An afternoon in the Cairngorms 06/04/26
With home repairs now finally behind us, we headed toward Braemar for a much-needed afternoon of nature and mountain views.
The Walk: Invercauld Estate & Felagie
We kicked off our day at the Invercauld Estate, parking up at the Keiloch car park. While we’ve wandered these paths many times, the valley around Felagie never fails to impress. The route treats you to dramatic views of the Craig Leek cliff face, framed by the rugged beauty of the surrounding moorlands.
We pushed on as far as Felagie Burn, where we took a breather for thirty minutes to soak in the silence (and scan the skies) before looping back.
The Birding Highlights
It’s still a touch early for the summer regulars—so we missed out on the Wheatears and Common Redstarts this time—but the spring activity continues to pick up, although slowly!
Here are a few species that made it onto the day list today:
Aerial Displays: Several Meadow Pipits were out in force, performing their parachuting displays.
Nest Building: A busy pair of Mistle Thrushes were hard at work on their new home.
Woodland Tunes: Along the woodland edge, we heard the unmistakable calls of Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Chaffinch and the high-pitched songs of at least two Goldcrests.
Male Common Crossbill
Finches & Chats: A flock of nine Common Crossbills made a guest appearance, and we spotted a male Stonechat singing his heart out.
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Stonechat
Raptor Watch: We noted five Common Buzzards, but the real showstoppers appeared while we were snacking at Felagie Burn: two Golden Eagles. They were soaring so high they were practically in the stratosphere, but there's no mistaking that silhouette!
A couple of Golden Eagles in the thermals at Felagie
Coffee, Cake, and Glenshee
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| The view from atop Glenshee looking towards Perthshire |
No trip to Braemar is complete without a pitstop for coffee and cake. Suitably refuelled, we made the drive up to the Glenshee Ski Centre.
The car park there is usually a goldmine for mountain specialists. While the Ptarmigan and Snow Buntings eluded us today, a quick scan of the slopes revealed: Red Deer, Mountain Hares (still sporting some of their white winter coats!) and Red Grouse.
A Mountain Hare - Viewed from the parking area at Glenshee
Red Grouse at Glenshee
It was the perfect way to reset after a busy few weeks. There is just something about the Cairngorms that makes the soul feel as steady as the mountains themselves.
