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1 Sept 2021

Wildlife spotter’s guide: Crathes Castle Estate

Red squirrel jumping across a tree in Crathes Castle Estate
At Crathes Castle there are great nature trails and even better wildlife! The large estate covers a varied landscape, with woodland, rolling fields, formal gardens and ponds.

Click on the pictures below to find out a little more about some of the species you may spot during your visit.

A wren perches on top of a jagged wooden stump. Its short tail points directly upwards. Its beak is wide open, as if in full song. A large adult badger walks along a woodland leafy path, straight towards the camera. A blackbird perches on the very top of a spruce pine. Its bright yellow beak is wide open in song. A very rotund male bullfinch perches on a twig, with fluffy buds at the end. He has a bright orangey-red tummy and a smooth black cap. His beak is also chunky. A buzzard soaring through a bright blue sky. Its large wings are fully stretched out, revealing the feathery tips. Its belly is pale, and it is looking down at the ground. A close-up of a common frog sitting on a stony surface, with moss in the background. The frog is mostly a khaki green colour, with some black spots on its body. A young fox stands by the edge of the path, in rough grass and slightly under cover of the trees above. A grey heron stands among a reed bed, its lower body obscured by the grass. It has dark grey, shaggy feathers on its body. It has a white head with a strong black stripe running from above the eye to a crest down its neck. It has a very long, sharp orange beak. A jay perches on the end of a smooth branch. It has a pinkish back, head and belly, with a black stripe beside its beak. Its wings have a bright blue bar, with black and white tips. A kingfisher perches on a thin branch, with trees in the background. It has a very round orange tummy, with a turquoise blue back. Its long thin black beak is turned to the right. A mistle thrush perches on top of a wooden post. It has a speckled belly with a light brown upper body. Its head is turned, somewhat inquisitively, towards the camera. A butterfly rests at the tip of a stalk, with purple flower buds, in a meadow. Its wings are spread out wide. They are mostly white with orange tips on the upper wings. It has a black furry body. An otter emerges from a stream onto a grassy bank with buttercups. Its brown fur is wet and sleeked back. A pine marten creeps along a woodland floor, its body very close to the ground and its nose smelling the leaves in front. It has a long busy tail, and a white bib. A red kite is shown in flight, against a bright blue sky. It has a brick red tummy, pale wings with black tips, and a clearly forked tail. Red squirrel jumping across a tree in Crathes Castle Estate A close-up of a robin perching on top of a wooden post. A roe deer stands in a flowery (possibly lavender) area with saplings. It has turned its head to face the camera. Its very large ears and white rump are clearly visible.

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A view of the top section of Crathes Castle, showing the clock tower against a bright blue sky. The yellow leaves of a large tree frame the shot.
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Crathes Castle

Painted ceilings and family portraits adorn this turreted castle, set among sculpted yew trees and nature trails

Aberdeen City & Shire

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