Wildlife Safari
Other Wildlife in the Hebrides
There are plenty other animals to see in the Hebrides apart from marine and bird life; watch out for friendly Highland Cows, and the islands' worst road users - the sheep!!
In common with many other island groups there are fewer types of mammals present than in similar habitats on the mainland (and no snakes apart from grass snakes!) Due to our isolation there are a number of sub species that are unique to the islands. Here's a quick run down of some of the other animals you are likely to see in the Hebrides...
Otters
The Minch has one of the densest otter populations in North West Europe and as one of the last otter strongholds, you are more likely to spot one of these agile swimmers in the Hebrides than anywhere else.
Reaching up to four feet in length, they are fast and fluid in and out of water. Although extremely shy, you are quite likely to view these animals if you have patience and are good at keeping quiet.
They like rocks, beaches and seaweed-strewn shores; you can also see them around sea lochs on the east coast of the islands where they hunt for fish.
Their fur coat is medium to dark brown with paler fur on the belly area. The tail is used as a rudder in swimming and is long and thick. The face is quite dog-like but with small ears close to the head, while the legs are short and powerful.
They are very shy creatures so you will have to be very still and preferably downwind of them if you hope to watch them. They feed on eels and fish, especially salmon which is their favoured meal.
If you want to improve your chances of spotting an otter, and learn lots more about them and where they live along the way, organised otter walks with local countryside rangers and wildlife experts are available. Click here to find out more...
Red Deer
Red Deer are actually an introduced species in the islands, but they have adapted well to our rough peat and moor land.
They are prevalent in all areas, but prefer higher ground and are more common deeply inland.
The deer are difficult to spot on the heath in autumn, when the moors are gold and brown, but can often be spotted in the hills and moors all over the islands. They are regularly seen from the road around Langass in North Uist, especially at night.
There are just over 4000 Red Deer in Lewis and Harris, around 850 in North Uist and 350 in South Uist.
Sheep
If there is one thing that exists abundantly in the islands, that you're 100% sure to spot if you venture outside of Stornoway, it is sheep! They are everywhere and very cute!
Crofting is still an important part of the culture of the Hebrides, and most island crofters tend sheep, mainly for their wool (which is used to make the famous Harris Tweed).
The Hebridean sheep, now classed as a rare breed, was once common all over Scotland, but was replaced latterly by the blackface breed. There are still a number of Hebridean sheep in the islands, mainly found in North Uist.
The Hebridean sheep is very small and is totally black, although it sometimes greys with age. They have either two or four horns, with the four-horned variety being more common.
Other rare breeds originating and still found in the Hebrides include the Soay and the Boreray. The Soay is apparently the only living example of the small, primitive sheep that used to be common in the UK before the Norse and Roman invasions. They are now found in greatest number on Hirta, the largest island of the St Kilda group, to which 107 sheep were taken from the Isle of Soay (also part of the St Kilda group) back in 1932 when the islands were evacuated. The Soay is an unusual looking sheep, varying from light to dark brown, usually with horns.
The Boreray is another native St Kildan, bred in the 1800's form the Scottish Blackface and a Hebridean Old Scottish Shortwool. It is small, with horns and no wool on its face or lower legs, with a white to tan fleece. The ram has beautiful spiral horns.
Eriskay Pony
The short-legged Eriskay Pony is a local breed of pony of ancient lineage, the only surviving variety of Hebridean pony, but itself in danger of extinction.
The Isle of Eriskay is situated to the south of South Uist and its native pony is a hardy but dainty breed which looks like a smaller version of the Highland.
Eriskay was only linked to South Uist by causeway in 2001, so with the difficulties of access, other breeds were not introduced, leaving a pure breed.
By the 1970's, there were only around 20 Eriskay ponies left, but a group of people got together and established breeding groups, and now there are over 300 Eriskay ponies.
The Eriskay Pony (mother Society) is based on the Isle of Eriskay. The society can help you to visit Eriskay ponies throughout the Islands and also to become a friend to this rare breed. For more information on the society log onto www.eriskaypony.org.uk
Mink
This introduced species is a highly efficient predator, stealing eggs from nests and catching birds, fish and rabbits. It is smaller than the otter, growing to around 1-2 feet in length and is generally brown or black, with white markings around the lips sometimes.
The legs are short with webbed feet and the tail is long and bushy. It is fast and agile in the water and very nosey around humans though it tends to be a nocturnal animal. Also in the very unlikely event that you happen upon a mink, try not to disturb them and keep your distance.
The mink have colonised all of Lewis and Harris and have a devastating affect on some of our native species: most at risk are ground-nesting birds. Because the Hebrides are of such ecological importance,a mink eradication project has been established. This project is called the ‘Hebridean Mink Project’ and it is funded by EU Life. This aims to prevent the mink from colonising North Uist from Lewis and Harris where they are already established. Traps are already being used to catch mink moving towards North Uist but as many mink are too wary to visit traps the project may need to supplement trapping by using dogs to track and catch these mink. If the mink manage to take hold in the Uists, further large-scale extinction of seabird breeding colonies is to be expected, similar to that that has already occurred on the Scottish mainland.
Mice and Rats
There are three sub species of the Long Tailed Field Mouse in the islands: a Hebridean variety, a St. Kildan, and one which is restricted to the southern tip of the island chain.
The Long Tailed Field Mouse, also known as the Wood Mouse, is the most common mammal in the UK. Their body is about 9cm long, and the tail the same again. They are yellowish brown in colour on top, and underneath a creamy white. They have larger ears and eyes than the House Mouse, and tend to come out of their underground burrows to feed at night. However, the Field Mouse is just as likely to make its way in to your house as the House Mouse!
The Shiants are famous for being one of the last remaining British sites for the ship rat or black rat, whose fleas carried the plague! Although harmless now, they breed very successfully on the island and are so populous, the chimney must be blocked in the only house on the island to make sure they can't get in!
A study carried out by Scottish Natural Heritage in 1995 found that the rats tend to be concentrated around the seabird cliffs in the summer, but that they spread out during the winter. However, it also found that the bulk of their diet is vegetative, so it is unclear whether the rats present a danger to the seabird breeding colonies of the Shiants.
Highland Cattle
Although this is not a native species of the islands and is reared domestically, you can spot Highland Cows throughout the islands.
These beautiful gentle beasts have shaggy long hair, and have now affectionately been christened "Toffee coos" after being used for many years as the logo for the popular Scottish "Highland Toffee" bars! They are also toffee, coloured, ranging from a strawberry blonde to a rich auburn coat.
You'll often come upon a Highland cow roaming free by the roadside, and they are usually reasonably brave and friendly if you stop to speak to them. They will raise their head to watch you as you pass by or stand in the middle of the road when you want to get your car past!
If you want to see them in greater numbers, there are pedigree herds on the Isles of Barra and on North Uist.
Rabbits
The islands are full of common brown rabbits, which love to burrow in the machair and grasslands on the west coast. There are even some black species breeding in the islands and if you are lucky you might spot them!
Although many people love to see rabbits, with their cute little fluffy tails, they actually cause a lot of damage to the Hebrides' wildlife and archaeological remains through their burrowing. Their burrows render useless fences that have been erected to protect rare bird life from predator hedgehogs. Because the Isle of Berneray has always been rabbit free, great lengths were taken when the causeway was built to link Berneray to North Uist to make sure that rabbits could not get across!
However, in bunny's favour, Historic Scotland research in the Outer Hebrides recently found that rabbits are important in helping soil formation: their burrowing covers stone heaps by up to 20 cm of soil in under 200 years!
Wild Atlantic Salmon
Wild Atlantic Salmon (salmo salar), can be found in most cool, clean rivers with unrestricted access to the sea in the Northern hemisphere. However, although at one time they occupied almost every river in Britain and much of Northern Europe, man's impact on their freshwater environment has meant that far fewer rivers in the UK now contain significant numbers of salmon.
Salmon are treasured by some because of their value as a sporting game fish, by others as excellent eating, but more importantly they are a part of our heritage, a natural national resource for all - not just those who fish for them.
The Hebrides has long been revered among anglers for its wild salmon fishing. In fact the record bag for any one season was in 1925 where the Grimersta estate in Uig on the Isle of Lewis recorded 2,276 salmon, 591 sea trout and 271 brown trout caught. This is quite staggering for a spate river. Amazingly a Mr Naylor caught 57 salmon to his own rod in one day on the same river a few years earlier.
In the islands, nearly all the adult salmon return in the summer months from June through to September. The vast majority are known as grilse, which is an angling term that means they have only spent one winter feeding at sea. Larger salmon that may have spent two or more winters at sea are uncommon here.
The salmon will remain in shoals roaming around the bays and sea lochs until they enter freshwater. Visitors can often see salmon leaping as they drive along coastal roads so if you do see that splash out of the corner of your eye, best chances are that in June or July it is a salmon finding it's way home.
They require rainfall and the subsequent high river levels in order to ascend the small steep rivers that predominate throughout the Hebrides. In periods of dry weather that frequently coincide with the return of the summer salmon, they cannot enter freshwater. Once it rains, however, large numbers enter nearly all the rivers and streams and ascend until they either find a nice deep pool or a loch to rest in until they spawn in the autumn. Any loch that has an obvious river or stream that flows to the sea will have some salmon in. Some have more prolific runs than others but if you stop for a picnic near such a loch you should see salmon leaping from time to time in the late summer months. Many visitors to the Hebrides come just to watch the salmon leaping falls! The reason why they ascend our rivers is for reproduction purposes, amazingly for the five or six months spent in freshwater until they do spawn they do not eat anything at all!!
Throughout the year they also change their livery so you will see a bright sparkling silver jewel leaping in June but by October a bright red or dark brown is the flash that catches the corner of your eye. Keep coming back to WildlifeHebrides.com find out why!!!
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