Posts for May, 2023

Forest Bathing, or Shinrin-yoku is the practice of immersing yourself in nature; ‘bathing’ in the awesome goodness that trees release into the atmosphere; reaping the benefits from magic little things called ‘phytoncides’ and receiving mental calmness from the fractal patterns, vibrant shades of green and calming blues around us – what better place to do this than the Cairngorms National Park.

During a Forest Bathing session, you can expect to be out for about 1 ½ hours, walking at a slow pace in nature and I will guide you through a series of ‘invitations’ aimed at opening your senses and reconnecting you with yourself and the environment around you.

We spend time sharing what we are noticing to the group and finish with tea and snacks to bring our experience to a close and thank the land we have been supported by during the session.

This event is part of the Cairngorms Nature Festival which runs from 12 – 21 May 2023. It’s a ten day festival with over 80 exciting events across the Cairngorms National Park celebrating the incredible landscapes and nature found here.

To see full event details and book events please visit: https://www.cairngormsnaturefestival.co.uk

“Join us for a guided dawn chorus walk onto Dun Coillich where we will listen, learn about and meet the birds that call Dun Coillich home.

Join ecologist and lifelong birder Aidan MacCormick for a guided introduction to the sounds of the dawn chorus at Dun Coillich. It is always great to spend time on the hill with Aidan; Learning about the calls and behaviours of our feathered friends helps to bring an extra dimension to our experience of the outdoors. Why not come join us?

This walk is part of our ‘Meet the….’ series of events we are holding this spring/summer. For more information see our website at: www.hpclt.org

We will meet at the main Dun Coillich carpark, please bring suitable outdoor clothing and footwear and be prepared to walk around 2 km across rough ground.

Free event for HPCLT Members, £5 suggested donation for others.

For more information contact Heather on 07849268411, email projectofficer@hpclt.org.

This event is part of the Cairngorms Nature Festival which runs from 12 – 21 May 2023. It’s a ten day festival with over 80 exciting events across the Cairngorms National Park celebrating the incredible landscapes and nature found here.

To see full event details and book events please visit: www.cairngormsnaturefestival.co.uk

Join us for a walk around Moray’s earliest surviving tower house reputed to have been built for Scotland’s vilest man- Alexander Stewart, the Wolf of Badenoch. Drumin Castle is an impressive medieval fortification standing on a commanding bluff overlooking the confluence of the River Livet and the River Avon. Once we get to the castle, you’ll learn a bit about the architecture, history, and the notorious Wolf, whose evil deeds continue to cast a long shadow in Moray’s history.

“Cathedral and Toun

Wyld wrath did engulf

Lone Lochindorb Castle

The lair of the Wolf”

This castle has recently reopened after masonry repairs. Access to the first floor is once again possible via a narrow, stone staircase. `Sensible footwear is recommended.

Please park at the The Drumin Castle car park. This short circular walk will start from the Drumin Castle sign in the car park. Access is by foot along a pedestrian trail and will return by a set of steps. Please dress appropriately for changeable weather.

Toilets are not available on site.

Children are very welcome to attend.

Well behaved dogs are welcome.

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

“Glenlivet it has castles three, Drumin, Blairfindy and Deskie”. This Heritage Ranger led castle 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 fantastic views over the glen. 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 1586 Blairfindy passed to the Earls of Huntly, another branch of the family, who used it as a hunting seat. A panel above the arched doorway bears the Gordon arms and this date. 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.

Research has shown that the castle was probably burned by troops after the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and it was never repaired or occupied after this time. 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.

Please park at the The Glenlivet Distillery car park. The walk will start from outside the stillhouse under the green signpost marked ‘Blairfindy Castle 1/2 mile’ (see last photo).

Access is by foot along a dedicated track. Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for changeable weather.

Toilets are available inside The Glenlivet Distillery Visitor Centre.

Children are very welcome to attend.

Well behaved dogs are welcome.

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

Join one of our experienced rangers on a guided walk at Cairngorm Mountain. This incredible half day experience will take you on a breath-taking walk exploring the Northern Corries. You guide will walk at your own pace and stop to allow you to take photographs and learn about the local environment. These walks run every Thursday from June – October.

Join Glenlivet & Inveravon Heritage Ranger Lydia for an introduction to 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 of 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. Please note that toilet facilities are not available on site.

Well behaved dogs may attend but must be leashed.

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

Scalan was originally the site of a secret Roman Catholic seminary where priests, known as ‘heather priests’ were trained in the 1700s when Catholicism was prohibited. Following the departure of the priests in 1799, Scalan reverted to a farm. Two steading buildings were built housing corn threshing mills which served the Glenlivet farming community. The threshing machines and water wheels are still in place along with a wealth of historical graffiti telling the story of farming life in the 19th and 20th centuries. A major project to conserve the mill buildings took place in 2019, restoring the waterwheel and lade in North Mill and improving visitor access to the site. This was funded through the Tomintoul & Glenlivet Landscape Partnership with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Join members of the Scalan Association and Glenlivet & Inveravon Heritage Ranger Lydia on a guided tour of the site and the mill buildings. In addition to being a special area of historical interest, this area of the Glenlivet Estate abounds with oystercatchers, curlews, and lapwings in the spring and summer months – be sure to bring your binoculars if you have them.

We will be meeting in the Carrachs car park before proceeding by foot along a farm track, 1km from the car park at the end of the public road. Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for changeable weather.

Donations to the Scalan Association on the day are most appreciated and help them to care for this special place.

Children are very welcome to attend.
Toilets are available on site in the summer months.

Well behaved dogs are welcome in the mill buildings, but are not permitted in the seminary. Please note that sheep and other livestock live on site. Please be aware that there may be cattle present on the walk in.

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

Celebrate National Meadows Day with us on a walk to enjoy the beauty of summer wildflowers!

We will walk the Invertromie Trail and see lots of different flowers, from the common, such as bird’s-foot trefoil, bedstraws and stitchworts, to the uncommon, such as rockrose and petty whin. The highlight of the walk will be gorgeous Tromie orchid meadow where we will hope to see five species of orchid, including heath fragrant orchid and small white orchid.

Some areas may be rough underfoot. This 5k/3mile route is unfortunately not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies, and we recommend sturdy footwear.

Feel free to bring a packed lunch with you as we will be having a lunch stop. There are no facilities to buy food on site – the nearest shops and cafes are in Kingussie.

Under 12s free.

Discover Curlew secrets throughout the breeding season with the Curlew LIFE team! Get a great view of the birds with our binoculars and scopes and put your questions to us about these curious birds.

No need to book – just drop in any time from 9am to 11am.

For more info, email us at insh@rspb.org.uk.

Distance: 17 miles / 27.2 km
Grade: Challenging
Leader: Mark Johnston
Dogs: Sorry, dogs are not allowed

Join the Estate Ranger on a day’s hillwalking to this relatively unfrequented part of Glenlivet. Making our way from West Avonside, we’ll start big and ascend to the highest point in the Cromdales, Creagan a’ Chaise. At 722m this is classified as a Fiona which is a mountain in Scotland between 2000 & 2500 feet high – these were previously known as Grahams. Near the trig point at the top is a rather large Cairn built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.

From there we will traverse the ridge also taking in the nearby Coronation Cairn, built to commemorate the crowning of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandria in 1902. On a clear day, the views from the ridge are excellent looking to the Cairngorms and across Speyside. We will continue to take in the lesser summits of Carn Eachie and Carn a Ghille Chearn before making a rough descent back towards Knock farmhouse and onwards to the Car Park.

This walk will hopefully provide opportunities to see moorland birds and deer while crossing typical northeast Scotland hill and moorland territory.

The terrain will be a mix of rough track and heather moorland, involve some steep climbs and take us into a remote, exposed country. Please be prepared with appropriate clothing and plenty of food and water. A reasonable level of fitness and the knowledge that you are able to handle this type of terrain is required.

This is a full-day lengthy hill walk with steep terrain. It is essential participants wear or carry suitable clothing that reflects the potential weather. Items to be considered include multiple layers, waterproofs, sturdy walking boots, hats, gloves, insect repellent, and sunscreen.

Sufficient food and liquid should also be carried for at least seven hours in the hills.

There are no toilet facilities at the start/end point or on the walk.