The Isle of Mull, off the west coast of Scotland, is home to one of the greatest concentration of Eurasian otters in the United Kingdom making it a wildlife enthusiast’s dream. With over 300 miles of wild accessible coastline most of which is occupied by otters, it is a perfect place to watch and photograph these stunning mammals (if you can find them).

These beautiful and charismatic balls of fur are a member of the Mustelidae family. Like all mustelids otters have a keen sense of smell and hearing making them tricky to get within a good photographic distance without disturbing them. However with the right fieldcraft and patience getting photos and having an exhilarating wildlife experience is possible.

They may appear cute and fluffy but they’re savage apex predators with a powerful crushing bite. The Eurasian is often found in fresh water but on the Isle of Mull they hunt their main source of food in the sea, eating fish and crustaceans.

The easiest way to spot them is when they’re fishing or grooming themselves on the shoreline. They often sleep amongst the seaweed on the shoreline and travel inland to holts. The fact they are almost the same colour as the seaweed makes them extremely difficult to find. It’s well worth putting in the time as they’re simply incredible animals.