Our Safaris

Safaris are limited to a maximum of six people per safari, in the comfort of the Kestrel Wildlife Safari Landrover Discovery, making conversation easy and increasing your chances of experiencing wildlife. Please note that the rear two seats are only suitable for children or small adults. Booking is essential.

Safaris are available as 3-hour long Discovery Wildlife Safaris or 7-hour long Exploration Wildlife Safaris.  Discovery Wildlife Safaris will normally* take you off-road through one of three Highland Estates that we work with, scheduled for that day. Exploration Wildlife Safaris could take you further off-road into the scheduled Highland Estate or into two Highland Estates, or will allow you more time to watch or photograph wildlife in the scheduled Estate.  The off-road section is along forest and hill tracks, giving you the opportunity to experience the spectacular scenery, wildness and wildlife of remote Highland mountains, woodlands, rivers and wetlands. During the summer months Auchlyne Estate Evening Safaris are available on most Wednesdays, offing you the chance to experience wildlife that is active later in the day - there's even the possibility of seeing beavers.

The meeting point for all the safaris is the village car park in Lochearnhead. From the A84/A85 junction in the middle of Lochearnhead, take the A85 towards St. Fillans. The car park is about 350m down the road, just past the Police Station. You will need to take the left turn immediately after the car park to get to the entrance.

Binoculars, a viewing-scope and wildlife ID sheets are available in the safari vehicle to help you get the best wildlife viewing experience and you will be offered hot drinks (or cold for children) and shortbread at a viewpoint part way round.

*Please note that safaris between mid-September and mid-October maybe unable to use off-road routes due to deer management activities. In these circumstances your guide will choose an  equally spectacular route using single-lane tarmack roads.

While wildlife varies with the seasons, there’s normally plenty to see. Woodlands are homes to a range of wildlife including fallow and roe deer, red squirrels, buzzards, sparrowhawks, great spotted woodpeckers, green woodpeckers and a variety of small birds including lesser redpolls, siskins, long-tailed tits, redstarts and willow warblers, while red kites, buzzards, ravens or even golden eagles soar over the mountains. Dippers, grey wagtails,  pied wagtails, oystercatchers and common sandpipers can be seen along rivers, while wetland birds such as grey herons, mute swans, whooper swans, teal, goosanders, goldeneyes, cormorants and little grebes can be seen on lochs, rivers and floodplains. 

European beavers are found in the area and while the beavers themselves will be asleep in their burrows or lodges during the daytime, depending on your safari, you may be able to see the benefits of these ecosystem engineers. Join us for an Auchlyne Estate Evening Safari for a chance of seeing the beavers themselves.

Your safari will take you onto one or more Highland estates. The landowners and manager look after this area with wildlife in mind and have generously allowed Kestrel Wildlife Safaris to use their land and to experience the rich wildlife. Part of each safari fee goes towards the positive management of these estates for wildlife.

The welfare of the wildlife we are viewing is paramount to us, so while every effort will be made to give you a great experience, your guide will keep disturbance to the wildlife to a minimum.

We care deeply about the health of the planet and work hard to reduce our carbon footprint. Unfortunately an affordable electric vehicle suitable for wildlife safaris is not currently available, so we offset carbon emissions from the Kestrel Wildlife Safari with payments to the Madagascar Fauna & Flora Group who plant native Malagasy trees and protect primary rainforest in the east of Madagascar.