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

Aigas is such a special place: I first heard of it through reading Song of the Rolling Earth - a gift from a friend - and was determined to go there one day and I spent a week there in early June. I loved the whole ambience, the food, the warmth, the accommodation etc, and was impressed with the enthusiasm and knowledge of the rangers. It was a pleasure to meet Sir John and Lady Lucy Lister Kaye who have made Aigas into a home from home for their guests. I am no expert in the field of wildlife/conservation but I am very interested and I learned a lot from the rangers and from my companions (i.e. the other guests!). I was not quite as dedicated as some of the other guests in getting up early/staying up half the night but I saw otters, pine marten, golden eagles, hares, cuckoos and a red squirrel, to mention but a few, plus I'm beginning to identify many more birds, some of which I'd never even heard of before! I loved it and hope to return before too long.
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rgt320

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rgt320

Aigas is such a special place: I first heard of it through reading Song of the Rolling Earth - a gift from a friend - and was determined to go there one day and I spent a week there in early June. I loved the whole ambience, the food, the warmth, the accommodation etc, and was impressed with the enthusiasm and knowledge of the rangers. It was a pleasure to meet Sir John and Lady Lucy Lister Kaye who have made Aigas into a home from home for their guests. I am no expert in the field of wildlife/conservation but I am very interested and I learned a lot from the rangers and from my companions (i.e. the other guests!). I was not quite as dedicated as some of the other guests in getting up early/staying up half the night but I saw otters, pine marten, golden eagles, hares, cuckoos and a red squirrel, to mention but a few, plus I'm beginning to identify many more birds, some of which I'd never even heard of before! I loved it and hope to return before too long.
This was a really intense week of studying nature and nothing was too much trouble for the staff and rangers who strived all the time to make the experience a fantastic one. From watching beavers in the hide on a balmy evening to a 5.15 search for otters on the Moray Firth every skill was deployed to get good sightings of all that the Scotland have to offer including great views of birds of glens and sands!. Food delicious and comfy ensuite room with our own little kitchen made for a really enjoyable week. Only problem was there were not enough hours in the day to fit everything in!
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MittensMaidenhead

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MittensMaidenhead

This was a really intense week of studying nature and nothing was too much trouble for the staff and rangers who strived all the time to make the experience a fantastic one. From watching beavers in the hide on a balmy evening to a 5.15 search for otters on the Moray Firth every skill was deployed to get good sightings of all that the Scotland have to offer including great views of birds of glens and sands!. Food delicious and comfy ensuite room with our own little kitchen made for a really enjoyable week. Only problem was there were not enough hours in the day to fit everything in!
This was my second visit and I certainly hope to come again. Accommodation and catering are excellent and the centre is in a splendid setting within its own grounds, which encompass woodland, moorland and a small loch, the home of beavers. The daily field trips were well planned to cover a variety of Highland habitats and to encounter many species - golden eagles, red deer, otters, dolphins and pine martens perhaps the most memorable among the great many seen. The rangers who lead the trips are first-rate in their knowledge and enthusiasm and their consideration for the groups in their care. Both my stays were for one week: the first (in 2010), "Walking and Wildlife", requiring more physical stamina than the second, "Aigas Wildlife", whicxh involved walking but of a gentler nature. For both, good waterproofs and footwear were essential, binoculars too, although these can be hired. Apart from wildlife weeks, there are others focussed on different topics. For example, there was a "Creative writing" group during my second visit, and the interaction between the groups over meals is stimulating.
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JohnPPhilpott

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JohnPPhilpott

This was my second visit and I certainly hope to come again. Accommodation and catering are excellent and the centre is in a splendid setting within its own grounds, which encompass woodland, moorland and a small loch, the home of beavers. The daily field trips were well planned to cover a variety of Highland habitats and to encounter many species - golden eagles, red deer, otters, dolphins and pine martens perhaps the most memorable among the great many seen. The rangers who lead the trips are first-rate in their knowledge and enthusiasm and their consideration for the groups in their care. Both my stays were for one week: the first (in 2010), "Walking and Wildlife", requiring more physical stamina than the second, "Aigas Wildlife", whicxh involved walking but of a gentler nature. For both, good waterproofs and footwear were essential, binoculars too, although these can be hired. Apart from wildlife weeks, there are others focussed on different topics. For example, there was a "Creative writing" group during my second visit, and the interaction between the groups over meals is stimulating.