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Best places to see seal pups in Scotland

November is the best time to see one of Scotland's most popular wild winter wonders - the adorable white seal pups. Grey seals are abundant throughout Scotland, but in particular around the Orkney Islands, with some 25,000 in Orkney waters. During the winter, the seals migrate to shore where the babies are born with a lovely silky white coat, a reminder of their Arctic origins.

Where to see seal pups in Scotland
A visit to the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Loch Fleet Wildlife Reserve, near Golspie in the Highlands, is sure to be rewarded by the sight of dozens of common seals basking on the sandbars. Closer to the central belt in Scotland, common seals basking with their pups on mudflats can also be spotted from the comfort of the Montrose Basin Wildlife Reserve Visitor Centre in Angus.

2000 seal pups
The Scottish Wildlife Trust manages over 120 wildlife reserves across Scotland and takes care of many of Scotland's seal populations by providing safe habitats for breeding and feeding. Their remote Linga Holm reserve in Orkney supports a large population of breeding grey seals which is at its most spectacular during the pupping season. This year, over 2,000 of the wide-eyed and fluffy pups have been counted at the reserve.

Mark Foxwell, Scottish Wildlife Trust's Reserve Manager for the Highlands and Islands, said: "Linga Holm is a perfect example of a wild place where this amazing natural spectacle occurs but we would advise against landing on seal beaches during their six-week pupping season as panicked adult seals can injure their young."

Grey seal pup on Linga Holm. Credit Visit Scotland