Braemar Nature Festival 2024
New Events Added!
10th - 19th May 2024
Collaborative Nature Festival in Upper Deeside
We are excited to announce a collaborative nature festival in Upper Deeside, Cairngorms this May. The event brings together individuals, organisations and businesses to create a festival of over twenty events celebrating nature. The events vary from health and nature and bird and butterfly watching walks, to workshops on trail camera use and moth identification. There will be evening film nights, and presentations, hands-on conservation sessions and much, much more.
You will find a full programme list below in chronological order with the key details and a booking link for each event where required. Each event is individually hosted and the Braemar Nature Festival acts as an umbrella to offer a plethora of nature-based activities to residents and visitors alike.
We look forward to seeing you at the inaugural Braemar Nature Festival.
Programme
Fri-Sun 10-12 May | Wild Discovery Moth Workshop | Weekend event | £125 for the weekend
Join Dan and Rachael from Wild Discovery for a weekend moth workshop focusing on the spring specialities of the Cairngorms. Profits raised donated to Butterfly Conservation. Click here event link. Click here for booking.
Fri 10th May | Raymond Besant wildlife photography talk, ‘My Wild Life’ | 1900 - 2300 | Free
Raymonds talk will go behind the scenes sharing stories filming Wolves on the Tibetan Plateau, following Forest Elephants in the rainforests of Gabon and watching calving glaciers whilst filming for BBC Frozen Planet 2. Braemar village hall. Register your interest here.
Sat 11th May | Wildlife photography workshop with wildlife cameraman Raymond Besant, Braemar | 0930-1300 | £35 SOLD OUT
A morning wildlife photography workshop where you will take in the birchwood and river habitats in and around Braemar.
Sat 11th May | Swift stand and guided walks, Braemar | 1100, 1300 & 1430 | Free
Join Ian Halliday and Cally Smith from the NE Scotland Swift group for guided walks around Braemar and to learn more about Swift boxes and Swift conservation. Meet at the Mews opposite the Fife Arms, Braemar. No booking required.
Sun 12th May | The Braemar Geo-Trail: A Walk back through Geological Time | 1000-1400 | Free
Join Dr Stuart Archer on a fascinating exploration around Braemar. Meet outside the Mews opposite the Fife Arms, Braemar. Bring your own packed lunch. Donations to the Scottish Geology Trust welcome. E-mail: explore@wild-discovery.com to register your interest.
Sun 12th May | Mar Lodge guided walk: mountains, moorland and montane woodland | 1330-1630 | £11 NTS members, £15 non-members SOLD OUT
Enjoy a walk up a little known hill at Mar Lodge Estate, with regenerating woodland and fabulous panoramic views of the estate. Click here for booking.
Mon 13th May | Walking with Wood Ants | 1400-1600 | Free
Join insect ecologist and wood ant expert Jenni Stockan to explore the forest from the perspective of wood ants. Learn about the many parallels between wood ant societies and our own, and the role of wood ants in folklore and popular culture. Meet at the Mews, opposite The Fife Arms hotel, Braemar. No booking required.
Mon 13th May | Bat and Moth Safari, Braemar | 2030-2200 | £5 per person, children <12 free
Join Rachael and Dan from Wild Discovery at the Duck Pond, Braemar for an evening safari on foot to find moths and bats. Click here for event link. Click here for booking.
Tue 14th May | A talk about the work of the River Dee Trust | 1100-1230 | FREE
Join Debbie Cooper from The River Dee Trust for a chat and Q&A about the awesome work of the River Dee Trust, including their One Million Trees campaign. Braemar village hall. Donations to The River Dee Trust welcome. Click here for booking.
Tue 14th May | Guided Mountain Wildlife Walk | 1300-1600 | £10 per person, children <12 free SOLD OUT
Join Dan and Rachael from Wild Discovery for a guided walk at Glenshee looking for Mountain Hares, Ptarmigan and birds of prey. Click here for event link. Click here for booking.
Tue 14th May | Pine Marten and Badger Viewing at ‘The Lookout’ | 2000-late | £20 per person
Experience the magic of seeing Pine Marten and Badger on the Glen Tanar estate near Aboyne from their viewing hide, The Lookout, at a reduced rate exclusively for the Braemar Nature Festival. Click here for booking.
Wed 15th May | Magic Moths of Deeside | 0900-1000 | FREE
Discover the incredible world of Moths at the Braemar Duck Pond with Dan and Rachael from Wild Discovery. Click here for event link. Click here for booking.
Wed 15th May | An Introduction to using Trail Cameras, Braemar | 1300-1630 | £10 per person
Find out how to get the best from your trail cameras with an afternoon workshop hosted by Dan Brown from Wild Discovery. Click here for event link. Click here for booking.
Thu 16th May | Balmoral Black Grouse Safari | 0600-0800 | Free SOLD OUT
Enjoy the spectacle of Black Grouse males displaying for the females, known as 'lekking', on the Kings estate. Explore Glen Muick in the comfort of a Land Rover Discovery, start/end in Ballater car park. Booking essential, places limited to 6. Email Georgia at georgia.carrington@balmoralcastle.com for more information and to book.
Thu 16th May | Guided woodland bird walk | 1000-1200 | £10 per person Children <12 free
Join David Leslie from Aberdeenshire Bird Tours for a guided walk around Craigendarroch Oak wood, Ballater. Email David to register your interest: aberdeenshirebirdtours@gmail.com
Thu 16th May | Mar Lodge guided walk: Waders, wildfowl and working with nature at Mar Lodge | 1500-1700 | £7 NTS members, £10 non-members, children <16 free
Join in a gentle stroll at Allanaquoich, where we will watch for wildfowl and waders, and discuss nature restoration at Mar Lodge Estate. Click here for booking.
Thu 16th May | Pine Marten and Badger Viewing at ‘The Lookout’ | 2000-late | £20 per person
Experience the magic of seeing Pine Marten and Badger on the Glen Tanar estate near Aboyne from their viewing hide, The Lookout, at a reduced rate exclusively for the Braemar Nature Festival. Click here for booking.
Fri 17th May | Balmoral Capercaillie Volunteer Day | 1000-1600 | Free
Learn more about Capercaillie as you help create more habitat for this iconic bird. Range of tasks may include creating standing dead wood & brash piles, ring barking, blocking ditches to restore bog habitat. Start/end Braemar car park taking scenic route through Ballochbuie woods. Also includes a visit to the virtual lek site & Capercaillie display in the grounds of Balmoral Castle. Booking essential, max. 8 people. A reasonable level of fitness required. Email Georgia at georgia.carrington@balmoralcastle.com for more information and to book.
Fri 17th May | Glen Tanar Health walk | 1000-1300 | Free
A gentle guided stroll in Glen Tanar. Meet at Visitor Centre. Donations to Glen Tanar Charitable Trust welcome. Contact Eric Baird, Head Ranger, Glen Tanar to register your interest Tel: 013398 86072 / Mobile: 07790387019
Fri 17th May | Guided walk to look for Crossbills and other woodland birds | 1300-1600 | £10 per person, children <12 free
Wild Discovery's Dan and Rachael will lead a walk at Keiloch, Invercauld in search of open pine forest birds and other wildlife. Click here for event link. Click here for booking.
Fri 17th May | Film Night: ‘Riverwoods’ & ‘Why Not Scotland?’ In Braemar Village Hall | 1900-2200 | £5 each
Two spectacular documentaries filmed and produced by rewilding charity SCOTLAND: The Big Picture. Braemar Village Hall. Click here for booking.
Sat 18th May | Braemar Guided Dawn Chorus | 0600-0900 | £20 adults, children <12 free
Soak in the delights of the dawn chorus around Braemar with Dan and Rachael from Wild Discovery. Click here for event link. Click here for booking.
Sat 18th May | Glen Tanar Hands on Conservation Day | 1000-1600 | Free
Join us for a day of ‘putting something back’ for nature. Tools provided, dress for the weather and the work. Meet at the Visitor Centre. By Glen Tanar Rangers. Donations to Glen Tanar Charitable Trust welcome. Contact Eric Baird, Head Ranger, Glen Tanar to register your interest Tel: 013398 86072 / Mobile: 07790387019
Sat 18th May | Jewels of the Air – Butterflies & Moths walk | 1000-1300 | Free
Join Helen Rowe from Aberdeenshire Council Ranger Service and Butterfly Conservation to search for and learn about some of the beautiful butterflies and moths of the Cairngorms, a stronghold area for several species. Meet at Keiloch, Invercauld. Booking essential, click here for booking.
Sat 18th May | Mountain Hare Survey (in-person) Training | 1330-1600 | Free
Join Mammal Society staff to learn about surveying for Mountain Hares, and how you can get involved in the Volunteer Mountain Hare Survey. Based at the Glenshee Ski Centre. Donations to The Mammal Society welcome. Click here for booking.
Sun 19th May | Muir of Dinnet Guided Dawn Chorus | 0600-0800 | Free
Join Simon Ritchie, Nature Reserve Manager, to discover the morning bird life at Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve. Meet Burn O’Vat car park. E-mail Simon to register your interest: muir_dinnet@nature.scot
Sun 19th May | Spring Fungus Rummage with Grampian Fungi Group | 1030-1530 | Free
The aspen woodlands at Crathie will be the base from a spring fungus foray and rummage through the deadwood. Contact Toni Watt to book: hollywatt@aol.com or tel: 07773626981.