Here are a few trips you can go on around Scotland – and they are only a click away.

Birdsong

Enjoy a #DailyBirdSong with Speyside Wildlife. Featuring a different garden bird each day, listeners can experience lovely bird songs from a variety of feathered friends. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Speyside Wildlife will be giving pointers and videos to help identify bird songs and calls.

credit: M Bell

Puffins

Puffins are summer visitors to Scotland, arriving to nest between late March and early April amid vast coastal clifftop colonies.  By the end of August, the puffins have finished raising their adorable pufflings and leave to return to the sea. Spot these distinctive birds using Shetland’s wildlife cams from Sumburgh Head. Viewers will be enchanted by both the rugged island beauty and the characterful puffin visitors.

Ospreys

Follow the story of resident osprey pair, Louis and Aila, live from the heart of an ancient Caledonian pine forest thanks to the Woodland Trust.  March to September is the best time of year to see these rare breeding birds, best known for the spectacular way they catch fish as they dive towards lakes and lochs, stretch out their talons and scoop them out of the water with ease.

Gannets

Bass Rock, in the Firth of Forth, is home to the world’s largest northern gannet colony.  The island, off the coast of East Lothian, appears to turn white with the sheer volume of gannets settling into their summer home for the breeding season.  The gannets typically start to circle the rock in late February, then finally land and take residence on the Island in late March, viewers can spot them using the Scottish Seabird Centres new cameras.  The area is of international importance for breeding seabirds with over 500,000 nesting on the islands, including puffins, cormorants, kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, shags and terns.

Loch Ness

The Loch Ness monster has been avoiding social contact for an impressive 15 centuries! Monster seekers should spend some time trying to spot Nessie over on the live cam overlooking Loch Ness. To find out more about the many virtual experiences during Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters activities that you can enjoy from home, go to www.visitscotland.com/ycw2020 or join the conversation by using #YCW2020.

Dores Beach Loch Ness credit Ryan Wilkie

Scotland’s Gardens

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is creating a #VirtualSpring by sharing images of its four Gardens – Edinburgh, Benmore, Dawyck and Logan – online via its website and social media platforms.  Five-minute films will be available for viewers to learn more about their international plant science and conservation work.

Animals

Blair Drummond Safari Park is now doing weekly Facebook Live sessions on a Thursday at 12noon (maybe subject to change so keep an eye on the page for details).  Learn about the Park’s animals and how it’s keepers look after them, then do a quiz after each one to check you were paying attention!

At Gorgie Farm there will be tours on its Instagram channel at 12noon on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays (keep checking its social pages for any changes). On Monday (13 April) find out more about the Alpacas and what makes them such fascinating characters. Wednesday (15 April) they’ll be showing off the Herb Garden and giving some tips and tricks for growing and cooking.

Science

Inspiring inquisitive minds, Glasgow Science Centre is doing #GCSAtHome, bringing a bit of science into homes every day at 10am via it’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Meanwhile the team at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, has launched #DynamicEarthOnline across its social channels – Facebook and Twitter – and on a dedicated page online. Everyday families can get involved with new and exciting challenges, ranging from interactive activities, intriguing facts about famous scientists and our planet’s history, to fascinating insights about the science of climate change.

Museum workshops

To help families with home-schooling, The Museums of the University of St Andrews has launched a programme of online workshops . Three videos will be posted over the course of the week offering interactive sessions via it’s Facebook.

Join in with Wardlaw Workshops on Mondays at 10am, to find out about a cool experiment or fun project your kids can do at home. Wednesdays at 1pm is a time for calm with Museum Story Time and on Fridays at 10am, Wee Wardlaws, is a great way for adults and kids to keep entertained this Easter break with rhymes, stories, activities and crafts.