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
19th Jun 2025
Big flocks of seabirds at Neist today working south but stopping to surface-feed: 500+ manx shearwaters (250+150+50+ other small groups), 3000+ kittiwakes (one single flock 2000 birds, look to be mostly immature, non-breeding birds). A 'commic' tern went south at Neist at mid-day.
14th Jun 2025
A common swift flew north along the bottom road in Lower Milovaig at 4pm.
12th Jun 2025
A two-hour seawatch at Neist Point produced: 2 out-of-season whimbrels heading NW towards North Uist, 1 puffin south, 1 bonxie north, 20 manx shearwaters south.
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.