Posts for March, 2023

“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.

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 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.

Children are very welcome to attend.

Toilet facilities are available during the summer season but are currently closed.

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.

How to get to the Carrachs car park:

Turn east off the B9008 at Auchnarrow (signposted for Scalan) and follow this road right to the end ensuring to follow sign for Chapeltown of Glenlivet. If you are using a navigation system, the postcode AB37 9JS will take you most of the way to Chapeltown of Glenlivet. Drive past Braeval Distillery and at the road end follow the 90-degree right hand turn which leads to the car park. This track is quite potholed and uneven in places so please proceed slowly and carefully.

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

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 dainty violet flowers, lush green leaves on the trees and hear a variety of bird species singing their Spring songs.

April is a busy time for breeding birds and many waders call the marshlands home at this time of year, including curlew, lapwing, redshank and snipe. Hopefully we will hear them calling and see them defending their territory.

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

This tour will follow the Invertromie Trail – some areas may be rough underfoot. It is unfortunately not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies, and we recommend sturdy footwear.

Join us on this 1 day workshop to build your field skills for birds of the Aberdeenshire coast and estuaries where terns, spring waders, huge seabird colonies and farmland birds await.
This is a not-for-profit workshop.

Located in Upper Deeside, Cairngorms.
Join us on our not-for-profit workshops to get the most out of your birding.
Discover the Cairngorm mountains, from Ptarmigan and Ring Ouzels, right down through the glens and their Black Grouse, Crossbills and Redstarts.
This a 1 day workshop.

Spring Scottish Specialities – 28-29 April 2023
Wild Discovery is running a series of Lepidoptera events aimed at finding some of the UK’s rarest or most difficult to see species. All the profits from these workshops will go to Butterfly Conservation helping to support projects that monitor, protect and manage these superb species.

Our target species are Kentish Glory, Netted Mountain Moth, Rannoch Brindled Beauty, Sword Grass, and Small Dark Yellow Underwing. Secondary possibilities include Large Red-belted Clearwing, Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth, Scarce Prominent, Broom-tip and Birch Mocha. Two nights, two days.

Join us on this half-day workshop to explore Caledonian Pine forest to learn more about Scottish woodland bird specialities and their songs.
This is a not-for-profit workshop based in Upper Deeside.

Scalan was originally the site of a secret Roman Catholic seminary where priests, known as ‘heather priests’ were trained during the 1700s when Catholicism was prohibited.

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

This event is free but donations are appreciated and go towards the upkeep of the site.

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.

“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.