Programmes By Date - Aigas Field Centre

Sir John and Lady Lister-Kaye must be congratulated on creating this unique brand of comfort and wildlife in such a glorious setting. From the moment we arrived and opened the impressive front door to find a sitting room with a blazing fire, no immediate reception staff but guests quietly chatting in the sitting room we realised just how special this is. Almost everyone we met had stayed before, which tells its own tale. Tea arrived quickly, with a warm formal welcome giving us an overwhelming feeling of comfort and anticipation. Our lodge was warm too, all facilities present, surrounded by gardens, huge trees, and at night in October the sound of close-by roaring red deer stags. There were three week-long courses running at once, and for breakfast and supper all of them intermingled. This also works brilliantly as everyone swaps experiences. The food is fantastic, high quality, local, varied. The rangers are outstanding and the planning of the tours impeccable and well-varied according to weather conditions. Not all the set-pieces worked, we failed to see otters and some groups missed out on dolphins. That's wildlife, and this isn't in any sense a zoo. Sightings have to be worked for, and every effort is made to find the desired species. The pine martens performed magnificently. Sheer attention to detail in all aspects makes for a brilliant overall experience and we shall be back when we can. In terms of value-for-money it is just amazing. It is not usually available to the general public on a day basis but book on one of the courses for an unforgettable experience.
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Daphne W

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Daphne W

Sir John and Lady Lister-Kaye must be congratulated on creating this unique brand of comfort and wildlife in such a glorious setting. From the moment we arrived and opened the impressive front door to find a sitting room with a blazing fire, no immediate reception staff but guests quietly chatting in the sitting room we realised just how special this is. Almost everyone we met had stayed before, which tells its own tale. Tea arrived quickly, with a warm formal welcome giving us an overwhelming feeling of comfort and anticipation. Our lodge was warm too, all facilities present, surrounded by gardens, huge trees, and at night in October the sound of close-by roaring red deer stags. There were three week-long courses running at once, and for breakfast and supper all of them intermingled. This also works brilliantly as everyone swaps experiences. The food is fantastic, high quality, local, varied. The rangers are outstanding and the planning of the tours impeccable and well-varied according to weather conditions. Not all the set-pieces worked, we failed to see otters and some groups missed out on dolphins. That's wildlife, and this isn't in any sense a zoo. Sightings have to be worked for, and every effort is made to find the desired species. The pine martens performed magnificently. Sheer attention to detail in all aspects makes for a brilliant overall experience and we shall be back when we can. In terms of value-for-money it is just amazing. It is not usually available to the general public on a day basis but book on one of the courses for an unforgettable experience.
Absolutely fantastic week this was our second visit cannot wait to return. The two holidays we have had have resulted in extraordinary and unforgettable wild life experiences. Accommodation, food,rangers all first class. A super welcome by the hosts.
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elaine_frew

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elaine_frew

Absolutely fantastic week this was our second visit cannot wait to return. The two holidays we have had have resulted in extraordinary and unforgettable wild life experiences. Accommodation, food,rangers all first class. A super welcome by the hosts.
This was my second visit to the Aigas Field Centre. I attended Aigas Wildlife in June 2015, and although the weather wasn't the best I had a wonderful week and fell in love with the location and people. As a keen photographer I returned in July 2016 to participate in the Photography Masterclass with Scottish nature photographer Laurie Campbell. The Field Centre itself is gorgeous. Guests stay in log cabins, all with ensuite shower (some with baths), each cabin also has a communal living area. They are pretty basic, but warm and very comfortable and to be honest, you won't spend a whole lot of time there! Meals are served in the main house, in the vaulted dining room. The moto is "nothing's too much trouble" and Lady Lucy Lister-Kaye will amend the menus to suit any diet. The food was delicious. Porridge for breakfast, lunch generally in the field, afternoon tea and a three course dinner. The grounds include a wonderful small loch in which live a few beavers (not easy to see though), there are pine martens, local ospreys, badgers, birds and insects. Guests can spend time in the Campbell Hide watching the pine martens or in the beaver hide which overlooks the loch so there's the chance to see any of the animals who use it. I'd highly recommend rising early to experience the sunrise over the loch - it's stunning. All trips are conducted in comfortable minibuses with a knowledgeable ranger armed with a scope on hand to point out significant wildlife and much more. On both my visits we went to a number of gorgeous local glens, and on Aigas Wildlife there's a visit to the West Coast and to the Cromarty for the Ecoventures dolphin trip (also highly recommended). For those interested in photographing wildlife, the masterclass was inspiring. Laurie Campbell is a great teacher, and leads by example - he never stops looking for the perfect photograph. We had the chance to photograph mountain hares, red deer, pine martens, dolphins, otters, common toads, insects and fauna. It was a small group so there was plenty of one-to-one time. In summary it is a superb way to spend a week - you'll learn loads from the rangers, meet some lovely people and experience the most beautiful scenery.
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kfjmiller71

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kfjmiller71

This was my second visit to the Aigas Field Centre. I attended Aigas Wildlife in June 2015, and although the weather wasn't the best I had a wonderful week and fell in love with the location and people. As a keen photographer I returned in July 2016 to participate in the Photography Masterclass with Scottish nature photographer Laurie Campbell. The Field Centre itself is gorgeous. Guests stay in log cabins, all with ensuite shower (some with baths), each cabin also has a communal living area. They are pretty basic, but warm and very comfortable and to be honest, you won't spend a whole lot of time there! Meals are served in the main house, in the vaulted dining room. The moto is "nothing's too much trouble" and Lady Lucy Lister-Kaye will amend the menus to suit any diet. The food was delicious. Porridge for breakfast, lunch generally in the field, afternoon tea and a three course dinner. The grounds include a wonderful small loch in which live a few beavers (not easy to see though), there are pine martens, local ospreys, badgers, birds and insects. Guests can spend time in the Campbell Hide watching the pine martens or in the beaver hide which overlooks the loch so there's the chance to see any of the animals who use it. I'd highly recommend rising early to experience the sunrise over the loch - it's stunning. All trips are conducted in comfortable minibuses with a knowledgeable ranger armed with a scope on hand to point out significant wildlife and much more. On both my visits we went to a number of gorgeous local glens, and on Aigas Wildlife there's a visit to the West Coast and to the Cromarty for the Ecoventures dolphin trip (also highly recommended). For those interested in photographing wildlife, the masterclass was inspiring. Laurie Campbell is a great teacher, and leads by example - he never stops looking for the perfect photograph. We had the chance to photograph mountain hares, red deer, pine martens, dolphins, otters, common toads, insects and fauna. It was a small group so there was plenty of one-to-one time. In summary it is a superb way to spend a week - you'll learn loads from the rangers, meet some lovely people and experience the most beautiful scenery.