According to Nature Scot: “The harbour or common seal is widespread in the northern hemisphere.
“There are five subspecies, and the European Phoca vitulina vitulina can be found in the North Atlantic and North Pacific.
“There are about 100,000 harbour seals in Europe.
“About 30% of this population is found in UK waters, and 80% of these in Scottish waters.”
Much like Stags or ‘Heilan Coos’, the Seal is a prominent icon of Scotland. They feature in Scottish folklore in the form of mysterious Selkies (a seal that can transform into a human) and their presence can be felt on a Scottish map by way of our heritage languages such as Gaelic.
In the Scottish Highlands, for example, we can find Ardnamurchan which is anglicised from the Scottish Gaelic “Àird nam Murchan” meaning “Height of the Seals”.
Whether it be out of enthusiasm for wildlife or heritage, what’s for sure either way is that these stunning creatures are an incredible sight to behold and simply adorable which is why hundreds of photographers flock to capture their image every year.
As we enjoy the Autumn months, here are 9 locations that have our ‘seal of approval’ for Seal spotting in Scotland.
1. Mull
Located off the west coast of mainland Scotland we find Mull; the second largest island in the Inner Hebrides. Reportedly, most seals that bask on the rocks just offshore are Common Seals while those basking several miles offshore are the Atlantic Seals.
2. St Abb's Head
This is a coastal headland located in the Scottish Borders. St Abb’s Head Nature Reserve is home to grey seals who pup over the winter. The paths are close to baby seals who are easily startled which can result in their parents losing them, so be careful not to disturb them.
3. Orkney
Orkney (or the ‘Orkney Islands’) is an archipelago situated in the Northern Isles of Scotland. Reportedly, it is one of the best places to spot seals in the entire United Kingdom as roughly 15% of the world’s seal population can be found in this beautiful location.
4. Oban
Oban is a small town in Argyll and Bute on Scotland’s northwest coast. The waters around Oban and Lorn have Common and Grey Seals. The beautiful creatures are known to follow local boats or be seen basking on the rocks between fishing trips.