Posts for April, 2023

Bring your own picnic, seat and blanket and come and join the fun!

The loch has been chosen for its superb water quality and spectacular surroundings. Coupled with fantastic MTB trails (forest road, easy track as well as sections of singletrack) in the forest, this is one of the very best locations in the UK for off-road racing. “the Short Fast Durty” is an accessible triathlon for anyone looking to take up the sport off road, this sprint distance event is suitable for riders of blue mountain bike trails. “The Long Hard Durty”, this Standard distance race will be a stiff challenge on a tough course in a spectacular location. .

Long Hard Durty:

1,000m Open Water Swim, 18km Technical Mountain Bike, 9km Trail Run

“The Short Fast Durty”, this Sprint distance race will be a stiff but achievable challenge on a great course in a spectacular location.

Short Fast Durty:

500m Open Water Swim, 12km Mountain Bike, 5km Trail Run

Join us for a guided woodland wander. The route will take us along the shore of Loch Garten, winding its way beneath towering pine trees and leading down to Loch Mallachie. We will listen for the chirps of crossbills and the trills of crested tits, and look for tell-tale signs of red squirrels while exploring the undergrowth of Caledonian pine forest. The walk will follow footpaths and last roughly 3 hours, please wear sturdy footwear and dress appropriately for the weather.
Toilets will be available at the beginning and end of the walk at the Nature Centre. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome. Please arrive 15 minutes before the walk begins.

The first World Human Foosball Championships will be held in the Cairngorms National Park to raise funds for the Cairngorms Trust to support projects across the area.

Get a team of friends, family and colleagues together for a day of fun, 5 a side foosball! No previous experience is necessary just bring your enthusiasm.

Date: Saturday 20th May 2023
Time: First match 9am, finals from 1pm

Entry is open to teams of 5 over 16 years old.

Early bird entry price is £50 per team to enter until the 28th April. Thereafter £100 team with last entries on the 12th May so we can get the play lists ready. With 1 free car parking space per team.

This event is being held to raise funds to support projects that to support the landscapes, wildlife, local culture and economic health and encourage sustainable and community led local development within the Cairngorms National Park.

Please use our Just Giving page to ask friends, family and colleagues to support you and your team by donating to the Cairngorms Trust.

Spectators are welcome on the day with a suggested entry fee donation of £2 per person to the Cairngorms Trust.

There will be food stalls available on the day along with family friendly entertainment.

Join us for a day full of learning and experience. We’ll give you the downlow on key things we have learned about:

how to plant a tree
small and large scale planting schemes
planning an orchard
creating shelterbelts
grazing of herbivores and pigs in woodlands
pasture planting
creating and establishing hedgerows
planing and harvesting tree hay for livestock
firewood processing
the basics of making charcoal

There is a HUGE amount of material to cover so this will be intense and fast paced. The day starts at 9am and finishes at 5pm with a BBQ lunch in between.

Booking Essential

Join us for a day full of learning and experience. We’ll give you the downlow on key things we have learned about:

how to set up and run a productive kitchen garden
keeping hens
working with pigs
regenerative grazing
introduction to beekeeping
planting trees, including fruit trees

There is a HUGE amount of material to cover so this will be intense and fast paced. The day starts at 9am and finishes at 5pm with a BBQ lunch in between. If there is enough interest, we may look to run a second course so if booking is not available, please get in touch with us directly via our website contact form.

Booking Essential

Join us for a fully packed morning in our super abundant kitchen garden, where we will share our experiences in our journey to become self-sufficient, covering:

how to set up a kitchen garden and soft fruit garden
the role of wildflowers and medicinal herbs
growing in a polytunnel
making your own compost
simple water systems

We’ll stop part way through the morning for a cuppa and a slice of cake but otherwise, it will be all about the learning as we download our experiences to you.

Booking essential via website

Join us and foraging expert Clare Holohan from West Highland Herbal and co-author of Scotland’s Wild Medicine for a day learning about wild plants.

You will learn how to identify and use local plants for all round health, which will include a walk around the grounds of the croft in the morning with some foraging and discussion on food and medicinal uses of the plants we find.

You’ll then gather for a feast lunch, which will include some locally sourced produce, supplemented with anything edible we find in the morning.

In the afternoon, you’ll head back out with Clare to do some more practical learning, either making remedies or foods with whatever we have found. Throughout the day, we will talk a little about how we work with nature and our team of animals to build biodiversity across Lynbreck, a place that can provide for all of us.

Come for a Wildlife Wander with someone from our knowledgeable team to see some of the amazing wildlife that Summer brings to Insh Marshes.

On this leisurely walk, the breeding season is well underway so young birds and other creatures like roe deer will be keeping their parents busy. Lapwing chicks will be feeding, running and hiding while relying on their camouflage and their parents to defend them. The marshes and trail are full of life and colourful scented flowers including orchids

Some areas may be rough underfoot. It is unfortunately not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies, and we recommend sturdy footwear.

Come for a Wildlife Wander with someone from our knowledgeable team to see some of the amazing wildlife that Spring brings to Insh Marshes.

On this leisurely walk see the lush green aspen leaves trembling and a variety of bird species, including curlew (which we may hear calling), lapwing and snipe (which could be displaying) and song birds singing through the trees. During sunny intervals early butterflies like orange tip and small tortoiseshell will be flying.

Some areas may be rough underfoot. It is unfortunately not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies, and we recommend sturdy footwear.