Programmes By Date - Aigas Field Centre

This was our 3rd visit to Aigas. We stayed in a warm, comfortable wooden lodge complete with bathroom and kitchenette, which had a fridge and drink making facilities. There was a lounge within the lodge but we didn't have time to use it. Our meals were taken together in the House of Aigas a Victorian Hunting lodge. The food was great. Although a set menu for each day, any special diet requirements were catered for. My vegetarian food was very good and I particularly enjoyed the vegetarian Haggis. My husband enjoyed all of his 'set' menu, eating every scrap. Lady Lucy Lister-Kaye is lovely, down to earth and very charming. She supervised the meals and even served the porridge several mornings. The food was plentiful and the 4.30pm daily tea and home made cake was very popular. This was also provided on field trips which were not expected to return to Aigas in time. Each Aigias week can have several themed holidays running at once. I did Laurie Campbell's Photography master class. Which allowed a total of 6 guests on the course. With his 30yrs as a leading Scottish Wildlife Photographer, he is a Master of his subject. I have done 2 previous, more basic Laurie courses at Aigas and whatever your skill levels, you will learn plenty from him and get some cracking photographs! While I was doing this course, my husband was doing 'Monarchs of the Glen'. We have both done this on a previous holiday and he still enjoyed it. His guest guide was Dr. David Dixon, who is a lovely, friendly chap and a fountain of knowledge about anything to do with wildlife. The Wildlife is great. The Aigas Loch has its own Beaver family. These are nocturnal and although they could be seen briefly, going back to their lodge at day break, the viewsof them are much better on a Spring holiday. The comfortable, warm hides at Aigas gave splendid views of pinemartin and badger and the spot light allows you to get photographs from the hides. The friendly, highly trained rangers who accompany you on the field trips are good at spotting wildlife and we saw all the iconic Scottish wildlife like red deer, golden eagles and feral goats. Laurie took our group to the Caingorms one day and we spent hours with the reindeer herd taking photographs. They are such gentle animals. We have previously stayed at Aigas for 2 weeks each holiday, this year we only stayed one week, spending the first week on Mull (also very good for wild life) I cannot say whether Spring or Autumn is the best time to go to Aigas. We have stayed both. Spring has the advantage of longer day light hours to view the wild life, but October has the lovely autumn colours. We haven't had midges at either of these times I am glad to say. Will be happy to go again. Although the prices may look a little expensive, everything is included and I feel well worth the money.
read moreread less

Lynne H

×

Lynne H

This was our 3rd visit to Aigas. We stayed in a warm, comfortable wooden lodge complete with bathroom and kitchenette, which had a fridge and drink making facilities. There was a lounge within the lodge but we didn't have time to use it. Our meals were taken together in the House of Aigas a Victorian Hunting lodge. The food was great. Although a set menu for each day, any special diet requirements were catered for. My vegetarian food was very good and I particularly enjoyed the vegetarian Haggis. My husband enjoyed all of his 'set' menu, eating every scrap. Lady Lucy Lister-Kaye is lovely, down to earth and very charming. She supervised the meals and even served the porridge several mornings. The food was plentiful and the 4.30pm daily tea and home made cake was very popular. This was also provided on field trips which were not expected to return to Aigas in time. Each Aigias week can have several themed holidays running at once. I did Laurie Campbell's Photography master class. Which allowed a total of 6 guests on the course. With his 30yrs as a leading Scottish Wildlife Photographer, he is a Master of his subject. I have done 2 previous, more basic Laurie courses at Aigas and whatever your skill levels, you will learn plenty from him and get some cracking photographs! While I was doing this course, my husband was doing 'Monarchs of the Glen'. We have both done this on a previous holiday and he still enjoyed it. His guest guide was Dr. David Dixon, who is a lovely, friendly chap and a fountain of knowledge about anything to do with wildlife. The Wildlife is great. The Aigas Loch has its own Beaver family. These are nocturnal and although they could be seen briefly, going back to their lodge at day break, the viewsof them are much better on a Spring holiday. The comfortable, warm hides at Aigas gave splendid views of pinemartin and badger and the spot light allows you to get photographs from the hides. The friendly, highly trained rangers who accompany you on the field trips are good at spotting wildlife and we saw all the iconic Scottish wildlife like red deer, golden eagles and feral goats. Laurie took our group to the Caingorms one day and we spent hours with the reindeer herd taking photographs. They are such gentle animals. We have previously stayed at Aigas for 2 weeks each holiday, this year we only stayed one week, spending the first week on Mull (also very good for wild life) I cannot say whether Spring or Autumn is the best time to go to Aigas. We have stayed both. Spring has the advantage of longer day light hours to view the wild life, but October has the lovely autumn colours. We haven't had midges at either of these times I am glad to say. Will be happy to go again. Although the prices may look a little expensive, everything is included and I feel well worth the money.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the Wildlife programme we'd booked on - the weather didn't look good and much of the wildlife we wanted to see was known to be elusive at the best of times. But thanks to the expertise, diligence and sheer overwhelming enthusiasm of the rangers - and I'd pick out Imogen and George as the ones who found us otters, sea eagles, golden eagles and a merlin - we saw everything we hoped for and more. The trips out to the west coast, Easter Ross, the Black Isle and up a number of the straths all bought new sightings but also new insights as the wildlife and flora were pointed out and explained. We rode next to leaping dolphins and diving sdeabirds in the Cromarty Firth. And there was no pretending to know things they didn't - if they didn't know they looked it up and told us later. From the hides at Aigas we saw pine marten, badger and beavers, as well as woodpeckers, owls, voles and many other species. But Aigas isn't just about the wildlife - it's about the hospitality in the comfortable lodges and then the house, with its stunning dining room and food that matches the surroundings. We didn't have a disappointing meal, Lucy provided great buffet lunches and superb dinners, from which I'd pick out the home-made soups as just outstanding, especially the spinach and lemon. To add to it all we have a great introductory talk by John Lister-Kaye, studded with jewels of poetry and prose to explain his love of nature and why he started Aigas. Even better was the finale on Friday night, when he read to the groups from his own and others' writings on the natural world - a great speaker and reader who imbues each word with meaning and feeling. If there is a criticism it is that there is a lot to do and perhaps too little time to explore the grounds at Aigas - but everything we did was worth doing. If you like your hide visits to be quiet and studious, as do I, perhaps you might want to check to see that you are there when there isn't a large American group around. They were lovely people but apt to talk constantly in the hides.. But this did not detract seriously from a fantastic week, though.
read moreread less

Keith S

×

Keith S

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the Wildlife programme we'd booked on - the weather didn't look good and much of the wildlife we wanted to see was known to be elusive at the best of times. But thanks to the expertise, diligence and sheer overwhelming enthusiasm of the rangers - and I'd pick out Imogen and George as the ones who found us otters, sea eagles, golden eagles and a merlin - we saw everything we hoped for and more. The trips out to the west coast, Easter Ross, the Black Isle and up a number of the straths all bought new sightings but also new insights as the wildlife and flora were pointed out and explained. We rode next to leaping dolphins and diving sdeabirds in the Cromarty Firth. And there was no pretending to know things they didn't - if they didn't know they looked it up and told us later. From the hides at Aigas we saw pine marten, badger and beavers, as well as woodpeckers, owls, voles and many other species. But Aigas isn't just about the wildlife - it's about the hospitality in the comfortable lodges and then the house, with its stunning dining room and food that matches the surroundings. We didn't have a disappointing meal, Lucy provided great buffet lunches and superb dinners, from which I'd pick out the home-made soups as just outstanding, especially the spinach and lemon. To add to it all we have a great introductory talk by John Lister-Kaye, studded with jewels of poetry and prose to explain his love of nature and why he started Aigas. Even better was the finale on Friday night, when he read to the groups from his own and others' writings on the natural world - a great speaker and reader who imbues each word with meaning and feeling. If there is a criticism it is that there is a lot to do and perhaps too little time to explore the grounds at Aigas - but everything we did was worth doing. If you like your hide visits to be quiet and studious, as do I, perhaps you might want to check to see that you are there when there isn't a large American group around. They were lovely people but apt to talk constantly in the hides.. But this did not detract seriously from a fantastic week, though.
Aigas is about more than a day out. Kids learn about their environment and some more about local wildlife and plants through fun and interesting activities. Pond dipping, shelter building and treasure (bug) hunting are excellent fun. I was so impressed I took my daughter's pals to Aigas for her birthday a couple of years ago. They don't do birthdays as such but we hired a ranger and had use of the Magnus Magnusson centre to have our nosh. The kids had a brilliant day and parents and kids alike were encouraged to participate. All in all if I could give 6 stars I would.
read moreread less

Elanne

×

Elanne

Aigas is about more than a day out. Kids learn about their environment and some more about local wildlife and plants through fun and interesting activities. Pond dipping, shelter building and treasure (bug) hunting are excellent fun. I was so impressed I took my daughter's pals to Aigas for her birthday a couple of years ago. They don't do birthdays as such but we hired a ranger and had use of the Magnus Magnusson centre to have our nosh. The kids had a brilliant day and parents and kids alike were encouraged to participate. All in all if I could give 6 stars I would.