As the season has come to a close and we have said goodbye to the guests and seasonal rangers, us Academic Placement students are gearing up for the winter and reflecting on our first few months here at Aigas.  

Emily 

Since beginning my placement at Aigas, I’ve been completely swept up in the beauty and biodiversity of this special place. The staff are all extremely knowledgeable and have helped me feel so welcome whilst showing me the ropes and teaching me about the area. 

From guiding guests on days out, to looking after the wildcats, no two days are the same here, but out of all the jobs I have found I especially enjoy my time with Naturedays: our environmental education team. Getting the opportunity to learn from and share knowledge with the next generation of wildlife enthusiasts never fails to put a smile on my face and is something I hope to continue to be involved with throughout the rest of my time here. 

Already a keen birdwatcher, I came to Aigas hoping to not only improve my bird ID skills, but to also broaden my understanding of other taxa by getting out in the field and seeing what I can find. One thing for certain is that the wildlife here does not disappoint; I’ve already seen white-tailed eagles, golden eagles, whooper swans and even an otter, not to mention the leaping salmon at Rogie Falls which was super exciting. I’ve also developed a newfound appreciation for fungi during our week with Liz Holden and even came away with a favourite mushroom: the fabulous surprise webcap! 

In a sea of incredible encounters, it’s challenging for me to pick an absolute favourite moment, but seeing my first pine marten, about an hour into my second hide visit, has definitely been a highlight. My patience paid off when I heard some quiet munching sounds and leant forwards to find one nibbling away at some peanuts! Aigas is everything I had hoped it would be, and so much more. 

Aimee 

I have now been at Aigas for three months, and what a great start it has been.  

Admittedly, at first, I was a little bit intimidated by the boundless knowledge of the rangers. On my first early morning drive, I misidentified a group of cormorants as guillemots, leaving me wishing the ground would swallow me whole.  

However, the most important thing here is that you come equipped with an eagerness to learn. With this, I have absorbed so much already on a huge variety of topics ranging from history, notably the Battle of Culloden and the Jacobite uprising, to geology; from land management to wildlife identification.  

As the Scottish Highlands are the UK’s most biodiverse region, it is the perfect place to immerse oneself in nature. Within the first week, I had already seen so many of my own wildlife firsts: migrating salmon jumping at Rogie falls, golden eagles at a nearby glen and close encounters with our wildcats, Scotland’s most elusive mammal. Even on the estate that we call home, I have seen crested tits, heard red deer rutting and seen a plethora of interesting fungi species, which Liz Holden instils a love for in every one of us. Some of my favourite mushroom species I have discovered have been the common ink cap, which looks like it is dripping black ink, and the fluorescent orange peel fungus.  

On top of this, all the staff and Hermione’s family have been so friendly and welcoming, helping us academic placement students feel right at home.   

Sophie  

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I arrived at Aigas, however the beauty of the site and the friendliness of the rangers far exceeded any of my hopes. When we first began shadowing the experienced rangers, I was quickly awed by the depth and breadth of their knowledge. Though it was slightly overwhelming, everyone was so welcoming and sure to let us know that there were no stupid questions! It didn’t take long to feel at home in the ranger accommodation and at ease working alongside the team.  

As the weeks have gone by, I have been eagerly taking in as much as I can. It is hard to pick an area to focus on as they are all equally fascinating, but it has been exciting to realise how much there is to learn about birds, fungi, moths and more. The pages of my notebook have been quickly filling up and I have found it encouraging to begin to be able to answer more of the guests’ questions.

Coming from a more human and history focused background, I was pleased to find out that knowledge on these areas, from land use to human-wildlife interactions, is central to the dialogue on each of the days out. I have also been delving deeper into the local folklore for my social media contributions and as part of a winter project.  

One of the highlights of my time here, so far, would have to be the breathtaking views of the Caledonian pinewoods at Glen Affric. I will also never forget the strange honour I felt the first time (though by no means the last) I was hissed at by one of the wildcats, Fergus – who I have since had quite a soft spot for. Over the winter, I am looking forward to consolidating what I have already learnt and to spending more time with the wildcats, and the education team.