Wildlife along the Aberdeenshire Canal

The old road bridge over the River Don at Inverurie. This bridge crossing the River Don is the former main Aberdeen road and runs through Port Elphinstone on its southerly trail. © Des Colhoum - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

You'll find all sorts of wildlife on Britain's canals and rivers - from common sights such as mallards and moorhens, to the more shy and retiring residents of the riverbank, like the otter and water vole. And the good news is that half of the UK population live within five miles of the waterways, so there's nothing to stop you taking a walk along the towpath and spotting some waterside wildlife.