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…
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…
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 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…
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).…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
