Winter is a time of great beauty in Scotland, a season of frosty white landscapes, and a time of change as birds migrate and the first white feathers appear on winter plumages.

Home to vast expanses of protected ground and two spectacular National Parks, Scotland is one of the world’s key wildlife watching destinations.

The high tops attract only the hardiest of species such as the ptarmigan, whose white plumage reflects its winter habitat. At lower levels, geese, swans and a great variety of ducks are still present in huge numbers on Islay and around Spey Bay, Montrose Basin and the Solway, to name but a few prime locations. Courting ducks, such as mergansers, goosanders, goldeneye and eider, provide a magnificent spectacle in January and February. In the Highlands, wildcats and red squirrels court more furtively in the glens and pine-forests.

Whether its dashing through the snowscape on a winter white safari, admiring a gaggle of wintering geese or spottting white mountain hare, snow bunting or ptarmigan in the beautiful Cairngorms, Scotland has an experience for everyone this winter.