Workshops & Events

“We engaged Dan and Rachael for a family holiday in Scotland in July. From the start they were very friendly and listened carefully to our requirements. Our party consisted of my 86 year old mother, my partner and I (in our 60s), 22 year son and his partner. We were looking for local knowledge and guiding to enable all of us to 'get out there' as a group to enjoy different local habitats and wildlife, both in the Cairngorms and West Argyll coast, despite our varied abilities. Dan and Rachael came up with a programme which more than met our expectations. They also included activities such as moth trapping which was wonderful - their knowledge of moths was exceptional.

As a team they demonstrated a very impressive all round knowledge of the natural history of the areas we explored and although my partner is a professional conservation biologist, there was still much that was new to us. They are excellent 'spotters'! I was unfortunately taken ill on one walk but they responded calmly and professionally, enabling me to be looked after whilst continuing to guide the rest of our group on the planned walk.

We received some wonderful photographs from them as a reminder of a really enjoyable experience. I would not hesitate to recommend Dan and Rachael for guided wildlife experience - professional, competent, flexible, very knowledgeable and also a really lovely couple.” T. Knight, Wales.

“I joined Dan and Rachael for an evening tour to see Beavers and had expected to go to a hide and wait for the wildlife to come to us. Arriving at the riverbank, we explored for signs of activity along the gentle walk before settling down quietly right at the waters edge to await their arrival. While keeping an eye out for movement, Dan and Rachael shared their extensive knowledge on both Beavers and Scottish flora and fauna. Once the Beavers arrived we were able to move locations to keep up with them as we weren’t restricted to a hide, which provided a longer experience and more photo opportunities. This made it a more real and intimate experience with a small group right at the waters edge and as such was a real trip highlight.

Both Dan and Rachael have a great passion and enthusiasm for the natural world which is infectious and on the drive home were still stopping to show Mountain Hares and Red Deer. Their worldwide in-depth knowledge in nature was also a real treat, discussing a variety of subjects and I would recommended them to anyone looking for a more genuine wildlife experience. I hope to be back to explore more of Scotland with them in future.” L. George, UK.

“Navigating the wildlife or the Highlands can be a hit and miss affair, not just because of the weather but also because you really need to know the very special spots to concentrate on. For this reason, and because we particularly wanted to see the special crossbills of the area, we decided to hire a professional guide for our first day in the Cairngorms (last week of May 2021). At the suggestion of a top-notch birding friend of ours, we contacted Dan Brown of Wild Discovery and agreed an itinerary and a very reasonable rate. In the event, Rachael came as well which was a real bonus.

Thanks to their skills at hearing small, distant “chips” and knowing what birds were making them, we were able in our third location to get terrific views of a feeding family of Parrot Crossbills and in the next spot to find a similarly feeding family of Scottish Crossbills. Dan was super-fast at getting the ‘scope onto them for better views and helping us get through-the-scope photos of them with our mobile phones. These birds are only found in the UK in the Scottish Highlands, are few and far between and are tricky to identify.

The weather wasn't too good, so we weren't able to climb to higher elevations – as we had hoped - but we also got great views of a Golden Eagle being mobbed by a Buzzard, Ring Ouzel, Black and Red Grouse, and lots more besides. We also had an interesting walk through part of the Balmoral Estate, with beautiful deer peering at us, and past stunning waterfalls.

They also pointed out good places to go to on subsequent days in the Cairngorms for Dotterel, Ptarmigan and other specials.

Dan and Rachael also knew so much about the insects and flora of the area as well as other wildlife. And besides being great naturalists, they were really friendly and interesting people to travel with.

We were totally satisfied at the end of the day.” J. Clark, UK

“Our Pine Martin viewing evening was very special. Rachael & Dan are knowledgeable & we loved hearing about these beautiful creatures. Seeing them feed & interact so close to us is amazing. We were able to get many pictures capturing our time with the male, then female & kit so we can look back. Rachael & Dan kept us informed about the evening beforehand & were easy to communicate with. We look forward to booking another wildlife experience with them both.” P & T Stephens, Scotland