Having watched the young Otter foraging in the seaweed during the early morning, we carried on in our search for more sightings. By mid-morning we had reached Loch Na Keal; a beautiful place with Ben More as a backdrop. Driving along I spotted movement in a patch of seaweed right on the shore of the Loch. A quick check with the binoculars showed it to be two very young Otter cubs, estimated at 2/3 months old and just out of the holt, preening and resting while mum was out fishing.
Soon mum returned and the family of three swam out into the water. The cubs were so young their thick fur made them buoyant in the water, and they bobbed around like corks. Desperate to keep up with mum they made frequent high pitched squeaks making them easy to spot.
While they were out fishing we decided to get into position hoping they would come back to the same patch of seaweed. They moved a good 100m/150m further down the Loch but patience paid off and sure enough they started making their way right back to where we were. What followed I could only have dreamt of witnessing... They cuddled up together right in front of us, showing how strong the bond is between the mother and their young. They stayed there for a good 10/15mins or so before moving a little further along to rest together. We let them go and watched from a distance...