Winter is a fantastic time to get out and see wildlife in Scotland. The Caerlaverock Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (WWT) reserve, near Dumfries is a key stopping-off point for migrating geese and a popular viewing spot  for whooper swans, barnacle geese and many other species that populate the mudflats of the Solway Firth at this time of year.

Also popular with bird-watchers is the RSPB Loch Leven Reserve in Kinross where thousands of migrating pink footed geese arrive in early September. As many as 10,000 remain here during the winter months.

Pink footed geese also alight in force at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Montrose Basin Wildlife Reserve from September onwards. To take full advantage of their arrival, SWT run Goose Breakfast Mornings to watch the birds fly at dawn.

This time of year also sees the start of the ‘rutting' - or mating - season for red deer. The elaborate displays of antler rattling battles for dominance among the male stags can be seen with a little luck throughout Scotland. Deer are normally found in lower ground during winter and spring periods, when they are often seen by travellers on the A9 road between Perth and Inverness or on various Highland railway routes.

Scotland's islands and remote shores heave with a proliferation of grey seals in October and November as the females arrive onshore to give birth to a single fluffy white pup each. With an estimated 90,000 grey seals in Scottish waters, there is a good chance of spotting these blubbery beauties.

Grey seals arrive on the Isle of May from October and the Scottish Seabird Centre (SSC) in North Berwick is an ideal vantage point. The centre overlooks both the Isle of May with its seal colonies and the Bass Rock - a major gannet nesting site. The centre operates a series of remote cameras on the surrounding islands and visitors can use a camera joystick to view the beaches where seals bask and rear their pups.

Surprise yourself  and discover Scotland's fantastic wildlife.