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A firm which offers bird watching trips in Scotland has received a top tourism accolade.

Islay Birding, a family business which was set up five years ago, has been named as Britain's first ever five-star wildlife attraction.

The firm was established by Jeremy Hastings and his wife Anita in 2002 and offers tailor-made bird watching trips in the Inner Hebrides.

The five-star rating comes from VisitScotland's new Wildlife Experience Quality Assurance Scheme and Islay Birding is the first attraction ever to receive top marks.

'It is the most fantastic place in Britain for birds and nature and wilderness,' Mr Hastings told the Scotsman.

'There are old fashioned estates here and the farms still use traditional farming methods, so the habitat is ideal. And, because we are 16 miles out into the Atlantic, Islay is also on a major migration route.

'On any day of the year you can see over 120 species and over a year, if you are lucky, you can see over 300 species,' he added.

Other attractions to receive recognition from VisitScotland include dolphin watching boat tours in Moray Firth, midnight badger trips and mink whale tours, all of which received four-star ratings.

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