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
24th Jan 2023
There were two black-throated divers close to shore at the seaward end of the Milovaig loop, mid afternoon.
7th Jan 2023
There were nine cormorants on the skerries in Loch Pooltiel at mid-day, an exceptionally high count. There were two males and a female goosander off the white beach at Lower Milovaig, mid morning.
31st Dec 2022
Fieldfare - Neist Point
December 2022
There was a single fieldfare, 3 golden plovers, 1 snipe and 5 purple sandpipers at Neist. No seabirds, except a few shags and a few usual gulls, and no cetaceans.
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.