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Highland region

The books are arranged by publication date with the most recent at the top of the page.

Scotland

Scotland

For books that cover regions of Scotland see:

Argyll
Ayrshire
Borders
Central Valley
Dumfries & Galloway
Fair Isle
Fife
Grampian
Highland
Inner Hebrides
Orkney
Outer Hebrides
Shetland

Best Birdwatching Sites: Scottish Highlands

Gordon Hamlett

2nd edition

2014

"The book covers a huge area – from Perthshire right up to the Caithness Flow Country – and as many of the best birding sites lie outside established nature reserves, and public transport is virtually unknown, a car is the only practical option for birders. For that reason author Gordon Hamlett has organised the information into a series of 24 mainland road trip itineraries, plus in-depth guides to the islands of Mull, Handa and Skye. Almost all the tours are circular in nature, with individual maps for each stopping-off point (the book contains an amazing 218 maps in total – 54 more than the 1st edition). Other features of the book include: birding tips for hundreds of sites based on the author’s practical experience; all sites evaluated for wheelchair access; comprehensive seasonal bird and wildlife lists for each route; what birds to expect – month by month; clear instructions on locating all named sites; a checklist of Highlands birds; useful contacts and websites."

The Birds of Eigg

John Chester

2013

"Eigg is a Scottish island with a rich, diverse mosaic of habitats supporting a wide variety of wildlife. The island's bird life reflects this diversity with around 70 species breeding each year and many more occurring as passage or winter visitors. This book provides a summary of all bird species known to have occurred on the Island up until March 2012. This publication is important, as not only is it the most comprehensive account ever written of Eigg's birdlife, both past and present, but it is also a testament to the dedicated work of John Chester and the efforts of islanders who help to nurture the natural richness of this beautiful island."

Isle of Skye Natural History Walks

Chris Mitchell

2010

"A selection of twenty walks focusing on the wildlife, geology and varied scenery of the Isle of Skye. The walks, which range from moderate to strenuous, are accompanied by detailed maps, colour photographs and information on time, distance, terrain and parking. The emphasis throughout is on enjoying the sights and sounds along the way, and there are plenty of pointers on sites of r interest to look for, and what wildlife might be sighted where."

Skye Birds

R.L. McMillan

2009

"This is the first publication dedicated exclusively to the birds of Skye. Originally published in 2005, an updated 2nd edition was published in 2009. It has already proved a valuable source of reference not just to those who live on the island, but to the many tourists and other visitors who come to the area each year. Although the importance of the island group for Golden Eagles, and more recently White-tailed Eagles, is well recognised, the fact that Skye supports a wide diversity of bird life has largely gone unnoticed. Over 240 different species have been recorded in Skye, and 14 of these species, red listed as of high conservation concern, currently breed on the island. Based on reports which have been collected over the last 125 years, the book analyses all of these records and provides a systematic list of species, their status and distribution. There are additional chapters on habitats, conservation issues, and historical figures such as the Rev. Hugh Macpherson of Glendale , and Seton Gordon, who in different ways, were extremely influential in the development of knowledge of the area. A chapter is also dedicated to identifying areas of special interest to birdwatchers, and this should be invaluable to visitors and locals alike."

Best Birdwatching Sites: Scottish Highlands

Gordon Hamlett

2005

"The format of this book differs from the rest of the series because the area covered is huge – from Perthshire right up to the Caithness flow country – and many of the best birding sites lie outside established nature reserves. As a car is the only practical vehicle for birders, author Gordon Hamlett has organised the information into a series of 20 mainland road trip itineraries, plus guides to the islands of Handa and Skye. The tours are all circular, with individual maps for each stopping-off point (the book contains an amazing 164 maps in total). As an example, the Speyside itinerary features no fewer than 19 sites, ranging from extensive entries for Boat of Garten and the Loch Garten area down to simple one paragraph tips for finding Crested Tits in Moremoor car park."

Skye Birds: An Illustrated Guide to the Birds of Skye and Where to Find Them

R.L. McMillan

Skye-Birds.com

2005

"This is the first publication dedicated exclusively to the birds of Skye. Although the importance of the island group for Golden Eagles, and more recently White-tailed Eagles, is well recognised, the fact that Skye supports a wide diversity of bird life has largely gone unnoticed. A total of 238 different species have been recorded, and 14 of these are red listed. The book analyses records from the last 125 years, and provides a systematic list, plus information on status and distribution. There are additional chapters on habitats, conservation issues, and historical figures such as the Rev. Hugh Macpherson of Glendale, and Seton Gordon, who in different ways were influential in the development of ornithological knowledge of the island. A chapter is dedicated to areas of special interest to birdwatchers.

The Birds and Mammals of Caithness

Robert Innes Shearer

Editor: Hugh Clark and Robin M. Sellers

2004

"The book presents a series of essays describing the birds and mammals of Caithness. When they were written very little had been published on the wildlife of the county. Shearer and his contemporary Henry Osborne were quickly recognised at the time as authorities on the birds of the area, but with in a decade they had been forgotten. Hugh Clark and Robin Sellers rediscovered the articles in 2003 and found a treasure trove of detail from a period when what was already available was scant. The editors and compilers of the book are themselves no slouches in bird watching with many years of experience both in Caithness and elsewhere in recording and photographing birds and wildlife. They have used their own extensive knowledge supplemented by several other local sources to add new material at the end of each article to let the reader know the current position on the particular bird or animal. Whilst not an A - Z of birds or mammals of Caithness the essays are highly readable with each one standing on its own merits as the story of a particular species in its Caithness habitat. In addition the book includes pen pictures of different aspects of Shearer's interests as naturalist and archaeologist as well as on him personally. Also included are Shearer's letters to the John O'Groat Journal on various birds and mammals that are in reality shorter essays written to the same standard as his main essays but shorter in length.

The Top 50 Birdwatching Sites In The Highlands

RSPB Highland Members Group

2002

Island Eagles: 20 Years Observing Golden Eagles on the Isle of Skye

Ken Crane and Kate Nellist

1999

An account, in diary format, of 20 years of studying Golden Eagles on Skye.

Rum: Nature's Island

Magnus Magnusson

1997

"Containing practical advice for visitors to what was once termed the "Forbidden Isle", this comprehensive guide brings to the reader an idea of Rum's history, geography and geology, fauna and flora and culture."

The Birds of Moray and Nairn

Martin Cook

1992

"The Birds of Moray and Nairn provides an up-to-date account of the occurence and distribution of each of the 267 species recorded in the area, with maps, histograms, illustrations, historical information, and details of the main bird habitats."

Wildlife of Skye and Raasay

P. Yoxon

1990

A guide to the wildlife of the islands of Skye and Raasay.

In Search of Birds in the Scottish Highlands

Brian O'Shea and John Green

1990

"The Scottish Highlands are not only an area of breathtaking beauty, but are also a wonderful habitat for some of Britain's most arre and interesting birds. This book takes you on a tour of these Highlands, introducing and showing you the birds you may come across on a holiday or journey through these ancient hills. It is not an identification guide but offers tips and advice as to where many of these birds may be encountered. Bird watching is one of the best ways to explore and enjoy the Highlands and we hope the book will help you to do this."

Birds Of Eigg

John Chester

1988

Annotated checklist of species recorded on the island written by the resident Wildlife Trust warden.

The Flow Country: The Peatlands of Caithness and Sutherland

R. Lindsay, D.J. Charman, F. Everingham, R.M. O'Reilly, M.A. Palmer, T.A. Rowell, and D.A. Stroud

1988

From the introduction: "The north-west Highlands and Islands of Scotland contain some of the most spectacular scenery in Britain. They are celebrated as a region of high mountains and rugged moorland, where steepness of slope and abundance of bare rock prevail. These dramatic landscapes occupy much of Wester Ross and west Sutherland. In sh arp contrast, however, the far north-eastern corner, in Caithness and east Sutherland, is a district of low-lying, gently undulating or even flat moorlands, more akin to the desolate rolling tundras of the Arctic regions. The high mountains of the west have long invited exploration by naturalists, and their importance for plants and animals has become fairly well known. The importance of this western district was recognised in Nature Reserves in Scotland (Cmd 7814) with the proposal for a Special Conservation Area here, though this recommendation was not followed through in practice. The undramatic moorlands to the east remained largely unknown, though they had been described in 1911 by C B Crampton, a remarkable geologist whose interests included botany and plant ecology. By the late 1950s, Nature Conservancy surveyors had penetrated the east in places and described it as "the flow country" from the huge expanse of almost level bogland, "flow" being a northern term for any flat, deep and wet bog, This was clearly the largest continuous expanse in Britain of the type of peat moorland known to ecologists as "blanket bog". When more scattered areas in west Sutherland were included, the total extent of blanket bog in these two Districts (Caithness and Sutherland) proved to be 4000 sq km."

Birds, Bogs and Forestry: The Peatlands of Caithness and Sutherland

D.A. Stroud, T.M. Reed, M.W. Pienkowski and R. Lindsay

1987

Sutherland Birds

Editor: Stewart Angus

1983

A Guide to the Status and Ecology of Birds in the Sutherland District.

A Fauna Of The North-West Highlands And Skye

J.A. Harvie-Brown and H.A. McPherson

1904

Birds From Moidart And Elsewhere

Mrs Hugh Blackburn

1895

Introduction:

"The pictures of birds in this book are all drawn from nature, most of them from life, and, when that was not feasible, from fresh killed specimens placed in the attitudes and with the surroundings such as I had seen when they were alive. I have always been interested in birds. The first book I ever possessed was a copy of Bewick's British Birds, given to me when I was four years old, and I should be very glad to think that this work of mine might give to others, even in a small degree, the pleasure that book gave me that it might lead them to consider the fowls of the air as capable of affording delight in other ways besides filling a game bag, or adorning a hat. I do not attempt to give a complete collection of British birds, or even of those of Moidart, still less to describe them scientifically (all which has already been admirably done by Yarrell), but only to represent such birds as I have known personally, and to add simply, and I trust truthfully, a few observations which I have had the opportunity of making on their life and habits."

A Vertebrate Fauna of Sutherland, Caithness and West Cromarty

J.A. Harvie-Brown & T.E. Buckley

David Douglas

1887

One plate, of a Snow Bunting, by Keulemans.

The Birds Of The West Of Scotland Including The Outer Hebrides

Robert Gray

Thomas Murray & Son, Glasgow

1871

From the preface:

"Since the publication of the respective works of Sir William Jardine, Professor Macgillivray, and Mr Selby, nothing in a collected form on the Birds of Scotland has been brought under the notice of ornithologists. Many useful and interesting papers have no doubt appeared through various channels, but even the best of these have been restricted within comparatively narrow limits, so that a field, such as that chosen for the title of this volume, may be said to have been hitherto almost unoccupied. It is now upwards of twenty years since I formed the design of collecting materials for such a work, and during that interval it may safely be said that no exertions have been spared to make these materials serve a useful purpose. I have personally visited nearly every locality mentioned, for the express object of acquiring reliable information, and have made myself practically familiar with the birds whose names are catalogued in these pages. Having, besides, repeatedly traversed the entire coast line of Scotland, as well as rambled over the greater portion of the inland counties and their woodland and moorland solitudes, unusual facilities have been afforded me of renewing my observations on the habits of species, and on the various phases of bird life seen from observatories so varied as our country presents. No part of Great Britain, indeed, is more inviting to the ornithologist than the western mainland of Scotland and its island dependencies their mountains and rugged headlands being still frequented by eagles and lordly peregrines; their inland waters and lone sea shores visited by the stately swan; and their peaceful glens and viii PREFACE. brawling rivers enlivened by the presence of many interesting birds long since driven from the meres and sunburnt plains of the south."