Programmes By Date - Aigas Field Centre

Scenery was beautiful; mountains, farm land, multiple lochs, streams and waterfall. We toured various historic sites close to Aigas in addition to walks around the property. Saw some wildlife (3 types of deer), small dolphins, various shore birds, raptors and red squirrels. At Aigas went to their hides ( blinds) to view animals. Saw a pine marten and Scottish Wild Cat. They are part of a large conservation program working to restore the wild cat population in the wild. A badger was seen on another night in the hide. The Aigas Rangers lead the day trips and other activities. All are very well educated as they explain historical events and sites as well as telling us about the natural environment and various plants and animals. All are very nice and able to answer questions. Meals were all at Aigas for the week I stayed and were very good.
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CB

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CB

Scenery was beautiful; mountains, farm land, multiple lochs, streams and waterfall. We toured various historic sites close to Aigas in addition to walks around the property. Saw some wildlife (3 types of deer), small dolphins, various shore birds, raptors and red squirrels. At Aigas went to their hides ( blinds) to view animals. Saw a pine marten and Scottish Wild Cat. They are part of a large conservation program working to restore the wild cat population in the wild. A badger was seen on another night in the hide. The Aigas Rangers lead the day trips and other activities. All are very well educated as they explain historical events and sites as well as telling us about the natural environment and various plants and animals. All are very nice and able to answer questions. Meals were all at Aigas for the week I stayed and were very good.
Did this as part of Road Scholar. Best trip ever. I can only say that if you like comfortable, somewhat rustic accommodations and like to wake up to the songs of birds, you’ll like this. You are treated to excellent meals, a bit of history, and taken to diverse areas of the scenic beauty of the Highlands. The rangers who accompany you are very knowledgeable and can answer almost any question about history and nature. If they cannot answer it, the main house of Aigas has an incredible reference library at your disposal. The rangers are also a joy to be with. The Aigas staff makes it very clear that if you need anything, just let them know and they will try to accommodate your needs. The rangers handle all your luggage arriving and departing. The activity schedule varies, depending upon the weather forecast. You must be prepared for wet conditions every day. As they say “Wear your waterproofs.” No need for major hiking boots, but shoes with a “hiking” shoe tread important, since you occasionally must cross wet rocks. Nice thick socks also wise. They have midges there (we call them no-see-ums). They sell Smidge in the Aigas gift shop. Smidge was also recommended to fight against deer ticks. I only saw one deer tick on the trip. That was enough. Nobody was bitten. Temperatures were in the higher 60’s most days. Refreshing to most. It's obvious that TripAdvisor does not know that there are no HOT days there. I found trekking poles to be most helpful on the days we went on short trails. There were options offered on some trails - an easy and more challenging route. Rangers split up to accommodate the preferences. Wi-Fi is only available in the Common Room of the main house. The main house is open from 7:45 a.m. until about 9:00 p.m. There are no TV’s and the phone in the cabin is only for calling the main house in case of an emergency. The Common Room of the cabin has comfortable seating, magazines, books, a dining table, a kitchen. In the kitchen, there is a basket with Walker Shortbread, hot chocolate mix, teas and instant coffees. They provide an electric water kettle and porcelain cups. There are two bottles of water. After you finish those, you must reuse the bottle by filling with tap water. The tap is a tad tan from being percolated through peat, but nobody suffered any ills from it. The guestroom curtain is thick enough to block light, but I needed a clothespin to bring it together at the top. There are very few hours of darkness in the summer. Each guestroom has its own bathroom with a walk-in shower and towel warmer. Also provided are glycerin soaps, shampoo and conditioner. Bring a travel alarm. The schedule for the following day is written on a board in the main house Common Room. Breakfast is at 8, vans leave on adventures at 9:15 after a 15 minute briefing. Some days we ate a provided packed lunch on the road. Comfort breaks occurred about every 2 hours. On the road, they would bring along hot chocolate, tea and coffee. We were provided with an insulated, capped coffee cup. Tea and some sweets were provided about 4:30 at the main house. Cocktail time was 6, dinner at 6:30. People tried to look a little dressier for dinner, but women simply put on a wrap/shawl. Simple is better. They did have a laundry service. Allow time to stroll the grounds of Aigas. The gardens are beautiful. I felt so fortunate to be a guest there with such an incredible family and such wonderful hosts. I highly recommend reading at least one of Sir John Lister-Kaye’s books. Their experiences in the wilds boggle the mind. They are truly a very rare family.
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retiredJB

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retiredJB

Did this as part of Road Scholar. Best trip ever. I can only say that if you like comfortable, somewhat rustic accommodations and like to wake up to the songs of birds, you’ll like this. You are treated to excellent meals, a bit of history, and taken to diverse areas of the scenic beauty of the Highlands. The rangers who accompany you are very knowledgeable and can answer almost any question about history and nature. If they cannot answer it, the main house of Aigas has an incredible reference library at your disposal. The rangers are also a joy to be with. The Aigas staff makes it very clear that if you need anything, just let them know and they will try to accommodate your needs. The rangers handle all your luggage arriving and departing. The activity schedule varies, depending upon the weather forecast. You must be prepared for wet conditions every day. As they say “Wear your waterproofs.” No need for major hiking boots, but shoes with a “hiking” shoe tread important, since you occasionally must cross wet rocks. Nice thick socks also wise. They have midges there (we call them no-see-ums). They sell Smidge in the Aigas gift shop. Smidge was also recommended to fight against deer ticks. I only saw one deer tick on the trip. That was enough. Nobody was bitten. Temperatures were in the higher 60’s most days. Refreshing to most. It's obvious that TripAdvisor does not know that there are no HOT days there. I found trekking poles to be most helpful on the days we went on short trails. There were options offered on some trails - an easy and more challenging route. Rangers split up to accommodate the preferences. Wi-Fi is only available in the Common Room of the main house. The main house is open from 7:45 a.m. until about 9:00 p.m. There are no TV’s and the phone in the cabin is only for calling the main house in case of an emergency. The Common Room of the cabin has comfortable seating, magazines, books, a dining table, a kitchen. In the kitchen, there is a basket with Walker Shortbread, hot chocolate mix, teas and instant coffees. They provide an electric water kettle and porcelain cups. There are two bottles of water. After you finish those, you must reuse the bottle by filling with tap water. The tap is a tad tan from being percolated through peat, but nobody suffered any ills from it. The guestroom curtain is thick enough to block light, but I needed a clothespin to bring it together at the top. There are very few hours of darkness in the summer. Each guestroom has its own bathroom with a walk-in shower and towel warmer. Also provided are glycerin soaps, shampoo and conditioner. Bring a travel alarm. The schedule for the following day is written on a board in the main house Common Room. Breakfast is at 8, vans leave on adventures at 9:15 after a 15 minute briefing. Some days we ate a provided packed lunch on the road. Comfort breaks occurred about every 2 hours. On the road, they would bring along hot chocolate, tea and coffee. We were provided with an insulated, capped coffee cup. Tea and some sweets were provided about 4:30 at the main house. Cocktail time was 6, dinner at 6:30. People tried to look a little dressier for dinner, but women simply put on a wrap/shawl. Simple is better. They did have a laundry service. Allow time to stroll the grounds of Aigas. The gardens are beautiful. I felt so fortunate to be a guest there with such an incredible family and such wonderful hosts. I highly recommend reading at least one of Sir John Lister-Kaye’s books. Their experiences in the wilds boggle the mind. They are truly a very rare family.
I spent a fabulous week photographing wildlife and landscapes under the watchful eye of Laurie Campbell. I enjoyed close encounters with an amazing range of Scottish wildlife and the hospitality was second to none. My photography improved significantly within a very short space of time and I would highly recommend Aigas and this programme to anyone with a deep love of natural history and an ethical approach to its management.
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Peter Burnham

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Peter Burnham

I spent a fabulous week photographing wildlife and landscapes under the watchful eye of Laurie Campbell. I enjoyed close encounters with an amazing range of Scottish wildlife and the hospitality was second to none. My photography improved significantly within a very short space of time and I would highly recommend Aigas and this programme to anyone with a deep love of natural history and an ethical approach to its management.