I had a wonderful week of wildlife photography in the Cairngorms in January and was eager to return to the same spots in the summer heather. To make that happen, I planned a trip back in August during the summer lull of COVID-19, when we were allowed to travel again.

I was amazed by how spectacular the flowering heather was on the Scottish hills. I spent several mornings using my car as a hide to photograph red grouse amidst the vibrant pink heather. During my first few visits to the moor, I had some fantastic encounters with the grouse. However, on the fourth morning, I stumbled upon a family of several grouse very close to the roadside. I spent an hour or two with them as they popped their heads up above the heather, moving slowly around the same patch of moor while feeding on the plants.

Red grouse can be quite timid, but this family seemed extremely relaxed. I was able to move the car and get out to photograph them from a lower viewpoint. I captured different angles as the sun appeared and disappeared behind the clouds. Overall, it was a very rewarding experience, and I hope to repeat it on future visits to this beautiful part of the world.