Posts for April, 2023

Our time in the field will be spent enjoying our passion for Lepidoptera whilst learning more about identification, ecology and trapping techniques all of which will add to your overall enjoyment of natural history and your knowledge of the subject.

We will search for target species: Sword Grass, Scotch Flatbody (Exearetia ciniflora) and secondary species include Juniper Carpet.

Our time in the field will be spent enjoying our passion for Lepidoptera whilst learning more about identification, ecology and trapping techniques all of which will add to your overall enjoyment of natural history and your knowledge of the subject.

Over two days and nights we will look for Dark Bordered Beauty in the Aspen stands of the Dee, Aberdeenshire. This species is scarce and will require a focused trapping effort as well as daytime searches. We will also operate traps at higher altitude to try for a couple of Scottish specialities.

Target Species include Dark Bordered Beauty, Northern Dart and secondary species include Northern Arches, Cousin German, Chestnut-coloured Carpet, Grey Mountain Carpet, Pretty Pinion, Dark Tussock and Scotch Annulet.

Meet at 1.30pm outside Nethy Bridge Community Centre, PH25 3DA, where we will arrange transport to the start of the walk.

Walk is around 2 miles, with some fairly rough terrain and a short gradient, and will include signs of an ancient site, a former farmhouse, a good example of a lime kiln and various other points of interest.

Event is free, but donations are welcome (£5 suggested) to help Explore Abernethy maintain the paths network and Visitor Centre.

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.

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.

Whisky-enthusiasts will delight in the popular walking trail the Speyside Way. Cragganmore was the first distillery in Scotland to have its site selected and be built specifically to take advantage of its proximity to the Strathspey Railway. This walk follows the route of the old railway from Cragganmore station to Blacksboat Station and back again.

Come and join the Ballater Walking Festival. We have 3 or 4 walks a day, from Strenuous uphill routes , Moderate walks, Easy walks and walks of Special Interest. The walks start on Sunday 4th June and are every day until and including Friday 9th June. Walkers meet in Ballater at the hut on the green in the centre of the village , usually at 8am (Strenuous), 9am (Moderate) and 10am for the Easy and Special Interest walks. Friendly and informative leaders.
There is also a programme of evening events – a reception, an informative talk about the future of the Cairngorm National Park, and a Ceilidh on the Friday night. These events are free to walkers. We also have a dinner in the middle of the week.
The event is run by a volunteer committee, who would be very happy to welcome you to our friendly festival. Places are still available, so please go on our website, book your walks, and we shall see you in June.

“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 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.

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.