Programmes By Date - Aigas Field Centre

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.
Aigas Field Centre is the creation of Sir John and Lady Lucy Lister-Kaye, and what a creation it is. It is a combination of love of the land and love of place, natural habitat restoration, and education. It is done with a passion that is contagious, and it is done well. The week is spent on the grounds of the Field Centre in cabins that are quite comfortable. Many cabins have two bedrooms separated by a common room and kitchen that encourages visiting. Each bedroom has two comfortable beds and a bathroom with tub and shower. Meals are taken at the main Estate House in the large common room. Lucy Lister-Kaye is the consummate hostess who makes everyone feel at home. She is also a superb cook who overseas the kitchen. She also helps to serve and makes certain that everyone's needs are met. That applies to those of us who have special dietary needs. Each day is spent in some sort of activity that took us around the grounds or the countryside, to acquaint us with the flora and fauna, the issues of reforestation and conservation, and return of wildlife species, or the history of human life on the land and in the country. My wife and I had the most amazing and wonderful week. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting the others in our group, each one accomplished in some way and each one interesting. Hikes were with experienced ranger guides and at a pace that we all could handle, and were interspersed with stops to observe and talk about what we saw. My wife and I plan to return for another Aigas program.
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Robert G

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Robert G

Aigas Field Centre is the creation of Sir John and Lady Lucy Lister-Kaye, and what a creation it is. It is a combination of love of the land and love of place, natural habitat restoration, and education. It is done with a passion that is contagious, and it is done well. The week is spent on the grounds of the Field Centre in cabins that are quite comfortable. Many cabins have two bedrooms separated by a common room and kitchen that encourages visiting. Each bedroom has two comfortable beds and a bathroom with tub and shower. Meals are taken at the main Estate House in the large common room. Lucy Lister-Kaye is the consummate hostess who makes everyone feel at home. She is also a superb cook who overseas the kitchen. She also helps to serve and makes certain that everyone's needs are met. That applies to those of us who have special dietary needs. Each day is spent in some sort of activity that took us around the grounds or the countryside, to acquaint us with the flora and fauna, the issues of reforestation and conservation, and return of wildlife species, or the history of human life on the land and in the country. My wife and I had the most amazing and wonderful week. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting the others in our group, each one accomplished in some way and each one interesting. Hikes were with experienced ranger guides and at a pace that we all could handle, and were interspersed with stops to observe and talk about what we saw. My wife and I plan to return for another Aigas program.
I’ll start with a description of the individual elements of a stay at Aigas, with the caveat that the sum of each component, all excellent, doesn’t come close to approaching the whole. A stay at Aigas is a magical, unforgettable experience. The cabins are as they appear in photos. They are basic, sturdy, and well-maintained. They’re not charming; they aren’t beautifully decorated, but are simply and comfortably furnished and are immaculate. They are a short walk from the House. My cabin had two bedrooms, each with its own bath (tub/shower), separated by a large communal living area. I spent no time in my cabin, other than to sleep. If my week hadn’t been planned out, I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed downtime in the cabin, although the House’s inviting gathering room and library are open from 7:45 a.m. until around nine at night. The grounds and gardens are beautiful in design, perfectly maintained, and are extensive. They are themselves a reason for visiting, encompassing a large variety of named specimen trees, all labelled; long herbaceous borders; well-planted beds, and nature paths. The food is superb. There are no gimmicks—no dollops or swirls or foams or deconstructions, just simple food, locally sourced, exquisitely prepared. I was fortunate enough to have had seven dinners here, all perfect, including savory braised venison, and an impeccably roasted shoulder of lamb, accompanied by fresh, perfectly-prepared vegetables and other sides. The desserts and the “bakes” served at tea were all in-house made, and to die for. The owner, professionally trained, has written a cookbook, and I am certain could win The Great British Baking Show. Porridge for every breakfast was a bit tiring, but this may have been part of our contract/package. And, my pet peeve with almost every place in Europe is the lack of palatable artificial sweetener, and I had forgotten my Splenda stash. So, with daily porridge and no Splenda, breakfast was not my favorite meal here. As an example of their attention to detail and perfect hospitality, which I noted over and over again throughout my stay: they sent our tour leader a form on which our names were listed, requesting emergency contact information, allergies, special dietary needs, etc. The form also included space for “Comments.” Idly, I wrote in that I didn’t like salmon or trout. An hour or so after our arrival, we were seated for dinner, and plates of salmon began arriving. I figured I’d be served my plate of salmon, and it would have been no big deal—just not my favorite taste. I was amazed when one of the staff placed a delicious spinach frittata in front of me, calling me by name as she did so. And the next day, when everyone else was packing a lunch from a long table of salmon sandwiches, cheeses, fruit, etc., there was a personalized lunch bag for me, packed with a non-salmon sandwich. They really mean it when they say no request is too small. (I toyed with the idea of asking for Splenda, but there’s such a thing as being a good guest, and I felt I’d already gone too far indicating my dislike of salmon!!) The young rangers, all of whom are bright, earnest, knowledgeable and well-educated, were uniformly a joy to travel with. They drove us all over the Highlands. They took detours to show us a treasured view. Fund of knowledge excellent. On our last night, they organized a Cèilidh, a Highlands evening of poetry reading, music, and dancing; and they were genuine in their enjoyment of an evening spent with us. The hosts, Sir John and Lady Lucy were warm, concerned, and define hospitality. Lady Lucy is among the most wonderful women I have ever met. I was with a group of twenty like-minded intense garden lovers. I see on the web site that they sponsor days to weeks of special interest/themed stays, providing a base for artists and their students, photographers and their students, and various enthusiasts. During our week there were two different couples each staying a night or two. I’m not sure I would have had the same experience staying here as the primary purpose instead of using it as a base for forays around the Highlands (with the caveat that I am not a fan of long, restful, idle vacations). I think the family is wise not to have the property listed on TripAdvisor or other sites as a lodging. A photo of the rustic cabins would mislead/prejudice a casual seeker of a place to stay in the Highlands. My take-home is that this is a stellar experience, run by a family passionately committed to their ideals. They promote a good life. They promote love of the environment and an intense devotion to conserving what we have. They have brought thousands of children to their learning center for hands-on teaching of environmental conservation, believing strongly in inculcating young minds with a love of nature, and the environment.
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tonymsrad

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tonymsrad

I’ll start with a description of the individual elements of a stay at Aigas, with the caveat that the sum of each component, all excellent, doesn’t come close to approaching the whole. A stay at Aigas is a magical, unforgettable experience. The cabins are as they appear in photos. They are basic, sturdy, and well-maintained. They’re not charming; they aren’t beautifully decorated, but are simply and comfortably furnished and are immaculate. They are a short walk from the House. My cabin had two bedrooms, each with its own bath (tub/shower), separated by a large communal living area. I spent no time in my cabin, other than to sleep. If my week hadn’t been planned out, I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed downtime in the cabin, although the House’s inviting gathering room and library are open from 7:45 a.m. until around nine at night. The grounds and gardens are beautiful in design, perfectly maintained, and are extensive. They are themselves a reason for visiting, encompassing a large variety of named specimen trees, all labelled; long herbaceous borders; well-planted beds, and nature paths. The food is superb. There are no gimmicks—no dollops or swirls or foams or deconstructions, just simple food, locally sourced, exquisitely prepared. I was fortunate enough to have had seven dinners here, all perfect, including savory braised venison, and an impeccably roasted shoulder of lamb, accompanied by fresh, perfectly-prepared vegetables and other sides. The desserts and the “bakes” served at tea were all in-house made, and to die for. The owner, professionally trained, has written a cookbook, and I am certain could win The Great British Baking Show. Porridge for every breakfast was a bit tiring, but this may have been part of our contract/package. And, my pet peeve with almost every place in Europe is the lack of palatable artificial sweetener, and I had forgotten my Splenda stash. So, with daily porridge and no Splenda, breakfast was not my favorite meal here. As an example of their attention to detail and perfect hospitality, which I noted over and over again throughout my stay: they sent our tour leader a form on which our names were listed, requesting emergency contact information, allergies, special dietary needs, etc. The form also included space for “Comments.” Idly, I wrote in that I didn’t like salmon or trout. An hour or so after our arrival, we were seated for dinner, and plates of salmon began arriving. I figured I’d be served my plate of salmon, and it would have been no big deal—just not my favorite taste. I was amazed when one of the staff placed a delicious spinach frittata in front of me, calling me by name as she did so. And the next day, when everyone else was packing a lunch from a long table of salmon sandwiches, cheeses, fruit, etc., there was a personalized lunch bag for me, packed with a non-salmon sandwich. They really mean it when they say no request is too small. (I toyed with the idea of asking for Splenda, but there’s such a thing as being a good guest, and I felt I’d already gone too far indicating my dislike of salmon!!) The young rangers, all of whom are bright, earnest, knowledgeable and well-educated, were uniformly a joy to travel with. They drove us all over the Highlands. They took detours to show us a treasured view. Fund of knowledge excellent. On our last night, they organized a Cèilidh, a Highlands evening of poetry reading, music, and dancing; and they were genuine in their enjoyment of an evening spent with us. The hosts, Sir John and Lady Lucy were warm, concerned, and define hospitality. Lady Lucy is among the most wonderful women I have ever met. I was with a group of twenty like-minded intense garden lovers. I see on the web site that they sponsor days to weeks of special interest/themed stays, providing a base for artists and their students, photographers and their students, and various enthusiasts. During our week there were two different couples each staying a night or two. I’m not sure I would have had the same experience staying here as the primary purpose instead of using it as a base for forays around the Highlands (with the caveat that I am not a fan of long, restful, idle vacations). I think the family is wise not to have the property listed on TripAdvisor or other sites as a lodging. A photo of the rustic cabins would mislead/prejudice a casual seeker of a place to stay in the Highlands. My take-home is that this is a stellar experience, run by a family passionately committed to their ideals. They promote a good life. They promote love of the environment and an intense devotion to conserving what we have. They have brought thousands of children to their learning center for hands-on teaching of environmental conservation, believing strongly in inculcating young minds with a love of nature, and the environment.