by Maria Giulia Checchi – Ah! Here comes another group, strolling down the hill with cameras at the ready and a keeper opening the way. They call this a ‘hide visit’ (‘blind visit’, for the Americans), but they aren’t that good at hiding. They enter the little wooden room attached…
by Aimee Johnson – Whilst the natural world is central to everything we do at Aigas, it is also important (and fascinating) to consider the rich history and culture that Scotland has to offer. One of the ways in which…
by Vikki Swinburn – Ever wondered what the nation’s favourite animals are? Nature conservation charity Fauna & Flora asked 100 people in Great Britain this very question in a 2025 survey and found the answer. 10% of people chose the fox, making it…
by Maria Giulia Checchi – Did you know that the noble lineage of the European wildcats diverged from that which gave rise to domestic cats about 173,000 years ago? Yet everywhere on-the-line you’ll see article after article that starts by saying that…
by Maria Giulia Checchi – Moving to a new house is always a gamble. Will the neighbourhood be nice? What state are the pipes in? Will the heating work? And, in my case, what furniture will be available? I couldn’t bring mine from the previous enclosure, you see? And the…
by Maria Giulia Checchi – At only 2 years old, my parents Broch and Maree should think of me as something of a prodigy, for I am already involved in two scientific studies. Alas, I didn’t complete any university degree nor even high school,…
by Maria Giulia Checchi – So, you finally got your own enclosure and it’s time to decorate. No no no, don’t get too excited for this part, as you will have no say in the matter. But the keepers I…
by Aaron Goodall – As a newcomer to the Scottish Highlands, I (Aaron) find myself in a constant state of awe over the dramatic landscapes and rich biodiversity surrounding us at Aigas Field Centre. Here, I tell the story of…
by Maria Giulia Checchi – A warm blanket of light on your fur tells you that the rigid Scottish winter has now transformed into a well-earned spring, where all that slumbered in the cold months comes at once to…
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 …
by Jacob New – Those of you who have visited Aigas this year might have noticed that there has been a rather strange addition to our species list on the whiteboard: almost every week now we have a sheep breed list.…
by Ellie Reid – This was my second visit to a gannet colony, and I thought I knew what to expect. It had only been a few months since I stood in awe at Noup Head during my time on…
by Jacob New – When we think of a ‘typical’ dawn chorus I am sure that most people imagine the sounds of garden birds streaming through their bedroom window, providing a lovely springtime alarm clock, or perhaps warblers and tits…
by Ewan Fenelon – Nestled in the heart of Assynt, northwest Scotland, Canisp is a mountain of unexpected encounters. The meaning of its name has been lost in antiquity, though it may stem from the old Gaelic word can meaning…
by Gabriella Lockwood – Moving over 550 miles away from my home in Wales to live and work in the Scottish Highlands for a year was no small feat, but everything was made smooth by the welcoming environment created by…
by Flavio Winkler Ford – Bees can be heard buzzing around flowers, such as those of willow in early spring and heathers throughout the summer. At Aigas, we have been delighted to see the first white-tailed bumblebees of the year…
by Giulia Maria Checchi – The days are finally starting to get longer and the weather isn’t as gloomy anymore. The daffodils are up in the Aigas garden, there is bud on the rowan and the mornings are loud with…
by Josephine Tod – It is the time of year again where, as part of a walk around the loch at Aigas, you can often be lucky enough to see these stunning birds of prey. The loch is seasonally stocked…
by Lucy Smith – On a chilly weekend before Christmas, our Academic Placements, Eliane, Josephine and Lucy, decided to wake up very early (against their better judgement) to go and explore the Old Man of Storr in the north of…
Today is World Wetlands Day a celebration of the day the Ramsar Convention for the protection of wetlands was signed in the city of Ramsar in Iran in 1971. A wetland is a land area which is either permanently or…
by Matthew Broadbent – The Highlands are a great place to look for birds, and Aigas is no different! As a keen birder, I’m never far from my pair of binoculars when on site, working or just having a wander…
by Lucy Smith – Now that the holiday season is over at Aigas, us Academic Placements have each been tasked with designing and completing a project over the winter. I remember, very soon after arriving, having a conversation with Hermione…
by Josephine Tod – Now that the Aigas visitor season has come to an end, life on the Aigas estate changes with the cooling weather. As our seasonal staff return home for the winter, our academic placements begin to learn…
by Eliane Bornoff – The arrival of autumn has bought with it some exciting changes around the Aigas site. Temperatures are dropping, leaves are beginning to change colour and red deer stags can be heard roaring across site as the…
by Matt Broadbent and Eliane Bornoff – We have seen thousands of Pink-footed geese flying over Aigas recenly. These birds have migrated from their breeding grounds in Iceland, Greenland and Spitsbergen (Norway) to winter in the UK’s wetlands and farmlands. Around 510,000 individuals are expected annually in the UK,…
As early September rolled around, it was once again time to say goodbye to our previous years placement students and say hello to our new placement students. Josephine The first month of the academic placement at Aigas has been a…
