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Travel & Hospitality Awards | Europe 2021 | www.thawards.com

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Natural environment and Wildlife<br />

Sculpted by volcanoes, glaciers and the<br />

weather, some of Scotland’s landscape<br />

is over 3 billion years old - you really have<br />

to see it to believe it. Glaciers have carved<br />

out beautiful lochs in Scotland, some<br />

deeper than our inshore seas, which are<br />

home to wel<strong>com</strong>ing <strong>com</strong>munities and<br />

the odd monster!<br />

Along Scotland’s coastline, you’ll find<br />

some of the world’s best beaches with<br />

sweeping pristine white sands against<br />

clear azure blue waters. Embrace the<br />

beauty of the Outer Hebrides or the<br />

Highlands, or venture east to Angus,<br />

Fife or East Lothian and dip a toe in!<br />

And don’t forget the beautiful nature<br />

reserves across the country, home to a<br />

tremendous variety of flora, fauna and<br />

wildlife.<br />

Whatever the season, Scotland’s coasts<br />

and waters are the ideal place for a natural<br />

high and a wildlife experience should be<br />

part of any trip here, no matter where<br />

you go! In spring marvel at thousands of<br />

seabirds, including guillemots, fulmars,<br />

kittiwakes and razorbills, as they return<br />

to their craggy sea-cliff ‘cities’ to nest<br />

and raise young after a winter at sea.<br />

As the days lengthen in summer, osprey<br />

fly thousands of miles from west Africa<br />

to raise their chicks, while resident<br />

bottlenose dolphin pods and whales rise<br />

from the deep to frolic in the crashing<br />

waves.<br />

The vivid golds and coppers of autumn<br />

signal the arrival of thousands of<br />

migrant geese in their familiar ‘v’ shaped<br />

squadrons, while powerful Atlantic<br />

Salmon can be spotted leaping as they<br />

return to their original spawning rivers.<br />

And between late September and late<br />

November, seals pull up along our shores<br />

to give birth to adorable and furry pups.<br />

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