A Rewilding Journey in the Cairngorms

Day 1 – Arrival

Your guide will meet you at Kingussie train station in the Cairngorms National Park, and a short transfer takes you to our mountain lodge accommodation in beautiful Glen Feshie. After arrival and introductions, we will enjoy ‘Scottish’ cocktails, followed by a presentation setting the scene for our adventure. We’ll then enjoy our first evening meal together at the lodge. (D)

Day 2 – Wild Glens

This morning, we set off on a short pre-breakfast walk around our base and discover its 120-acre rewilding reserve. After a hearty breakfast, we take a hike to a secluded forest waterfall before immersing ourselves in the regenerating landscape of Glenfeshie. After decades of ecological decline, the native pinewoods here are bursting back to life and racing up the previously bare hillsides – a fantastic example of what nature can do, given a chance. We enjoy a picnic lunch next to the cascading river before spending time watching our local ospreys on a spectacular island nest. (B, L, D)

Day 3 – Wild Deeside and Beavers

Today is one of contrasts as we head east to the celebrated Mar Lodge Estate on Deeside. On the way, we pass through a very different landscape primarily dedicated to driven grouse shooting. We spend some time gazing out over the vast moorland and talk about the challenges with land management in this part of Scotland. Mar Lodge is a very different world to much of Deeside and we meet one of their rangers who shows us how and why the landscape here is recovering.

Our evening meal is taken at a local restaurant before spending the evening witnessing the incredible work of one of Scotland’s most celebrated rewilding characters: the beaver. We take a few hours quietly watching this industrious wetland engineer and learn about the changes they bring about. (B, L, D)

Day 4 – Working with Nature

Today, we enjoy a leisurely breakfast before visiting a local farm undergoing a transformation from sheep pasture to a rich mosaic of woodland, wetland and flower meadow. Nearby is another pioneering example where the owners are working alongside nature to produce healthy food that is supplied to the local community. Tonight your guide will deliver a fascinating presentation on the Eurasian lynx, and its potential reintroduction into Scotland. (B, L, D)

Day 5 – Caledonian Pinewood

The pinewoods of the Cairngorms are magical and mystical. Although the howl of wolves has fallen silent (for now), the forest is still home to red squirrels, golden eagles and pine martens. In Abernethy Forest, one of the largest tracts of surviving woodland, we join a ranger and learn about how, for the first time in centuries, the forest is now expanding, attracting new species, such as breeding white-tailed eagles. We conclude our inspiring journey with a leisurely walk to a beautiful viewpoint looking out over the vast landscapes of the Cairngorms and reflecting on how the view may change as the influence of rewilding grows. (B, L, D)

Day 6 - Depart for Home

After a relaxed breakfast, we’ll leave the lodge and return you to Kingussie Station for the end of the trip. (B)