2 Best Sights in The Northern Highlands and the Western Isles, Scotland

Just off the coast of Scourie is Handa Island, a sanctuary that shelters huge seabird colonies, especially impressive at nesting time. On the dramatic cliffs you can gaze at more than 200,000 nesting birds, including guillemots, razorbills, great skuas, kittiwakes, and, of course, crowd-pleasingly colorful puffins. Sturdy boots, a waterproof jacket, and a degree of fitness are needed to walk the path around the island. This remarkable reserve, administered by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, is open only in spring and summer. Get there on the Handa Ferry ( www.handa-ferry.com)—in reality, a small open boat—from Tarbet, 3 miles north of Scourie. It runs Monday to Saturday and costs £20 per person.

Run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Balranald Nature Reserve shelters large numbers of waders and seabirds that inhabit the rock foreshore and marshland. Listen for corncrakes, whose distinctive rasping cry sounds not unlike a plastic drink lid being unscrewed.