Posts for May, 2025

Botanical printing, using nature to create art, in an outdoor setting. This craft takes a while so set aside a morning, afternoon or make a day of it!

Willow weaving in woodland – learn a new skill, make a bird or animal and enjoy a time old craft in an outdoor setting.

Loch Kinord & Muir of Dinnet Guided Walk
A beautiful circuit around Loch Kinord in the Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve. The walk is excellent for nature lovers with plenty of flora and fauna both on and around the loch and in the surrounding birch woodland.

Loch Kinord – a short walk around Loch Kinord in the beautiful Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve – full of wildlife on the loch and in the surrounding Birch woodland. Included in the walk is the popular hidden gem; the Burn o’Vat – a fantastic example of a bowl-shaped “pot-hole”; a geological feature carved out by glacial meltwater at the end of the last Ice Age around 10,000 years ago. Please note Transport is needed.

Discover Blairfindy Castle: A Guided Walk Through Glenlivet’s Rich Past

“Glenlivet it has castles three – Drumin, Blairfindy and Deskie.”
Join us for an easy, guided walk through the heart of Glenlivet, beginning at the iconic Glenlivet Distillery. As we make our way toward the impressive 16th-century Blairfindy Castle, you’ll be treated to sweeping views across one of Scotland’s most renowned glens. Along the way, we’ll delve into the rich history of Glenlivet, with a dash of whisky heritage thrown in too.

Blairfindy Castle, completed in 1564 by John Gordon, stands as a nice example of an L-plan tower house that remains remarkably well preserved. In 2019, a major conservation project—supported by the Tomintoul & Glenlivet Landscape Partnership and the National Lottery Heritage Fund—stabilised the structure and opened it to visitors for the first time in decades. The site has also been enhanced to support wildlife, with features that encourage nesting birds and pollinators.

Step into the story of Blairfindy and see a different side of Glenlivet—one where history, nature, and whisky meet.

Bluey and Bingo from the much-loved children’s TV show ‘Bluey’ will be appearing at Landmark Forest Adventure Park on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th of September 2025.

Visitors to the park will have the chance to see Bluey and her sister Bingo, who will be meeting fans.

The duo will be in our Dinosaur Kingdom at intervals throughout both days and will be available for photos, so visitors are encouraged to take along cameras to capture seeing these adventurous, loveable Heeler Pups.

Seeing Bluey and Bingo is free with regular entry day tickets (or for annual pass holders) to the park which are purchased/booked for visits on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th of September 2025.

Come and meet the Gruffalo at Landmark Forest Adventure Park and prepare for a magical weekend of enchantment.

The Gruffalo will step out from the pages of your favourite storybook and into the heart of the park. Join us on Saturday, June 21st and Sunday, June 22nd for an unforgettable adventure filled with laughter, excitement and family fun.

Whether you’re a fan of the book or discovering it for the first time, this meet-and-greet event promises an experience you won’t forget.

The Gruffalo will be in our Dinosaur Kingdom at intervals throughout both days and available for photos, so visitors are encouraged to take along cameras to capture meeting this lovable character.

Welcome to the Deeside Nature Festival 2025, a wonderful amalgamation of local individuals, organisations and businesses drawn together to celebrate the natural heritage of Deeside in the Eastern Cairngorms, and coordinated by us, Wild Discovery.

We are thrilled that our small festival in 2024 is growing arms and legs and the overwhelming positive feedback for an event in 2025 has been very uplifting.

The Deeside Nature Festival is a celebration of nature and an opportunity to connect as many people with the natural world as possible. Those connections may present themselves in a variety of forms from direct observation of wildlife right through to the expression of nature through the arts. We have endeavoured to bring together as large a spectrum of events as possible over the long weekend and hopefully something for everyone.

Our goals are simple:
To connect people with nature
To promote the natural heritage of Deeside
To support rural livelihoods and green initiatives
Dan and Rachael of Wild Discovery with guests
The whole festival is organised in a voluntary capacity and while there may be charges to some of the events hopefully you will agree that this only reflects the value of the expertise and experience you have attended, and knowing that a fundamental aim of the festival is to promote rural livelihoods and green initiatives.

The 2025 festival is coming together nicely and we will be adding more events as they are confirmed. Keep checking back to make sure you don’t miss out!

Image credit www.wild-discovery.com

Soak in the delights of the dawn chorus around the River Dee in Ballater with Dan and Rachael from Wild Discovery. Over the course of the morning we will listen for as many species as possible getting to know the commoner species and understanding a little more about how to identify different bird calls and songs. We will be able to hear and discuss the differences between birds that sing in woodlands and those in more open habitats and with luck our encounters could include Tree Pipit, Redstart, Sedge Warbler, Common Sandpiper and Dipper. Profits from this event will be donated to a relevant conservation charity.

This will be followed by the ‘Magic Moths of Deeside’ at Ballater Green.

Part of Deeside Nature Festival 2025
Our evening will start by looking at the marvellous moths that have been caught in the light traps from the previous evening. We will then go on a short walk to explore the clear, evening sounds of the glen. As dusk falls hone your senses to experience this slightly different take on the wildlife of the area. Profits from this event will be donated to a relevant conservation charity. Run by Wild Discovery.

Part of the Deeside Nature Festival 2025.
Wild Discovery’s Dan and Rachael will lead a walk at Keiloch, Invercauld in search of open pine forest birds, such as Crossbills, and other wildlife. We will enjoy a round-walk from Keiloch car park of approximately 4km. We will search for Crossbills and other woodland birds, birds of prey, butterflies and plants along this scenic route with views across Craig Leek and down to the River Dee. Profits from this walk will be donated to a relevant conservation charity.