Posts for August, 2024

Discover more with our brand new guided whisky tour.

Join us for an exclusive experience led by our knowledgeable guides as you explore the castle and uncover the rich history of Blair Castle’s whisky. Learn about the fascinating discovery of our whisky, illicit distilling, and the heritage of whisky on Atholl Estates.

This unique tour is perfect for anyone eager to delve into the story of whisky in Perthshire, Scotland.

Each participant will receive a take-home whisky flight and a special gift. The whisky flight includes three sample-sized whiskies:

Tullibardine 15 Year Old Single Malt The Glenturret Triple Wood Single Malt Blair Castle Speyside Single Malt (Limited Edition)Full-sized bottles of these exceptional whiskies are available for purchase in our gift shop.

Tour Details:

Duration: 1 hour Cost: £60 per person
Schedule: Wednesdays & Saturdays, 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM
Group Size: 2 to 10 people per tour
Bonus: Entry to the Castle & Grounds is included in your ticket

Don’t miss this chance to enhance your whisky knowledge and enjoy a truly memorable experience at Blair Castle. Over 18’s only.

Join us for a talk by Wildlife Photographer Andy Skillen on his adventures of walking with polar bears in Arctic Canada!

From crossing frozen oceans on snowmobiles, to camping on the sea ice in pursuit of these iconic animals, Andy’s career has seen him come face to face with these giants of the Arctic on multiple occasions. Hear all about the challenges presented on his photographic pursuits, along with footage from his expeditions and images for his new project “Bears of the Americas” and a few others that live in the same region! As the largest land carnivores on Earth, Andy will provide a first-hand account of the plight polar bears face in their rapidly changing environment, along with tales of other endeavours of the animal kingdom.

Andy Skillen has been a wildlife photographer, photojournalist and film footage provider for 30 years working for the industry’s major media. Whilst continuing to focus much of his time on suppling media organisations with material, he also provides several publishing houses for specially commissioned book titles. Andy also has sets of fine art limited editions which have been sold through galleries in the UK and overseas and continues to undertake private commissions for collectors both corporate and individual.

Andy’s work is used globally and sees him supply stills, articles and video stings as well as consult for a number of major wildlife projects and for photographic tour companies on the planning and execution of specialised safaris.

To attend this talk, we ask for a small donation to cover our charity’s costs to host the evening. This ticket option is for both RZSS members and non-members. Please contact events@rzss.org.uk should you be unable to donate.

Please note, this donation does not include entry into the Highland Wildlife Park during the daytime.

Popular local artist Angus Grant is among 300 crafters and artists taking part in this year’s North East Open Studios. The event, which is in its 21st year, offers the public the chance to visit studios and workshops across the region and see firsthand the processes and equipment used to make beautiful artwork.

This is the first time Angus has taken part and he is offering the chance to see his pottery at the Spey Bank Studio in Grantown-on-Spey. He’ll be available to talk about making ceramics and maybe even demonstrate some of his making techniques.

This event is organised by the Grant Arms Hotel, and you can join our wildlife guide Nick Baker at Insh Marshes Reserve looking for some of our local and iconic wildlife.

We may move between the three hides and take a walk along some of the trails taking in woodland, heather moorland and marsh.

Potential sightings include Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank and Snipe, Goldeneye, Roe Deer, woodland birds on the feeders as well as Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, Red Squirrel, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Hen Harrier and passing Ospreys and Eagles.

Meet at the car park RSPB Insh Marshes by 2pm.

Limited to 15 people.

Pre-booking essential, please ring our Reception Team on 01479 872526 to avoid disappointment.

£15 per person payable upon booking.

Credit James Stevens

Join our wildlife guide NICK BAKER for a guided stroll, appr 2 hours, from the Grant Arms Hotel through Anagach Woods looking for some of our local and iconic wildlife.

Possible sightings include Blue, Coal, Crested, Great and Long Tailed Tits, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Crossbill, Goldcrest, Robin, Siskin, Treecreeper, Wren, Great-Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Buzzard, Red Squirrel and Roe Deer.

Limited to 10 people.

Pre-booking essential, please ring our Reception Team on 01479 872526 to avoid disappointment.

Meet in the Reception Area by 9am.

Image credit Graham Niven

Are you ready to turn your dream home into a reality? Join us at Scottish Self-Build and Renovation (Highlands) 2024, kindly sponsored by Filpumps, on Saturday, 21 September 2024, from 10am to 4pm at Macdonald Aviemore Resort, Aviemore. Whether you’re planning to build, renovate, or embark on smaller home improvement projects, we’ve got you covered!

Why Attend:
Discover a one-stop hub for all the expertise you need to bring your project to life. From architects to building materials, energy efficiency to bespoke furniture, we’ve got it all under one roof – click here to view the floor plan.

Expertise on Hand:
Architects, Cost, Planning and Structural Advice
Building Materials
Energy Efficiency, Grants and Incentives
Ground Works
Heating and Cooling
Insulation
Kitchen, Bathrooms and Interior Design
Private Water Systems
Timber Frame
Windows and Doors … and many more!

Save the Date:
Date: Saturday, 21 September 2024
Open Times: 10 am – 4 pm
Venue: Macdonald Aviemore Resort, Aviemore

Embodying Braemar Literary Festival’s celebration of text in all its creative forms, British genre-splicing supergroup LYR take to the stage to perform an emotive and atmospheric set, featuring a powerful combination of the written and spoken word entwined with soaring original compositions.

With a talented and highly respected line-up comprising author and Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, singer-songwriter Richard Walters and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Pearson, LYR have carved out a unique place within the contemporary British music scene with two critically acclaimed albums Call in the Crash Team and The Ultraviolet Age to date.

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience LYR’s aural and lyrical talents in the intimate setting of Braemar.

Join National Trust for Scotland staff for a guided tour of the historic 19th Century lodge and buildings. This includes seeing inside the Chapel and Stag Ballroom, which are not normally open to the public.

The tour finishes in the Dining Room, where you can enjoy tea/coffee and biscuits (included in the price) in this historic setting….and where can ask us questions about Mar Lodge that we haven’t already answered.

PLEASE NOTE that this is a buildings-only tour of Mar Lodge. If you are looking for the extended tour, which includes an hour walk outside, please see the ‘Afternoon Walk & Tour’ on our Eventbrite page.

The tour starts at 2pm in the Mar Lodge courtyard, around the rear of the lodge itself, and finishes at 3:30pm.

Tickets are £7.50 per adult; children (under 16) are free; NTS members £5 per adult.

Booking is essential as places are limited. Call 01339 741276 for more information or simply book your place here on Eventbrite.

We will send you directions in your order confirmation.

Don your detective hat and join us for family-focussed Wildlife CSI sessions at the Learning Hive at Highland Wildlife Park. Follow the clues to discover what happened and who (or what!) has been sneaking around.

Our workshops can be attended for a small ‘pay what you can’ donation and due to limited capacity must be booked in advance. Tickets need to be booked for both adults and children attending. This event is appropriate for all ages and under 16s need to be accompanied by an adult.

Please note, your workshop ticket does not permit entry into Highland Wildlife Park during the daytime and tickets will need to be purchased for the date of your workshop if not a valid RZSS member.

Step 1:
Book onto a workshop here on Eventbrite

Step 2:
Book your day tickets to Highland Wildlife Park (if you’re not an RZSS member)

We’re excited to be launching our much-loved nature photography workshops at Highland Wildlife Park this year, with renowned professional photographer Laurie Campbell.

The workshops consist of tutorials as well as a tour of Highland Wildlife Park taking in a number of different settings and animals – big and small, stripes and all. Laurie will be with you for the entire day, giving personal attention to each participant as well as sharing many tricks of the trade.

Laurie was a keeper at Edinburgh Zoo before embarking on a highly successful thirty-year career as a nature photographer and has now returned as the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) nature photographer in residence. He has over thirty-five years’ experience in leading photographic workshops, has illustrated and authored several books – including the bestselling ‘RSPB Guide to Bird & Nature Photography’ – and has won twenty-three awards in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition. In 2014 he was awarded the RSPB’s Lifetime Achievement Award. A selection of his work can be viewed at lauriecampbell.com

Please read the full Nature Photography Workshop Terms and Conditions here before booking a place.

For further information please contact events@rzss.org.uk