We've been back the best part of a week (including some entertaining guiding and surveying - see last posts), but for the post-Christmas and New Year period, we headed north for a lovely trip split between Lindisfarne and the Highlands.
The ruined abbey and our hotel
For the first two days and nights, Holy Island was our home, with long walks, dinners, and drinking / rummy sessions (and a couple of lovely runs) the order of the day (and night). A cheap deal on a hotel overlooking the castle and south bay was well worth it, and while we've been here many times, this was the first time we'd actually stayed on the island, but likely not the last.
Bar-tailed Godwits, Sanderlings, Ringed Plovers, Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers - Lindisfarne's beaches were loaded with 'em
Next up, the Highlands for Hogmanay - specifically Grantown-on-Spey, and more specifically the Grant Arms Hotel, who kindly invited us up for a few nights in return for some guiding / speaking / quiz-hosting.
Brent Geese (the best geese), Holy Island
As regular readers will know I (we) have been regular visitors to hotel for many years now; as guest speaker and guide for most years from 2017, and over the last few years, multiple times a year to host of School of Birding.
So it's familar and very welcome territory (and almost like a second home these days); but this was our first Hogmanay up there, and my first time officially co-hosting with our dear friend, Mike (Dilger). Better still, Mike was up with his family - Christina, Zachary and Bramble the dog - and we had a great time with them over the course of our stay.
Mike and I split guiding and speaking duties for the guests but were able to come together for a fabulous day down our favourite valley, Strathdearn - skillfully assisted by Amity (what an accidentally brilliant co-guide she is) and Zach (who absolutely wiped the floor with us oldies in the eagle-finding stakes). A fine day with fifteen or more guests enjoying no fewer than seven (!) Golden Eagles, three White-tailed Eagles, Mountain Hares and much more.
Aberbethy's Coal Tits are the BEST tits
— Mark James Pearson (@markthebirder.bsky.social) 30 December 2025 at 12:49
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One of many Cresties
A word re: Hogmanay in Grantown - joyous! Despite shitty weather, thousands of people crowded the square, many of whom were traditional dancing (and at least half cut) to great live music coming from the turned-over articulated lorry that doubled up as a road block. It was a late, and memorable, night...
The timing of our guiding days was excellent, as not long afterwards, the weather turned - and over the course of the next day or so went from howling gales and cold rain to almost constant, thick, heavy, snow....
... which was, of course, wholly beautiful and seasonally evocative. To a point, that is - the point being trying to get out and get home in time for Amity to restart school and me to get back to work. As it turned out we were effectively snowed in and had to stay another day and night (thankfully we'd one 'in reserve'), which was a lovely bonus - a long walk in the silent, deeply covered forest with Am, a long run in the forest afterwards, and then a very fun evening with friends and guests at the hotel.
Heading out the next morning was a bit spicy, but we followed a snow plough out of the worst of the conditions, and eight and half hours later, made it back to Yorvik. A fine festive period in every sense.
White-tailed Eagle
Happy New Year from the heart of the Highlands! We spent the last day of '25 guiding with our dear friend Mike (Dilger) for the good folk up for Hogmanay at the Grant Arms Hotel - a cracking day including seven Golden Eagles, three White-tailed Eagles, Mountain Hares & lots of other local wildlife.
— Mark James Pearson (@markthebirder.bsky.social) 31 December 2025 at 17:24
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