Welcome to our new base!

26 Mar

In the heart of the Cairngorms National Park

It’s been a long time coming but finally we have arrived in our new home and base for Wild Discovery in Crathie, Deeside. We are very excited to be living in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland and to now be able to call this home as well as a place of work and play.

From living and working in the Cairngorms nearly 20 years ago and many regular trips (for work and pleasure), we have been keen to return on a more permanent basis and we are bursting with enthusiasm to show you all this incredible, and much overlooked part of the world.

As Covid restrictions start to lift we will be offering half-days, day trips and short tours in this area as well as exploring further afield across Scotland.

Deeside is exceptionally rich in wildlife harbouring some of the last and best tracts of Caledonian Forest in which Pine Martens, Capercaillie and Scottish Crossbills lurk, not to mention a plethora of fascinating plants and invertebrates. At this time of year Black Grouse are lekking, Mountain Hares are slowly moulting back into a summer grey coat and migration is in full swing with the first signs of spring developing.

This Golden Eagle fly-by was a welcome we didn’t expect!

Deeside is not only great for wildlife watching but a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, historians, food and whisky lovers alike. From our base in Crathie, Balmoral Castle (the Queen’s summer residence) is just around the corner and we can walk to the Lochnagar Whisky Distillery (this could be dangerous!). We are also spoilt with amazing local produce and baked treats here too! And if you need some serious exercise to burn off those treats then the summit of Lochnagar sits regally to our south at an impressive 1150m asl. There are countless biking and e-biking options in the area and GlenShee and The Lecht are a short drive away for some winter sports action. All in all, it’s the perfect destination for those who love the best things in life!

Having now been up here three weeks (how time flies!) we have set ourselves a personal challenge of finding 1000 different species within 1000m of our front door. It’s a great way of really getting to grips with our local patch and also contributing to some ongoing citizen science projects. In fact, spurred on from the webinars we have already attended, we have been out and discovered new sites for several rare and scarce species which really shows the power and importance of engaging volunteers at a local level. You can read more about how to get involved in citizen science in our blog.