summer when the machair behind the beach is studded with orchids and other wild flowers. This is a great walk to escape the crowds and enjoy a beautiful beach.
The Singing Sands at Gortenfern on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula are famous for making a whistling sound as the wind blows or as you shuffle your feet through the dunes. This flat walk follows a gravelled track for most of the way as it skirts around Kentra bay (an SSSI) and then through plantation to some remote and beautiful beaches at Gortenfern. Take time at low tide to explore the isolated bays to the North East of the main beach and marvel at the views to The Small Isles. This is a lovely walk to a stunning beach and beyond.
Follow the way marked trail through the RSPB reserve at Glenborrodale, one of the RSPBs most remote nature reserves and one that affords some amazing views of Loch Sunart. The walk passes through coastal Atlantic Oak woodland festooned with mosses, lichens and liverworts. In Spring, listen out for warblers, redstarts and flycatchers in the woodland canopy. Look out for pearl-bordered fritillaries in the rough grassland in early Summer. At any time of year, scan for otters along the shores of Loch Sunart and raptors in the hills, as you return along the coastal road. At the end of your walk, why not pop into the Ardnamurchan Natural History Centre for a welcome cup of tea and cake?
Ockle is a small settlement on the north coast of The Ardnamurchan Peninsula and is a start point for a lovely walk to the Singing Sands at Gortenfern. The walk passes over rugged and wild terrain along a track and moorland path with stunning coastal views on route. The path eventually descends to the wonderful sandy beach at Gortenfern - said to sing as the wind blows. Take time to explore the beach and then return by the same route or continue on to Kentra Bay and the small settlement of Arivegaig.
