Land of the Otter | Scotland Wildlife Photography (Ep. 1)

In the wildest corners of Scotland, the landscape is only half a story. Hidden in the mist, crashing waves and ancient skies are the true masses of this wilderness. We came here not just to see, but to wait, to watch and to capture the untold moments of the wild. This is our quest for the untamed. Hello guys and very welcome back to another little video or actually it's probably it's gonna be a little serious because we are now on location here in Scotland and we're gonna be here for like two weeks and try to make some landscape photos, try to photograph some animals but more about that I'm gonna tell you later. So for now we just need to make our camper van ready and then we start hitting the road and make some meters to the first spots where we want to try to make some landscape photos. After a short drive from our campsite for the night, we arrived at our first destination, Loch Lomond. The rain is pouring down relentlessly. The landscape here is heavily shaped by human hand, yet with all the concrete they immediately catch our eye, mulled ancient oak trees. These characterful trees, remains of the native Celtic rainforests, will accompany us often throughout this journey. We pack our gear and head out to our first real landscape spot, the spectacular Falls of Falun. From here we venture deep into the heart of Scotland, towards Glencoe. It's the kind of landscape that immediately comes to mind when you think of the highlands, breathtaking mountain ridges gently sloping down into lush green hills covered in heather. It feels almost surreal, like the backdrop of a fantasy film. Around every bend lies another beautiful waterfall, an even more stunning view. So guys, first day in our little camper van is over. We found a place to stay in the night and yeah, now we just need to enjoy the beautiful view, make some breakfast. We've made some incredibly beautiful landscape photography and tomorrow we will get up quite early and then we will try to get to a place named Oban and from there we take the ferry next to the island, Isle of Mull and there the wildlife photography will really start. But more about that tomorrow, so for now we just enjoy the evening and yeah, I wish you a nice evening and see you tomorrow. The next morning we continue along the coast towards Oban, passing Castle Stalker, a 14th century castle standing picturesquely on a tiny rock island in Loch Lake. Taking the ferry we cross over to the Isle of Mull. So guys, now we are on Mull, about two hours earlier than actually planned. We got the earlier ferry and now we are on our way to one of the lochs and looking for sea otters. Mull is renowned as one of the best places in Europe for otter sightings. Unlike inland otters, the ones here on the coastal waters are often active during the day as their rhythm is dictated by the tides rather than the sun. For three hours we drive from bay to bay, scanning the towering cult beds along the shore and then luck strikes, an otter hunting in the water. But if you want to get short here, you have to become invisible. Rule number one, camouflage. Rule number two, the right stalking technique. Otters may have poor eyesight, but they have exceptional hearing and extremely keen sense of smell. When they dive, they stay underwater for about 20 seconds. I always build in a safety buffer giving me a 10 to 15 second window to move silently and get into position before they surface. The technique works. I managed to get close. It's an impressive male with a distinct scar on his nose. After half an hour of watching, two unexpected guests interrupt the scene. A mother, seal and her pup claim the area and chase the otter away. So guys, first three hours in Mull and we already found one otter. Yeah, it was really difficult to find. We had like two encounters with some seals where I thought it was an otter, like the one there. What is that? So anyway, um, when I was first otter and the difficulty was the first time, first and second time we thought we saw one. It was a seal with her cup, which is nice anyway. But yeah, let's just keep on driving and looking if we can find some more. So guys, um, what a day, what a day. Um, yeah, ups and downs. Very, very nice with the otter. I actually did not expect that we find an otter in the first day, um, within the first three hours. Also was very, what was very nice that we found the seals. That was awesome. On the way on a little road where we, what we found, which was very beautiful and very promising in case of otters, but we were in high tide. Um, we found some red deer actually, and we also found some fallow deer. Um, so in case of wildlife, we can find a lot here. Yeah. We actually found out that we have a problem on the downside of the car. There was a covering, uh, which got loose. Um, I actually got managed to fix it, but, uh, yeah, it was pretty wild ride today and it was raining and it's cold and yeah, now we just need a tea, get ourselves warm again and then need to sleep before tomorrow we come and search for the otters again. So yeah, good night and see you tomorrow guys. Good morning Scotland. For the first time, the sun is actually shining. We leave the camper van behind and search the coastline on foot. The overnight storms have whipped up the surf. Stunning to look at, but no sign of otters. Still, nature has its own consolation prizes. Soaring right above our heads, a true giant appears. A white-tailed eagle with a wingspan of up to two and a half meters. It's the largest bird of prey in the UK, driven to extinction here in the 1980s. Successful reintroduction projects mean a few of these majestic birds are once again soaring over the mountains of Malmo. A brief magical moment before it disappears into the peaks. The search continues. As the tide recedes, the kelp is exposed. Prime time for hunting. We check bay after bay, partly by car, partly on foot, in areas unreachable by vehicle. Even the gnarled wind-sculpted oaks along the shore are a motive in themselves. And then it happens. On our way back, I spot them. An otter mother and her cub. I can hardly believe my luck. At first, we observe them from the car to read their direction. They are consistently hunting along the coastline. We come up with a plan. My wife drives me about 300 meters ahead. I jump out, head down to the shore, and hide deep in the wet kelp. The wait begins. It feels like an eternity, minutes pass in total stillness. And then all the patience pays off. Moments like these stay with you forever. When patience and understanding of nature and a touch of luck align in one perfect moment. In the next episode, we'll head out across raging seas to islands inhabited by true survivors. It's full of nesting birds.