The Eagle Search
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…
Wildcats behind the scenes: Broch’s sunbathing afternoons
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…
Wildcats behind the scenes: Fergus’ guide to greeting your keeper
by Maria Giulia Checchi – If you aspire to be an Aigas wildcat, the most important lesson you need to learn is how to interact with your keeper. These humans are devious, shameless beings! They have no issues with luring…
Settling in to Aigas: Meet the new kids on the block!
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 …
Sheep Twitching: In Search of Three of Scotland’s Rarest Breeds
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.…
Life on the Ledge
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…
Sumer is icumen in
by Alex Levontine – Although the summer solstice represents all the abundance and potential of summer, it is also a moment of stillness. The pause in the pendulum swing of the year as day length reaches its maximum and the…
World Peatlands Day – Praise Be to the Bog!
by Alex Levontine – Preparations are underway. The sacrifices have been made to the Bog Sprites. The Peat Hags have been complimented. The Sphagnum Gods have been honoured. That’s right — it could only be World Peatlands Day (2nd June).…
Dawn Chorus on the Moor
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…
Canisp and a Distant Dream
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…
Hope for Wildcats
by Flavio Winkler Ford – This year has seen lots of hope for the return of wildcats (Felis silvestris) to Scotland. This is a species that, in 2019 was classed as functionally extinct in the UK. Wildcats are in this…
Forever sightings
by Gabriella Lockwood – For any wildlife enthusiast your first sighting is something that will stay with you for a long time – sometimes forever. I knew my academic placement year would create a lot of fond memories but prior…
Aigas: One of the best places to see pine martens (Martes martes) in the UK
by Carys Palmer – One of Britain’s most elusive mammals, the pine marten (Martes martes) is highly secretive and found only in a couple of areas of the UK. Once widespread, the species has since declined drastically due mainly to habitat…
Aigas is a home away from home…
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…
It’s a Duck’s Life
When we think of Aigas birdlife, we tend to think of ospreys, crested tits, crossbills and red kites, but for many of our visitors it is Lady Lucy’s fowl and poultry collection that captures their affection. Her guinea fowl act…
Aigas Twinflower Project Update
by Calum Urquhart – The Twinflower (Linnaea borealis) is a rare plant in the UK, confined almost entirely to Pinewoods in the Scottish Highlands, where it exists at around 50 sites. Named for its dainty, symmetrical flowers, this beautiful little…
It is Tough to be a Bee
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…
Why Choose Aigas?
For the last forty-seven years, when the rest of the world was either destroying or marginalising nature, the little Aigas estate was busy rewilding. In those days it was called ‘restoration ecology’, a virtually unknown activity outside National Nature Reserves. In…
Wheels Up – Naturedays Outreach in North West Sutherland
by Bethany Hickling – As part of their 2023 outreach programme, the Naturedays team at Aigas visited three primary schools across North West Sutherland to run workshops on “Brilliant Birds” and “Marvellous Maps”. Sutherland is a remote area in the…
A Grey Matter
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…
Lepidoptera and Climate Change
by Eliane Bornoff and Josephine Tod – As spring and summer have rolled around at Aigas we have seen the emergence of many species of moths and butterflies. The warmer weather has brought a surge of new moth species into…
A Hard Pill To Swallow
by Dora Hamilton – This morning when I pulled up my blind, I was confused to see the outside world in a grey fuzz. My first thought was that I was still bleary-eyed from sleep, and then I wondered if…
Wildlife Worldwide Festival of British Wildlife at Aigas
by Emily Richens – In the final week of May, Aigas played host to Wildlife Worldwide’s ‘Festival of British Wildlife’, wherein guest leaders, naturalists and professional photographers along with our own experienced ranger team explored some of the best that…
Scotland’s Magnificent Eagles
by Matthew Broadbent – In the Scottish Highlands, we are lucky enough to be surrounded by so many species of bird, some widespread throughout Britain, and some heavily restricted to the North of Scotland. Some of the largest, and most…
Ospreys at Aigas
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…
The Life of Bumblebees
by Elizabeth Hare – After a bout of warm, sunny weather around Aigas the first signs of spring have been eagerly welcomed by many of us here at the field centre. Peacock butterflies and red admirals have been spotted flying…
The Old Man of Storr
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…
World Wetlands Day
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…
The Birds of Aigas
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…
Getting familiar with the Pine Martens
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…
