UK wildlife (Birds and Animals)
UK diverse landscape
UK wildlife is attracted by a diverse landscape. Here we focus on the norther UK, particularly Scotland. The rugged mountains, wild moorland, ancient pine forests and thousands of miles of coastline create a variety of habitats for our wildlife.
Images for UK wildlife
Scotland’s coast and Islands
The east coast of Scotland with its numerous firths is surrounded by the North sea. The rugged west coast with its many islands is washed by the Atlantic. Scotland has 790 offshore islands. Most of these islands being part of the four main Scottish island groups:
- Shetland
- Orkney
- Inner Hebrides
- Outer Hebrides
In addition to the main island groups Scotland has numerous islands on inland lochs and in the mainland firths:
- Firth of Clyde
- Firth of Forth
- Solway Firth
The islands and coastlines with areas of rich sea life are home to wildlife in Scotland with many colonies of breeding seabirds. These islands and coastlines provide feeding grounds for waders and other birdlife. The surrounding seas attract Dolphin, Shark and Whales including Orca or Killer whale.
Scotland’s Mountains
Scotland is also the most mountainous area in the UK with 282 Munros (peaks over 3000 ft). The UKs top 10 highest peaks are also in Scotland with 9 of these being over 4,000 feet. The more extreme of these areas, such as the Cairngorms, experience a sub-artic climate that is home to specialists species such as Ptarmigan, Mountain Hare, Dotterel and Snow Bunting. The mountains and glens provide homes to Eagles. The ancient Caledonian forest provides a different environment for Scotland’s wildlife. The Pine forests of Scotland hold some of Scotland’s rarest wildlife. This is the land of rare mammals such as the Pine Marten and Wild Cat with rare birds including Capercaillie, Black Grouse, Crested Tit and Crossbill.
Little wonder then why Scotland’s Wildlife and landscape attracts so many visitors from both the UK and overseas.