Programmes By Date - Aigas Field Centre

Have been to two open days at Aigas Field Centre and really recommend them! Always great to meet the charming young rangers, walk around the loch on the tour, have a lovely tea and buy some new plants for the garden. Beautiful gardens also and we saw great evidence of the beavers this time!
read moreread less

Debbie T

×

Debbie T

Have been to two open days at Aigas Field Centre and really recommend them! Always great to meet the charming young rangers, walk around the loch on the tour, have a lovely tea and buy some new plants for the garden. Beautiful gardens also and we saw great evidence of the beavers this time!
My early morning walk (06.00hrs) was rewarded with almost every step - seeing the Red Squirrels chasing each other up & down the huge Sequoia Redwoods while the early blackbirds awoke numerous other song birds the list would be more than 25 without trying too hard. The estate grounds are huge with your very own loch to explore. My main objective was to reach the loch-side Beaver Lodge before they all retired for the day after feeding and home building during the early hours. Approaching quietly (nobody else was up yet) I spotted the young male Beaver chewing on his last "bread stick" a freshly cut branch from his favored Aspen tree. What a picture! it sure made my day but then again every day was literally made for us all. I joined my wife and the other birding group members for strong coffee served personally by Lady Lucy as was hot porridge for those wishing to "fill up" before the days adventures. Lord John - an expert naturalist - reminded us to note & report back any "special sightings" during his pre-dinner drinks visit. A Red Throated Diver; Black Throated Diver & Crossbill all on one day possibly impressed me rather more than him - but I am no birder. This mattered not as the fantastic group we accompanied were all very keen to share their knowledge and help us with identifying more than one hundred species during the week. Best of all was our Ranger/guide/driver/map-reader/tee coffee maker & most important qualified nursing "Tick" remover! Namely - Jenny Campbell. She was admired by us all so much that we all wanted to take her home but she would not leave AIGAS - which was no surprise. For a wildlife experience and a chance to see Beavers Badgers & Pine Martens up close in the most tranquil & scenic country side of the Scottish Highlands YOU MUST GO TO "AIGAS FIELD CENTRE" Visit www.aigas.co.uk for all details and dates.
read moreread less

pickytripers

×

pickytripers

My early morning walk (06.00hrs) was rewarded with almost every step - seeing the Red Squirrels chasing each other up & down the huge Sequoia Redwoods while the early blackbirds awoke numerous other song birds the list would be more than 25 without trying too hard. The estate grounds are huge with your very own loch to explore. My main objective was to reach the loch-side Beaver Lodge before they all retired for the day after feeding and home building during the early hours. Approaching quietly (nobody else was up yet) I spotted the young male Beaver chewing on his last "bread stick" a freshly cut branch from his favored Aspen tree. What a picture! it sure made my day but then again every day was literally made for us all. I joined my wife and the other birding group members for strong coffee served personally by Lady Lucy as was hot porridge for those wishing to "fill up" before the days adventures. Lord John - an expert naturalist - reminded us to note & report back any "special sightings" during his pre-dinner drinks visit. A Red Throated Diver; Black Throated Diver & Crossbill all on one day possibly impressed me rather more than him - but I am no birder. This mattered not as the fantastic group we accompanied were all very keen to share their knowledge and help us with identifying more than one hundred species during the week. Best of all was our Ranger/guide/driver/map-reader/tee coffee maker & most important qualified nursing "Tick" remover! Namely - Jenny Campbell. She was admired by us all so much that we all wanted to take her home but she would not leave AIGAS - which was no surprise. For a wildlife experience and a chance to see Beavers Badgers & Pine Martens up close in the most tranquil & scenic country side of the Scottish Highlands YOU MUST GO TO "AIGAS FIELD CENTRE" Visit www.aigas.co.uk for all details and dates.
We have just returned from a fabulous week at Aigas, a unique base from which to see the wildlife of the Highlands. The Field Centre is the stately home of Sir John and Lady Lucy Lister-Kaye, who are so welcoming and are the perfect hosts. They made us feel more like family guests than customers, which was immediately proved by the number of guests on our programme that have stayed there many times before. In fact, we seemed to be virtually the only first-timers, although it definitely won't be our last! The accommodation and meals are excellent, all under the personal supervision of Lady Lucy; and the wildlife programmes were extremely well organised. The programs themselves are led by both permanent and seasonal rangers, who all have a superb knowledge of the wildlife, history and geology of Scotland. Even the newer staff had all been trained extremely well, to have managed to learn so much knowledge to impart to us. It was also obvious that they all have genuine enthusiasm and take real personal pride in the work that they do for the centre. Aigas is set in a beautiful country setting, which contains its own loch and wildlife hides, containing a wide variety of Highland wildlife. It must be one of the few places where you could be lucky enough to see amongst other things, pine martens, otters and beavers. As well as learning so much, it was an extremely relaxing way to leave the rat-race for a week and do something much more full-filling instead. This is a very special place and a testament to the Lister-Kaye's for creating such a wonderful environment and also to all of the staff who do such a first-class job. We will definitely return again in the future to experience some of their other wildlife programmes.
read moreread less

Darren C

×

Darren C

We have just returned from a fabulous week at Aigas, a unique base from which to see the wildlife of the Highlands. The Field Centre is the stately home of Sir John and Lady Lucy Lister-Kaye, who are so welcoming and are the perfect hosts. They made us feel more like family guests than customers, which was immediately proved by the number of guests on our programme that have stayed there many times before. In fact, we seemed to be virtually the only first-timers, although it definitely won't be our last! The accommodation and meals are excellent, all under the personal supervision of Lady Lucy; and the wildlife programmes were extremely well organised. The programs themselves are led by both permanent and seasonal rangers, who all have a superb knowledge of the wildlife, history and geology of Scotland. Even the newer staff had all been trained extremely well, to have managed to learn so much knowledge to impart to us. It was also obvious that they all have genuine enthusiasm and take real personal pride in the work that they do for the centre. Aigas is set in a beautiful country setting, which contains its own loch and wildlife hides, containing a wide variety of Highland wildlife. It must be one of the few places where you could be lucky enough to see amongst other things, pine martens, otters and beavers. As well as learning so much, it was an extremely relaxing way to leave the rat-race for a week and do something much more full-filling instead. This is a very special place and a testament to the Lister-Kaye's for creating such a wonderful environment and also to all of the staff who do such a first-class job. We will definitely return again in the future to experience some of their other wildlife programmes.