Oban Delights, Otter in Sight!

by Jennifer Harnden May 2024

It's been quite a month or so of exciting travels and adventures to some beautiful locations. We've enjoyed some gorgeous and very special family time in Italy, a fun walking adventure with great friends in Spain, and I've also been able to focus a little time focussing on my violin playing.

Another great short trip this month for me was that I had been kindly invited up to the wonderful location of Oban in Scotland, for walking, cooking, Scottish dancing and playing music with some great musician friends. In addition to a few days of such delights, with the whisperings of wild beavers, otters and exciting possibilities of the sighting of eagles and other birds of prey living in the area I was certainly enthused!

After another lovely day walking and exploring this area enjoying the natural beauty and the wildlife, on our drive back to one of the ferry ports, we were unexpectedly, lucky enough to enjoy seeing an otter playing around in the waters around the Isle of Mull.   Alongside some other people, who, like us, had also stopped their cars, camera's and binoculars poised, it was such spectacular sight, an opportunity not to be missed.

All keeping very quiet whilst enjoying this beautiful encounter, the otter looked alert, and yet also quite relaxed and seemingly unaware of the human's gathered at a distance. Keeping ourselves as hidden as we could, we were completely entranced by this beautiful creature as it swam around looking for fish and playing quite happily in the still waters amongst the seaweed and rocks.

After a little while enjoying our brief encounter with this wonderful otter, we had to tear ourselves away so that we didn't miss our ferry back to the mainland, however we came away feeling elated with what we'd just experienced.

Another morning, I was keen to rise at 3am to drive over to visit a specific loch whilst on

my route home, with the hope of getting a little glimpse of one of the forty or so beavers that were living there, having been re-introduced in 2009, following years of persecution. No sighting of wild beavers for me this time, however, I did see tell tale signs of their activity with a gnawed tree or two, and enjoyed an amazing sunrise.

I certainly hope to return yet again to this beautiful part of the world to enjoy more of it’s magic, wildlife and natural beauty. There are so many places in rural Scotland that I will always love to visit and revisit.