Posts for March, 2025

Join us this Mother’s Day for a tour about our animals and the roles mum’s play! With the opportunity to get crafty with enrichment and get insider knowledge on our animal collection.

11am meeting point at our polar bear statue in the main car park. Tickets include entry to the park for the rest of the day.

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

Saturday, March 29th, SkyHide, Tomintoul
Partial solar eclipse, 10:00am-12:30pm
Cairngorms Astronomy Group – Public Solar Eclipse Observing Event

Join us at the Tomintoul SkyHide for a public solar eclipse observing event! Drop by and safely view a partial solar eclipse with the Cairngorms Astronomy Group (CAG).

🔭 Date & Time: Saturday, March 29th, 10:00am
📍 Location: Tomintoul SkyHide at the Field of Hope
🕶 Safe solar viewing equipment provided

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.

This NOSAS seminar brings together speakers from across Scotland who will contribute to an understanding of the ways that the roof was supported in pre-improvement vernacular buildings in Scotland. Cruck-framed construction has been a traditional method of supporting the roof across Scotland. But there were areas of Scotland where there is no or little archaeological evidence of cruck-frames. What preceded crucks? And why were they superceded in the late 18th and early 19th centuries?

In the afternoon we will be guided round the constructed pre-improvement buildings at the Folk Museum by Bob Powell, who was a previous Principal Museums Officer at the museum.

Three years in the making, Riverwoods is a feature-length documentary that shines a light on the perilous state of Scotland’s salmon and tells the compelling story of an inextricable relationship between fish and forest.

Open to all.

“Who owns Strathspey”. Fascinating insight into this oft pondered question from Will Anderson, Chief Executive of Seafield & Strathspey Estates. Hosted by The Grantown Society (NOTE change to normal venue: this talk is in Grantown YM/YW Community Centre Cinema).

Reach into the living landscape of the Northern Cairngorms in this immersive and creative workshop, accompanied by Ed’s creative input and professional eye as he guides you with expansive knowledge of his local wilderness.

Photograph light and movement as it glows through ancient forests and follow the flowing burns as they tumble down from the granite monoliths looming above. As you capture the essence of what it means to be amongst this living and ever-changing landscape, you will advance your photography skills and deep dive into creating a powerful narrative with your pictures.

From an all-inclusive accommodation base in Kingussie you will be guided through inspiring and evocative locations in the Northern Cairngorms, taking in the fresh light and colour of spring. Alongside Ed’s accomplished and specialist insight, two of the course days include the addition of a mountain leader to support access to more remote locations.

Join acclaimed local Strathspey musician and composer Hamish Napier for an imersive day delving into top trad tunes, arrangements and creativity. This workshop is designed for players who want to deepen their skills and explore traditional Scottish tunes in a welcoming group setting.
Open to people age 16+ who play a folk instrument at intermediate to advanced level.

We will focus on:
🎵 Expanding your trad session tune repertoire
🎶 Learn a few cracking local tunes from Badenoch & Strathspey
🎻 Exploring ornaments and variations to bring melodies to life
🎼 Learning how to arrange music for small folk ensembles

Join acclaimed musician and composer Hamish Napier for a series of engaging folk music workshops, designed for players who want to deepen their skills and explore traditional Scottish tunes in a welcoming group setting.

🎵 Expand your trad tune repertoire
🎻 Explore ornaments and variations to bring melodies to life
🎼 Learn how to arrange music for small folk ensembles

Open to people age 16+ who play a folk instrument at intermediate to advanced level.

Following community engagement events in the summer of 2023, RSPB Insh Marshes has been working with consultants on detailed plans for the next stage of the River and Floodplain Restoration Project.

Join our drop-in sessions at the Lookout Hide for a cuppa and some cake, and find out about plans for the River Tromie, prior to us submitting a planning application.

10am-12noon, or 2pm-4pm

Everyone welcome!