Glendale, Skye - Tourist Guide
Seabirds of Glendale, Isle of Skye
Gannets
Gannets are very common in Glendale and they can be seen daily, diving close to the shore and Pier in Loch Pooltiel, between April and October.
It is a spectacular sight to watch them plunging head-first into the water from great heights on the long Summer evenings.
Gannet in Loch Pooltiel.
Skuas
Great Skuas, commonly known as 'bonxies', and the daintier Arctic Skuas are now being seen regularly at Neist Point between May and September. Bonxies also regularly come into Loch Pooltiel to harass the gulls.
Shearwaters
Manx Shearwaters feed in huge numbers off Neist Point in late Summer.
Recent Bird Sightings
16th Jul 2026
At Neist in the morning : 1 whimbrel went NW over the sea towards North Uist, c.12 puffins south in groups of 1/2/3s, 250+ manx shearwaters south.
12th Jul 2026
There were two puffins off Neist Point in the morning. An unidentified skua was seen briefly around the nesting ledges at Neist.
11th Jul 2026
There was a singing male common whitethroat in the garden of Mandallagh Cottage, Lower Milovaig in the morning. There were two juvenile white-tailed eagles over the Lower Milovaig grazings, late morning. The adult wheatears have gone. Only the juveniles remain. There was a leucorhoa type wheatear on the top road in Upper Milovaig, late morning. Meadow pipits and skylarks have also gone.
More recent wildlife sightings
Black Guillemot at Neist Point.
Auks
In Summer, the stunning coastal waters and cliffs around Glendale are home to many hundreds of guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, kittiwakes and shags.
Puffins are also regularly seen off Neist Point in small numbers, although they do not nest on Skye.
The beautiful black guillemot, with its white wing-patches and red legs, is resident all year round.
Fulmar at Neist Point.