“Camp out among the grass of glacier meadows. Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. – The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” John…
Back in February, Pete and I decided to hit the hills of Glen Affric armed with warm boots, plenty of layers and ice axes for a day of winter walking. With the Highlands still firmly in the grip of winter’s…
It’s easy to think that while there’s snow on the ground, there isn’t much going on in the way of wild food. While an icy blanket conceals the winter fungi and the bitter frosts slow the growth of spring greens,…
Having experienced the Aigas Ranger Training Scheme (ARTS) once before I was eager to see what new things 2018 would bring. I was most excited for the week of education training with Naturedays, the charity based at Aigas which focuses…
A fresh fall of snow turned the Highlands into a stunning icy landscape. On Monday we revisited Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns. By understanding the history of these sites, we can understand some of the human factors that have shaped…
Day 1 We started the week with an early morning run to the Inverness shore looking for otters. To our delight we spotted a mother and her cub. Following that great success we headed to the east coast to explore…
It has been a cold winter in the central Highlands and we are accustomed to wearing our full length pyjamas to bed along with the occasional hot water bottle to keep us warm at night. Our native wildlife however have…
Over the last week we have done a lot of walking, wandering through local straths, glens, farms, forests and along the shore discovering Scotland’s spectacular array of wildlife and delving into its great history. Day 1 On Monday we explored…
One of our regular guests at Aigas, Wendy, has recently sent us some stealth camera footage from a couple of her visits here last season, which included quite a few clips of badgers around the estate. Badgers (Meles meles) are…
This weekend RSPB held their annual Big Garden Birdwatch. A nationwide wildlife (primarily bird) survey that is participated by half a million people. This year we got involved. Undeterred by the rain, our ranger team spread out across the estate,…
The pine marten, otter and red squirrel are three of the UK’s most iconic mammal species, and at Aigas we are lucky enough to see them all regularly. Here are three things to know about our amazing fauna friends. Red…
I arrived in Hoima, Uganda, on Monday 15th, and since then it has been an absolute whirlwind of experiences, every one of them incredible. I spent a night in the Itahyo Forest where the Chimp Trust works with the community…
A very belated Happy New Year to everyone in the Aigas community! Right now I’m sitting taking in the view over Lake Victoria listening to hundreds of birds and some very noisy chimps – I’m probably sitting in the same…
Over a period of 9 sessions, a group of S3/4 students studying Rural Skills at Inverness Royal Academy have been coming to Naturedays to get practical experience related to what they have been learning. Activities that the group of students…
I am sat writing this blog post after watching the sun set over Lake Victoria. I am fortunate enough to be spending three weeks volunteering for The Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (The Chimpanzee Trust), an NGO based in…
Back in July the Aigas Loch was alive with fast, beautiful, prehistoric predators of the air. Their ancestors with 70cm wingspans were the largest creatures in the air 300 million years ago. Dragonflies are a pleasure to watch wherever you…
Possibly the most important work that the Aigas Trust funds is that of Naturedays. We provide environmental education to students from nursery to secondary school age. Each year over 5,000 students throughout the Highlands and islands of Scotland and beyond…
A frozen loch gleams icily in the last hour of night. An eerie stillness settles around us. No birds are stirring yet; deer are still out on the river fields, yet to slip back into the woods as winter daylight…
Having been at Aigas for almost a month and not seeing a badger, I decided to head to the Quarry Hide on a night off and wait for as long as it took in the hopes of seeing one of…
Saturday evening, our first evening and all the course participants are gathered in the common room, already making friendships and eagerly awaiting our introduction. I have been to Aigas before but it is still a special feeling, the warmth and…
Last week Scottish Wildcat Action (SWA) convened at Culloden Battlefield for a forum which we had the privilege to attend. As Aigas Field Centre plays a role in the conservation breeding programme it was a great opportunity for us to…
We were contacted by Hessilhead back in August who had received a pine marten kit and wanted to know if we might be able to release it at Aigas. After weeks of rehabilitative care at Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue Centre, Gay…
Every week our guests comment on Lady Lucy’s delicious soups – so we have decided to share a few secret recipes with you! Serves 8 Ingredients: 4 tablespoons of olive oil 2 onions, peeled and chopped 8 rashers of bacon,…
Of all the days out I have done during my time at Aigas, Strathconon has been one of the days I have done the most with guests. Being a deer estate, it is always a pleasure to see our largest…
Ronald and Ute, from The Netherlands, kindly sent us this wonderful album with images from their stay here in July on one of our Walking and Wildlife programmes. Scroll through the album below to see what they got up to!
Our trip to the Black Isle started spectacularly for the guests, with twelve or so bottlenose dolphins swimming alongside the Ecoventures boat. Whilst I waited for the group to return from sea, I spent two hours scanning the shore line…
Here at Aigas, we’re having great luck with our new red squirrel hide. The hide is very cosy with a turf roof. It has been up for a month now and since then we’ve been topping it up with peanuts…
Since starting work here at Aigas I have become quite a fungus fanatic, the mysterious nature of this kingdom of life absolutely fascinates me and I hope to pass this love of all things fungi onto others! Did you know…
Determined to see an osprey fishing on the Aigas loch I made my way to the Kingdom hide at the ungodly hour of 4.30am. The hide is situated on the banks of the loch and offers excellent views over the…
The autumnal equinox and our first grass frost this morning. I was out and about early checking out the very visible animal trails through the frosty grass. A small group of red deer hinds came through in the night, perhaps…
