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
17th Feb 2025
A lapwing flew south along the bottom road in Milovaig at 10am. It had previously been photographed in the garden of Seal Skerry Lodge (Paul Walton).
16th Feb 2025
A juvenile iceland gull flew north past Neist Point, late morning. The common guillemots were back on the nesting ledges for the first time this season. The waters around Neist were teeming with seabirds today, compared to being empty a week ago, including many common guillemots, kittiwakes, common gulls and four gannets.
10th Feb 2025
More skylarks arriving with three on the top road in Lower Milovaig at 2pm (Kathy Lindsay).
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.