Wildlife in detail
We are surrounded by thousands of acres of moorland and forest, teeming with wild creatures.
A short drive north of the village takes you to the splendid Highland Wildlife Park. With its Polar bear, wolves & bison to name but three of its residents, it is really well worth a visit.
You can also get “up close & personal” with The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd near Aviemore and, if you wish, book a sled-dog ride through the forests. Both are great fun!!
The RSPB owns the nearby Insh Marshes Nature Reserve and just 30 minutes up the road, the Loch Garten Nature Reserve, home of the world famous Ospreys.
Further afield but still within easy reach, sightings of Golden Eagles, Ptarmigan, Dotterel, Ospreys, Buzzards, Capercaillie, Black Grouse & Snow Bunting await you.
We’re sure that this list is not comprehensive but we promise to keep it accurate and up to date for you.
If you are interested in photographing our native wild animals & birds, Neil McIntyre, based near Aviemore, conducts excellent Wildlife Photography Courses and Workshops.
The Cairngorms National Park has a wide variety of different habitats and is home to a tremendously diverse range of creatures.
Red Squirrel, Newtonmore In and around Newtonmore itself you have a chance of seeing Red Squirrels, Buzzards, Curlews, Hedgehogs, Heron, Oystercatchers. Ducks, Wild Geese, Swans and Mountain Hare.
Roe deer can sometimes be seen on wooded sections of the Wildcat Trail.
Gardens in the village offer homes to greenfinches as well as chaffinches, coal tits & siskins, blackbirds, robins & thrushes along with the occasional pheasant! .
Frogspawn thrives in the local burns and lochans.
The Scottish Wildcat is native to this area, but your chances of seeing one in the wild are very slim ; there are only @ 400 pure bred animals left in the wild in the whole of Scotland and they keep away from humans!
Newtonmore is also known for its water meadows beside the River Spey with some orchids rarely found elsewhere. On a walk in summer you might see nearly 30 different varieties of wildflower.
At the time of the millennium, the Newtonmore Community Woodland & Development Trust planted 23,000 native trees round the village then linked the plantations with a 10km orbital path, The Wildcat Trail. Amongst the varieties planted are Scots Pine, Oak, Hazel, Ash, Aspen, Birch, Beech, Willow, Goat Willow, Holly and Rowan.
Further afield, within the National Park you may see peregrine falcons, ospreys. or golden eagles, ptarmigan, black grouse, capercaille and red deer. See the Cairngorms National Park website for details and wildlife activities.
