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.
5. Skye
The Isle of Skye is the largest island of the Inner Hebrides and the second-largest island of all of Scotland. In Skye’s lochs and bays you can find Common (or ‘Harbour’) Seals as well as Grey Seals. A popular spot for viewing them is Loch Dunvegan. | Alisha Bube from Getty Images
6. Newburgh
Newburgh is a coastal village with beautiful sand dunes and a long golden beach. According to Hidden Scotland: “A small, secluded spot in the Aberdeenshire town of Newburgh, this is one of the few spots in Scotland where you’re guaranteed to see seals.” | SilvanBachmann from Getty Images
7. Isle of May
Situated approximately eight kilometres off the coast of mainland Scotland is the Isle of May to the north of the outer Firth of Forth. During Autumn and Winter, the site can have up to 2,000 seal pups which is why it is important as a wildlife research centre. | Paul McIlroy via Geograph
8. Gairloch
Gairloch is a village located by the shores of Loch Gairloch in Wester Ross i.e., the northwestern Scottish Highlands. Highland Birds reports: “The sea loch holds good numbers of marine mammals too, with seals, porpoise, dolphins and in summer, Minke Whales are readily observed.” | John Rowley from Getty Images