Posts for March, 2025

This spring foraging course is an invitation to learn about the edible and medicinal spring plants found in the grounds of Blair Castle & Gardens. Spring is a special time for foraging and this walk will give us time to celebrate the best of this season, as the plants wake from the winter providing the first flowers, leaves and nutritious seeds of the growing season.

The course consists of a 2.5 hour foraging walk, in which you will learn lifelong identification techniques, inspiring recipe ideas, and a wealth of ethnobotanical tales.
During the walk we will move through a variety of habitats – woodland, meadow, hedgerow and garden – taking time to connect with each surrounding environment, noticing their changing flora and subtle variations in character.

We will finish up with a wild tea and homemade cake and biscuits in Hercules Garden, with time to revise the plants learnt and how best to store them for future use.
All participants will also receive a personalised PDF containing information about all the plants met.
 
This course will give you:
How to safely identify over 15 edible and medicinal spring plants and trees
Methods and techniques for how best to work with them as food and medicine
A time of mindful walking among beautiful grounds
Exciting recipes to regularly include wild plants in your meals
What to bring:
Shoes that are comfortable and waterproof
Wet weather gear in case of rain
A basket or container

Meeting point:
Meet on the green in front of the castle, next to the ‘The Cannon’ coffee cart.
Date: 10th May 2025 or 11th May 2025
Time: 10.30-13.30
Cost: £45, kids go free.
 
FAQs:
Are children allowed?
Yes, but one child must be accompanied by at least one adult. (16+).
Are there toilets?
Yes, toilets can be found in the Banvie Hall next to the restaurant.
Are dogs allowed?
The pace of foraging walks is quite slow, so if you think your dog will be bored by lots of standing still – then this might not be the walk for them!
 
About foraging expert, Tamara Colchester
Over the past eight years, Tamara has studied wild plants, she explored how people can live off the land in the Northern Hemisphere, especially in the UK. She has gained incredible knowledge of plants, their food and medicinal benefits, and how our dietary needs change with the seasons.

Join Glenlivet & Inveravon Heritage Ranger Lydia for a talk on Pictish art and symbol stones. We will be looking at four Pictish Stones discovered in the churchyard of Inveraven, which has been a site of spiritual practice and pilgrimage for centuries. This tour will provide an overview to Pictish art and culture and will show how the Picts contributed to the shaping of modern Scotland.

Access to Inveraven Church is off the A95 about half a mile north the entrance to Ballindalloch Castle, and can be found by following the brown tourist sign directing visitors down the single track road to the Inveraven Pictish Stones.

Parking is available at the bottom of the drive before you arrive at the church or in front of the church building.

As we will be outside, please dress appropriately for changeable weather.

Children are very welcome to attend.

Well behaved dogs may attend but must be leashed as there is often livestock on site.

Funded by Foundation Scotland from the Dorenell Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund.

Please note that toilet facilities are not available on site

“Glenlivet it has castles three, Drumin, Blairfindy and Deskie”. This easy guided walk will take us to the 16th century tower house of Blairfindy and begins outside the iconic Glenlivet Distillery. On the walk in we’ll enjoy stunning views over one of Scotland’s most famous glens. You’ll learn a bit about Glenlivet’s rich history and some whisky history too.

Blairfindy Castle was completed in 1564 by John Gordon. In its heyday Blairfindy was a fine example of a three storey L-plan tower house and even today shows a remarkable degree of preservation. A project to stabilise Blairfindy Castle took place in 2019, funded through the Tomintoul & Glenlivet Landscape Partnership, a programme supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The castle is now open to visitors for the first time in decades and has been specially adapted to encourage nesting birds and pollinators.

The 5th Braemar Mountain Festival returns from the Thursday 5th March – Sunday 9th March 2025.
4 days and over 40 events to choose from!
The festival kicks off with a torchlight procession following the Braemar pipe band to the iconic Games Centre Pavilion for a night of food, drink and music.
From Friday our programme of guided walks, ski, winter skills, mountain bike, wild swimming and trail running sessions commence across the weekend.
Accompanying the activity sessions are a range of workshops which include navigation, photography, star gazing and first aid.
Across the weekend we have a line up of amazing speakers covering a wide range of subjects. Look out for the book signings at some of the talks. Special mention goes to our headline mountaineering speakers – Anna Wells and Adri Brownlee. Adri is a 23year old woman who has climbed all fourteen 8000m peaks in the Himalayas. Only the second Brit to achieve this and the youngest female! Anna is an inspirational mountaineer who completed a winter round of the Munro’s last year.
Not forgetting our Saturday night ceilidh with live music from the Blaeberries and our Best of Kendal film night which wraps up the Festival on the Sunday evening.

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.

This lightweight 3 day trek in the Cairngorms includes 2 high wild camps and a more leisurely way of summiting the UK’s next 5 highest mountains, all over 4000 feet, after Ben Nevis – Ben Macdui, Braeriach, Carn Toul, Angels Peak and Cairn Gorm. Additionally there will be an option to summit the additional Munros of Devil’s Point and Carn a Mhaim. It will also give you plenty of time to fully absorb and appreciate the unique environments presented in the central Cairngorms.

Starting at the Sugarbowl our route will take us through the dramatic and narrow rocky pass of the Chalamain Gap before gently descending to the Lairig Ghru. We will then ascend into a true mountain environment over Sron na Lairig and our first summit of Braeriach (1296m 4250ft) followed by our first high camp near to the Wells of Dee [Source of the River Dee]. Once camp has been set up there should be opportunities to explore the stunning views westwards down to Loch Einich and eastwards across the dramatic corries down to the Lairig Ghru.

Day Two will take us around the edge of the vast An Garbh Coire and over Sgor an Lochain Uaine (Angels Peak: 1258m 4126 feet), above the hanging Loch Uaine, then steeply over Carn Toul (1291m 4234 feet) before crossing Stob Coire an t-Saighdeir before descending to the head of Coire Odhar. This should allow a quick ‘no pack’ ascent to the top of Bod an Deamhain (Devils Point: 1004m 3293 feet). Our route then takes us down past the world famous Corrour Bothy, across the River Dee and up the Tailleur Burn to our final camp on the shoulder of Carn a Mhiam. For the energetic, an evening packless walk along the ridge to the summit of Carn a Mhaim (1037m 3,401 feet), and back, will be offered.

Day Three leads us to the summit of Ben Macdui to the second highest mountain in Britain at 1309m (4293 feet). We will then meander ‘off track’ toward the atmospheric Feith Buidhe plateau region above Loch Avon with views down to the Shelter Stone area. The route will then take us over the northern crags above the Loch following a pathless, but easy ascent, to the popular summit of Cairn Gorm (1244m 4080 feet) before descending the less touristy Fiacaill a’ Choire Chais, and into the atmospheric enormity of Coire an t-Sneachda, before finishing our journey at the Cairngorm Mountain Ski Centre [Coire Cas].

This is a description of our intended route but it will be adapted as necessary in relation to weather conditions and the performance of the group.

Everything is provided – all food and wild-camping equipment.

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

March is a time when we can still see winter migrants like Whooper Swans and Greylag Geese. Wading birds will be returning in increasing numbers after their Winter absence so we may see or hear Oystercatchers, Curlew, Redshank and Snipe.

As we walk along the trail, woodland birds will be singing as they feel the stirrings of Spring. So we will listen and look for Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long Tailed Tits, Chaffinches, Mistle- and Song- Thrushes, whose songs may be joined by the drumming of woodpeckers.

Buzzards are fairly common and we may be lucky enough to see Hen Harrier hunting low over the marshes.

We will meet in the RSPB Insh Marshes Car Park – what3words: ///epic.youth.venturing and grid ref: NN775998

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

Join us for a monthly Wildlife Wander with our knowledgeable Volunteer Wardens to see some of the amazing wildlife at RSPB Scotland Insh Marshes NNR.

In April and May, we will see the lush green Aspen leaves trembling and hopefully 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.

In June, 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.

In July, the breeding season for birds is coming to an end, however there is still plenty of other life to be seen on the marshes and in the meadow. Colourful wildflowers include sweetly scented orchids, which attract beautiful butterflies and dragonflies. We will lookout for the scarce Scotch Argus butterfly which feeds on flowers like sunshine-yellow Rock Rose.

In August, the vibrant purple heather should be in full flower and Field Gentian may be coming into bloom. Wildflowers like Knapweed and Devil’s-bit Scabious provide nectar for butterflies. We will lookout for the nationally scarce Scotch Argus butterfly which breeds on the reserve and can be the most common butterfly to be seen this month. Dragonflies like Black Darter and the impressively large Golden Ringed may also be spotted.

September is a good time to look out for raptors like Hen Harriers hunting over the marshes. Buzzards are common and may be seen along the Tromie Trail. Butterflies and dragonflies will continue to fly as long as the weather is warm and sunny – Scotch Argus, Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Peacock and Black Darter are most likely. Many summer flowers have come and gone, but the blues and purples of Harebell, Devil’s-bit Scabious, Common Heather (Ling) and Bell Heather can be seen along the Tromie Trail. Other flowers may include the whites of Yarrow and Eyebright and the yellow of Lady’s Bedstraw.

We will meet in the RSPB Insh Marshes Car Park – what3words: ///epic.youth.venturing and grid ref: NN775998

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

Join Cairngorms Connect to get hands on doing practical habitat restoration work.

Help us to block up old, but still active, ditches on a small area of bog woodland in Glenmore Forest, using hand tools and wood. The aim is to hold more water in the peat, slow the loss of water from the site and to benefit the bog vegetation.

Tools and work gloves will be provided, as will instructions so no experience is necessary.

However, please note this is a physically demanding volunteering session, which includes walking roughly 2km to site and moving around on rough and wet ground with drainage ditches.

It is important that all people have equal access to Cairngorms Connect events. We are happy to provide for your requirements, wherever possible eg. BSL interpreters. If you have any accessibility requirements, please get in touch.

Would you like to learn more about the night sky? Join Cairngorms Astronomy Club and Tomintoul & Glenlivet Development Trust on Friday, February 7th at Inveravon Church & Pictish Stones at 7pm for a Moon at Inveravon telescope session to celebrate National Astronomy Week. On February 7th the Moon will be close to Beta Tauri in the constellation of Taurus in the evening sky. We’ll also be looking at the planet Jupiter as well as stars and constellations and will share resources for improving your celestial knowledge. Please meet at Inveravon for 7pm.

As we will be outside, please dress appropriately for cool February conditions and changeable weather. Sturdy footwear, lots of layers, along with gloves and a hat will make your stargazing experience more enjoyable.

Toilet facilties are limited at Inveravon but there is a public convenience at Cragganmore near the parking on the Speyside Way.

Access to Inveraven Church is off the A95 about half a mile north the entrance to Ballindalloch Castle, and can be found by following the brown tourist sign directing visitors down the single track road to the Inveraven Pictish Stones.

If weather conditions are unsuitable on the day of the event the organiser will email attendees.

A suggested donation of £5 on Eventbrite or on the night helps to support heritage and dark sky activities in Glenlivet & Inveravon. This event is generously funded by Foundation Scotland from the Dorenell Community Benfit Fund.