One of the highlights of a holiday at Craig is the local wildlife. It’s thrilling to have Pine martens visiting the garden almost every night. They normally climb up on to the window sill right next to the dining room table to see what titbits have been left for them. Although the visits are often at dusk or after dark, they are also known to visit, particularly during June, July and August, throughout daylight hours.
Pine marten.
In the past few years, we’ve had the added pleasure of hosting both a male and female pine marten. Each have their own unique personalities. The female is very cautious. She prefers to grab the food from the ledge and then retreat to enjoy it in privacy. On the other hand the male is far more confident. He has an incredible appetite! Often he lingers next to the window for long periods, making sure he’s eaten everything. In fact the only thing that tends to disturb him is another night visitor, the badger, who is often seen skirting through the bottom of the garden.
Birds.
The bird feeders in the garden are very popular with a wide range of birds including blackbird, blue tit, great tits, coal tit, siskin, robin, and great spotted woodpecker. There are many other species to be seen in the garden at different times including treecreeper, long tailed tit, bullfinch and wren.
Otters.
Loch Etive, a haven for otters, has recently become even more exciting. At Craig, we have recently started to have regular- almost daily -sightings of these amazing creatures. As you gaze out the cottage windows, you can often catch the thrilling sight of an otter swimming gracefully along the Loch. For a more enchanting encounter, find a quiet spot on the shore….sit very still and quietly and you can watch these fascinating animals at closer range.
Bats.
The cottage is home to a large number of bats. These are most likely to be Pipistrelle bats because pipistrelle bats roost in small, confined spaces. Additionally, I suspect there are likely to be Daubenton’s bats roosting in the trees beside the cottage too! It is amazing to watch them pouring out of the small hole in the disused chimney at dusk.
Walking along the track.
Walking along the track gives a great view of the loch and the sea birds that can be seen there, plus always keep an eye out into the woodland. We often see a golden eagle hunting over the woodland behind the cottage. Becoming a more common sight are also white tailed eagles, which are often seen close to the cottage. The woods that surround the cottage on three sides are home to Red, Roe and Fallow deer. They can sometimes be seen crossing the open area directly behind the cottage, or met when you are out walking.
Remember to look up – Dark Skies.
Due to the lack of light pollution, Craig is also a wonderful place for star gazing. A recent guest from the Midlands was blown away to see the Milky Way which she had never seen before!
