The remote and beautiful InnerHebridean islands of Islay and Jura jut out like fingers from the west coast of Scotland and, differing so much in landscape and character, both islands in combination offer a perfect getawaydestination far from the rush of everydaylife. Indeed they offer an intoxicating blend of superb wildlife-watching, stunning scenery and fresh Atlantic air, a truly unspoiled setting for some of thebest and most iconic wildlife spectacles in the British Isles.We will spend three nights on each island,enjoying their contrasting scenery andwildlife, heading first for Islay, described bythe late Sir Peter Scott as 'the mostimportant place in the British Isles for wildgeese, and one of the most important inEurope.' The most southerly of the InnerHebrides, Islay boasts a very variedlandscape of mountains, moorland, woodsand farmland, and has been described asthe 'Queen of the Hebrides' - a fertile landteeming with breeding birds during thesummer, and geese in the winter. It is duringOctober when the geese start to arrive fromtheir breeding grounds in the Arctic and, bylate October, Islay is heaving with wildfowl,among which the most numerous is thehandsomely marked Barnacle Goose, whichhas been known to number up to 40,000here. The next most numerous is theGreenland White-fronted Goose, and Islayholds the largest wintering population ofthis species anywhere in the world, with up to 10,000 birds being present! A dawn ordusk vigil at one of the goose roosts on theisland is a humbling experience never to beforgotten, and among the vast flocks thereis always the chance of finding somethingrarer, maybe a Snow Goose or 'genuine'Canada Goose from North America.Other wildfowl also occur, and on the mainsea lochs up to 1,000 Greater Scaup maybe found. But it's not only the wildfowlwhich are special here; other waterbirds weare likely to see include Great Northern andBlack-throated Divers, Slavonian Grebe,Purple Sandpiper and Black Guillemot.Away from the water we will make a specialeffort to seek out Red-billed Chough, asmall flock of Snow Bunting, and perhaps aroost of over 200 Ravens. Last but not leastis the island's remarkable variety of raptors,perhaps not surprising given theabundance of prey. During suitable flyingweather, Golden Eagles are almostguaranteed and views can be nothing shortof spectacular. Hen Harrier, Merlin andPeregrine are also regularly seen, whilethere is an outside chance of a wanderingWhite-tailed Eagle. Indeed, our chance ofseeing these birds of prey is equally asgood on the Isle of Jura where we'll spendthe second part of the holiday.Jura offers a sharp and rugged contrast to the rolling fields and moors of northernIslay. Its southern part is dominated by thePaps - three dramatic, rounded hills risingclose to the sea to a height of 300 metres.The island's west coast is sculpted by manycliffs, caves and sweeping stretches ofraised beach, formed by the land lifting up after the great weight of the ice sheets retreated. Further classic examples of the effects of glaciation can be seen within the lochs, hills and glens, and Jura also has the thirdstrongest whirlpool in the world -Corryvreckan. Beautiful beaches are quietand little visited, and exotic plants such asfuschias and palm trees grow here sincethe climate is warmed by the Gulf Stream.This unspoiled and remote setting is perfectfor the enjoyment of natural history. Even more so than Islay, Jura is aparticularly good location for watchingmammals. Indeed its name is said to come from Viking times, when it was knownas 'Dy Oer' meaning Deer Island, and eventoday there are far more deer than peopleon Jura - in fact, about 5,000 Red Deer to250 people! Feral goats can be found alongthe west coast, as well as Common andGrey Seals, while Otters, we hope, will beamong the highlights of this holiday; thereare said to be a pair for every three miles of coastline, and views of Otters eating fish, or a mother with well-grown cubseating crab at close quarters, areunforgettable moments! The superb single malt whiskies, whichsome argue are the finest in the world, arean added pleasure offered by these smallHebridean islands. Alongside the superbscenery, truly spectacular wildfowlgatherings and a host of other wildlife, it's easy to see why Islay and Jura are two of our favourite British destinations, and we're sure you'll share our enjoyment of this winter wildlife feast!Islay & Jura A 7-day tour in search of the birds and mammals off Scotland's ruggedly scenic westcoast, plus the chance to try some of Scotland's finest single malt whiskies!Thursday 27th October - Wednesday 2nd November 2011 Cost: £895Thursday 25th October - Wednesday 31st October 2012 Cost: £895Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationJURAPORT ELLENJURAISLAYOutline itineraryDay 1Arrive Islay.Day 2/3Islay.Day 4/6Jura.Day 7Depart Jura.AccommodationComfortable hotels with en suitefacilities.FoodAll included in the price, except forlunches.GradingA. Gentle wildlife walks. Any moredemanding walks will be optional.FocusBirds and mammals.LeaderPeter Clement.Single room supplement£170.Web quick search: GBR10115Barnacle Geese, IslayGreenland White-fronted GeeseOtter

Lying in the central Mediterranean Sea,separated from the toe of Italy to theeast by the Straits of Messina, fromSardinia to the north by the Tyrrhenian Sea,and from the continent of Africa to thesouth by the Straits of Sicily, the island ofSicily basks in a warm, mainly dry climate.The history of the island can be traced asfar back as 13,000 BC when, as legendhas it, the land was inhabited by a race ofpowerful and invincible giants, descendedfrom Zeus. Their continued tenancy,however, was short-lived as they chose tochallenge the authority of the Gods andwere banished, in chains, to theunderworld below the island's volcanoes tofashion weapons, such as thunderbolts, forthe Gods. To this day they struggle andmoan to free themselves from the immenseweight of the mountains, causing eruptionswhen they stir. Next, between the 13th and11th centuries BC, the Elymian, Sical andSican peoples colonised the island, givingit its name. By the third century BC, Sicilyhad become the first province of Rome, itsfertile soil earning it the title of 'Granary ofthe Empire'.It is this fertile soil that we hope to benefitfrom in our search for the wild flowers ofthis beautiful island. During our stay, we willbe visiting two specific areas - first, theslopes of Mount Etna from our base inZafferana, on the eastern side of themountain, and then the beautiful MadonieMountains which rise steeply from thenorthern coast. Our 2-centre holiday willbegin with a flight to Catania, lying inMount Etna's shadow in the east of theisland, and as our aeroplane banks, wemay catch our first sight of Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano. Thissmouldering giant has been a menacingneighbour for the Sicilians ever since itsfirst recorded eruption in 450 BC. Therehave been around 260 subsequenteruptions of varying intensity, which are stilloccurring to the present day.Etna's inhospitable summit stands at about3,300 metres above sea level and, with adiameter of 44 kilometres and an area of1,600 square kilometres, she has a trulymassive presence. There are a number ofinteresting botanical locations on thesouthern, western and eastern slopes andour plan will be to explore the variousstages of the lava's colonisation whilstbased in Zafferana, a quaint, church-filledmarket town set high on the eastern slopesof Mount Etna. We will visit the PianoProvenzana, where we should see SicilianMilkvetch (Astragalus sicula), Sword-leavedHelleborine (Cephalanthera longifolia) andthe endemic Etna Violet (Viola aetnensis),and the Piano dell'Acqua, site of the1991/1993 eruptions. Nebrod CarlineThistle (Carlina nebrodensis), EtnaGreenweed (Genista aetnensis) and theviolet, Viola bertoloniissp. messanensis,should all be encountered here. We willalso find time to ascend the path to MountZoccolaro and the surrounding woodlandwhere, hopefully, we will see the endemicbirch (Betula aetnensis). Later, we will focus on the volcano itself,driving up to the Rifugio Sapienza, site ofthe cable-car station. The cable-car pylonswere destroyed when they were engulfedby lava recently; however, there are 4-wheel drive excursions up to within 400 metres or so of the summit, and afascinating day is in prospect as our localguides explain the geology and eruptionhistory of the volcano. In the afternoon wewill be free to visit the Crateri Silvestri andsome of the adjacent lava and ash fields.Then, descending the south-westernslopes via Nicolosi, we will admire the extent of the most recent lava flowsand may also see the Etna Broom (Genista aetnensis). Our transfer west to the pretty mountainvillage of Isnello in the Madonie Mountains, our base for the next fournights, will herald a dramatic change ofscenery as we leave behind the igneousrocks of Etna and enter a dramaticlandscape of Dolomitic limestone. Duringour stay here we will visit the mountainmeadows at Portella Mandarini, where weshould see Man Orchid (Acerasanthropophorum), Barbary Nut (Gynandririssisyrinchium), Pink Butterfly Orchid (Orchispapilionacea) and Bastard Balm (Melittismelissophyllum). We will walk up to MonteQuacella and the Madonna degli AngeliValley, the home of the endemic andextremely rare Nebrod Pine (Abiesnebrodensis), and we will also explore themontane woodland in search of suchspecies as Lizard Orchid (Himantoglossumhircinum) and the wild peony, Paeoniamascula, which in these mountains tends to be white. This should be a memorable week, inwhich we will not only be able to enjoymany of Sicily's special plants but will alsogain a fascinating insight into the geologyand history of this intriguing island.Wild Flowers of SicilyAn 8-day appreciation of the wild flowers of Sicily's Mount Etna and the Madonie Mountains.Wednesday 25th April - Wednesday 2nd May Cost: £1,295 Outline itineraryDay 1Fly Catania; transferZafferana.Day 2/3Zafferana, Mount Etnaregion.Day 4/7Isnello, the MadonieMountains.Day 8Fly London.AccommodationTwo pleasant and traditional hotelsserving fine local food, both withprivate facilities.Food and excursionsAll included in the price. Allow 50euros extra if choosing to take 4-wheel drive Etna excursion.Grading Grade A/B. Easy walks only.FocusPrimarily wild flowers.Leader Paul Harmes or Jessica Turner.Single room supplement £140.Web quick search: ITA10116Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItinerarySICILYMEDITERRANEANSEATYRRHENIANSEACATANIAISNELLOPALERMOCEFALUZAFFERANAMT. ETNAMount EtnaSawfly Orchid