Wildlife

The island and surrounding area are rich in wildlife throughout the year. Torsa is situated by the eastern boundary of the Firth of Lorn Marine Special Area of Conservation, and within sight of Balachuan Hazel Woods on the Isle of Seil, a Scottish Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve..

2007 was an excellent year for bottlenose dolphins around Torsa, with a pod returning frequently throughout the year, and often staying for days at a time. They have been back to Torsa in February 2008 already and we are hoping to see more of them as the year continues. We have been passing sightings on to the Scottish Bottlenose Dolphin Project to add to their data, and will continue to do so for 2008. Dolphins and porpoises can be spotted from the land, or by boat so keep your eyes peeled when exploring the area using the island's boat as you may strike lucky!

There are also a number of very good boat trips available in the area that take you out to the Garvellachs to the west, and close by the Corrywreckan whirlpool adjacent to Jura. These trips offer you an even better opportunity to see cetaceans, including minke whales, with the added benefit of an expert crew who can tell you more about the wonderful marine wildlife of the area.

Otters are regularly seen on the Torsa and Luing and can be spotted fishing just off the shore during the day. Although otters are normally nocturnal, the population of the west coast islands tend to be active during daylight hours as they are not often disturbed, and to tie in with the tides. Once they have caught a fish they tend to eat it in the water, but for a crab they come to the shore to deal with it. While walking along the shore you find scattered remains of crabs that have been eaten.

The skerries to the west of Torsa Island are home to a colony of seals that can be seen hauled out on the rocks and in the water. They are often seen from the shore and boats, and are naturally curious, enabling visitors to get a close view of them as they bask on the rocks, or as a bobbing head in the water.

The area is excellent for birdwatching, especially with a wide variety of raptors resident on Luing and the surrounding islands. Golden and sea eagles are resident on the more remote islands to the west, and do visit the island from time to time. Hen harriers and buzzards are more often seen, as well as peregrines and sparrowhawks. Ground nesting birds including skylarks and lapwings nest on Torsa and can be seen and heard throughout the summer.

Being an island it is also interesting to note the animals that are missing, including rabbits, snakes, rats, hedgehogs. This tends to have a positive impact on other species. For example, ground nesting birds such as oystercatchers and sky larks benefit from less predators for their eggs and chicks. There are plenty of hares instead of rabbits, and they are fascinating to watch, especially in the spring.

A wide selection of wild flowers are present, including orchids, especially in the areas that are lightly grazed. Most of the trees scattered around the island are native species, including rowan, oak, ash, hazel and willow. There are a couple of stands of conifers on the east side of the island which give cover to a small number of deer.

There are a selection of photos of island wildlife in the wildlife and wild flower photo gallery.