Posts for August, 2025

Join Lynn Cassells, co-owner of Lynbreck Croft, for an immersive learning day focused on planting, growing and working with trees, surrounded by the inspiring landscapes of the Cairngorms National Park.

As climate changes accelerates and weather extremes become more frequent, the need to create diverse, resilient landscapes grows ever more important. Trees play a critical role in the landscape, providing essential shade, shelter and forage, as well as slowing the flow of water off the hills, maintaining soil health and enabling food production.

This immersive learning day provides a unique opportunity to find out everything you want to know about tree planting, tree protection and woodland management at the multi-award-winning Lynbreck Croft, owned by Lynn Cassells and Sandra Baer. With 28 years of combined practical experience, Lynn and Sandra are creating a landscape at Lynbreck where trees and food production go hand in hand.

With practical hands-on learning opportunities and Lynn’s expert guidance, this course will help you to observe and understand the varied ways that trees are nurtured, managed and utilised on a working croft, emphasising their central place within a landscape that benefits nature, climate and people.

For organisers:
Set-up from 10:30am
Donations to Castle Roy suggested £5

Entries will open approximately 6 weeks prior to the race ie late June.

The Glenshee 9 hill race is a 19 mile/5,500ft run across the 9 Munro’s bordering Glenshee Ski Centre in the East Highlands.

The race is run in an anticlockwise circuit across the following summits in this order:-

Creag Leacach (987m)
Glas Maol (1068m)
Cairn of Claise (1064m)
Tom Buidhe (957m)
Tolmount (958m)
Carn an Tuirc (1019m)
Carn Aosda (917m)
Carn a’Gheoidh (975m)
The Cairnwell (933m)
Start and finish is at Glenshee Ski Centre

There is one road crossing after approximately 13 miles (GR NO 147800) This checkpoint is also a cut-off which must be reached by 2.30pm. (ie. 3.5 hours from the start for faster competitiors up to 4.5hours for older age categories). This will be strictly enforced.

Route details can be found at www.stevenfallon.co.uk/glensheeroute.html

Entry Fee
Entry fee includes post race refreshments from Glenshee Catering. All profits from the race will be donated to Braemar MRT who will be providing event safety cover. 300 limit. Closing date Thursday 31st July 2025.

Wave Start
We will operate a two wave start. A 10am start for those in Veteran categories who would like this option (it is not mandatory!) and the main race start at 11am. We would not expect you to pick the 10am start if you are able to comfortably reach the road crossing within 3.5 hours.

Rules
This is a Category A long race and competitors are required to have completed similar events in the last two years.

Entrants must be over 18 years old.

Competitiors will be required to carry full body cover, whistle, map (this map must extend at least 2km beyond your race route in all directions and be waterproof), compass and some emergency food. PLUS any additional clothing dependent on the forecasted weather conditions.

Please note that although it is held in summer, it is Scotland, and well over 50% of the route lies above the 900m contour line. The route is not flagged and there are no water stations. Competitors will cross a number of burns which normally flow even in very dry summers.

Ever wondered what it’s like to zoom through a giant cloud of foam? Now’s your chance to find out! During our legendary Foam Days at the Wild Water Coasters, you’ll experience an explosion of foamy fun that the whole family will love.

Choose your adventure on the Otter or Wild Cat slides—each offering a thrilling ride with a delightfully foamy surprise at the bottom. Don’t forget your camera, as you’ll want to capture the unforgettable moment your loved ones emerge from their foam-filled boats. It’s a must-try experience you won’t want to miss!

An opportunity for local S1-S3s (for the 2024-25 year) interested in art, creativity and this amazing landscape.

Landscape Creatives is an opportunity for local young people to explore art and creativity through different landscapes, habitats and species. Based at Badaguish Outdoor Centre and working outdoors as much as possible through a series of workshops, we’ll create and reflect on the wellbeing and positive futures of landscapes we’re all part of.

Free to attend and no special skills required, just a keen interest in exploring and learning about nature in creative ways, including choreography, film-making and drawing.

We are asking young people interested in taking part to complete a short expression of interest form, available on our website: https://bit.ly/LandscapeCreatives

Deadline for expressions of interest: Wednesday 25th June 2025.

Join us for a fun, informative and no doubt, eye-opening day. Tayside Mountain Rescue team will be present to demonstrate their specialist equipment, answer questions, and showcase their vehicles, drone, and possibly one of their working dogs. Their much-loved mascot, Hamish, will also be joining us on the day.

Takings from ticket sales into Blair Castle & Gardens on the 6th September 2025 will be donated to Tayside Mountain Rescue. The money will go directly to support the vital work they do across our region.

Charity Day entrance is included with your Gardens and Grounds ticket.

About Tayside Mountain Rescue
Tayside Mountain Rescue is a volunteer run charity that operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No-one gets paid and they rely entirely on funding to procure the tools and equipment necessary to rescue people and animals from our local mountains and hills. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you require rescue, they will be there, giving up their own time and expertise to help save you. We’re proud to support an organisation that plays such a crucial role in keeping people safe in our region.

Image credit Paul Booth

Returning for 2025 is our popular Bivvy Trek. We will once again be returning to Ben Macdui in what will be a unique experience on the UK’s second highest mountain.

This trek will start at 6pm (1800hrs) from the Cairngorm Mountain upper car park. This is slightly later than our usual treks with the idea we will reach the summit of Ben Macdui just before midnight, able to enjoy the late light of midsummer from the comfort of our bivvy bags. The following day we will have a relaxed morning with a cooked breakfast prepared by your guide, with a return journey via Loch Avon and a second Munro summit of Cairn Gorm.

A bivy adventure for us is all about feeling connected to the environment you wish to be in. Tents are great and offer a lot of comfort but once you close the doors you miss that immersive experience with what’s going on outside. Bivvying also avoids many of the issues surrounding pitching a tent, for example unsuitable ground or finding a large enough area to accommodate a group. You literally find the perfect spot, lay yourself down, watch the sunset or simply open your eyes throughout the night to gaze up at the sky.

Provided on this trek is a lightweight Bivvy (348 grams), cooking equipment, hot drinks and breakfast. We recommend you have a meal before setting off. Your guide will also provide and carry all safety gear including a large tarp for the group to sleep under if the weather is wet. All other equipment is to be provided by the client including sleeping bag and mat. This is a great introduction to minimalist wild-camping.

Come and see / try heritage crafts in action. There will be demos across the site of traditional skills including rope making, spinning & weaving, waulking the cloth, tradition games and lots more!! Don’t miss the coracles on the Sawmill Pond and visit the Smiddy to see the Blacksmith in action.

No need to book just drop in and enjoy! There will be a full list of demos for each day available at reception. Activities 11am—1.00pm and 2.00—4.00pm each day. (Activities may differ on different dates.)

Our woolly celebration is back! Come and see spinning, weaving, natural dyeing & waulking the cloth. Have a go at knitting, crochet and other textile crafts. No need to book, just come along and enjoy the event!

Step back in time to 1745 as word spreads through the Highlands that Prince Charles Edward Stuart has raised his standard! Can Captain Fletcher’s patrol of redcoat soldiers make it to the safety of the nearby barracks before the Jacobites raise enough strength to stop them? Come and enjoy this weekend of living history – brought to the museum by the Alan Breck’s Volunteer Regiment. Programme of events is the same on both days, no need to book, just come along and join in the fun.