Name: Aigas Field Centre
Address: Aigas Field Centre, Beauly, Inverness, Scotland, IV4 7AD
Telephone: +441463782443
Rating: 5

My wife and I have have just returned from a Wildlife week at AIGAS Field Centre in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland. Every day was a different wildlife experience, guided by inspirational Rangers who not only knew their flora and fauna, but embellished every day with their local knowledge of geology, history and more. The wildlife in Scotland doesn't leap out at you, but it is there and the Rangers always manage to find locations where it can be found. In fact part of the excitement was scanning the skies and scenery for hidden creatures which invariably were discovered. The highlights were the otters on the west coast, dipping dippers, and the golden eagle bringing nesting material to its mountain-top eyrie. However, it wasn't just about the spectacular; almost every day we found a small and rare plant tucked away which really added to the feeling that you were in a special place. Our accommodation was very comfortable, in fact I achieved 8 hours sleep every night and always felt well rested for the next day's adventure. Furthermore, the food was absolutely superb and the staff extremely attentive. Make sure you bring plenty of layers outside of the summer season. The wind funnels down the glens and straths, and even with five good layers, I always felt I could do with a sixth! This was not a holiday and AIGAS is not an hotel. It is an educational adventure managed by a superb team for whom nothing is too much trouble. Many days are quite 'full-on' and you will learn a great deal, ending the day quite tired. If you are looking for a great Scottish wildlife experience in more than comfortable surroundings, you cannot top the AIGAS experience and I would thoroughly recommend it.
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David T

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David T

My wife and I have have just returned from a Wildlife week at AIGAS Field Centre in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland. Every day was a different wildlife experience, guided by inspirational Rangers who not only knew their flora and fauna, but embellished every day with their local knowledge of geology, history and more. The wildlife in Scotland doesn't leap out at you, but it is there and the Rangers always manage to find locations where it can be found. In fact part of the excitement was scanning the skies and scenery for hidden creatures which invariably were discovered. The highlights were the otters on the west coast, dipping dippers, and the golden eagle bringing nesting material to its mountain-top eyrie. However, it wasn't just about the spectacular; almost every day we found a small and rare plant tucked away which really added to the feeling that you were in a special place. Our accommodation was very comfortable, in fact I achieved 8 hours sleep every night and always felt well rested for the next day's adventure. Furthermore, the food was absolutely superb and the staff extremely attentive. Make sure you bring plenty of layers outside of the summer season. The wind funnels down the glens and straths, and even with five good layers, I always felt I could do with a sixth! This was not a holiday and AIGAS is not an hotel. It is an educational adventure managed by a superb team for whom nothing is too much trouble. Many days are quite 'full-on' and you will learn a great deal, ending the day quite tired. If you are looking for a great Scottish wildlife experience in more than comfortable surroundings, you cannot top the AIGAS experience and I would thoroughly recommend it.
The first thing that struck us was that the friendliness of the staff and hosts was still as good as it had been when we went there some three years ago. Lady Lucy's one wish seemed to be that she wanted our holiday week to be as good as possible and to that end could not do enough for us whether it was a change of menu or the need for an extra pillow. We were there for a garden and wild flower week going out in a small group with a big packed lunch we chose ourselves from a variety of items with a very knowledgeable ranger to help us with local history and names of flowers which they knew the whereabouts of. Sir John added to the mix with a dry sense of humour. It was not all wild flowers as we saw some spectacular scenery, visited private gardens and listened to interesting talks. It seemed that they were there to give you the holiday you want in the way that you want it.
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Malcolm L

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Malcolm L

The first thing that struck us was that the friendliness of the staff and hosts was still as good as it had been when we went there some three years ago. Lady Lucy's one wish seemed to be that she wanted our holiday week to be as good as possible and to that end could not do enough for us whether it was a change of menu or the need for an extra pillow. We were there for a garden and wild flower week going out in a small group with a big packed lunch we chose ourselves from a variety of items with a very knowledgeable ranger to help us with local history and names of flowers which they knew the whereabouts of. Sir John added to the mix with a dry sense of humour. It was not all wild flowers as we saw some spectacular scenery, visited private gardens and listened to interesting talks. It seemed that they were there to give you the holiday you want in the way that you want it.
We went on a wildlife week in June 2013. Everything - wildlife, staff, rangers, food, accommodation was top notch. The only bad thing? We had to leave at the end of the week!
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RosyJ697

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RosyJ697

We went on a wildlife week in June 2013. Everything - wildlife, staff, rangers, food, accommodation was top notch. The only bad thing? We had to leave at the end of the week!