ADVERTISING FEATURE
A visit to the Cairngorms National Park is always special, but this weekend it promises to give visitors an even greater time as the Cairngorms Nature Festival 2015 is taking place – and everyone is invited to join in the fun.
On hand to ensure everyone has a fantastic time will be naturalist and TV wildlife presenter Nick Baker. He’s the festival’s special guest and is hosting two events in Boat of Garten, the first being a free family event, a Bio-Blitz at Milton Loch, and run in association with Boat of Garten Wildlife Group. Visitors can join Nick in a wide range of activities including pond dipping and a mini-beast hunt, before retiring to the community hall for refreshments. In the evening, Nick will give a talk about his fascinating life as a wildlife presenter and his passion for nature at Boat of Garten Community Hall. This event starts at 6.30pm.
The Cairngorms National Park is home to some fascinating wildlife, including 25% of the UK’s threatened species. The festival will be a weekend of celebration during which people can get first-hand experience of some of the fantastic wildlife that lives and grows in the national park.
Cairngorms nature manager Andy Ford said: “We are so lucky to have this amazing place on our doorstep and we want to give everyone the opportunity to experience nature up close. We have dozens of events happening across the national park, with something for everyone, from families with children to seasoned nature watchers. It’s a wonderful chance to get outside and get involved in this special place.”
This year, there are four main centres of activity: Ballater, Aviemore, Tomintoul and Blair Atholl, and there are dozens of events taking place across the weekend of May 16 and 17, with activities and events suitable for all ages, ranging from mud-pie adventures for children at Muir of Dinnet, to hands-on experiences such as bird ringing and 4×4 safaris.
For those who like to get practical and make a difference, Glen Tanar Estate, near Aboyne, is running a hands-on conservation day, or you can make wildlife boxes for your own garden with the rangers in Grantown.
If you are a morning person, there is a dawn lek safari at Tomintoul, or, for those who prefer a later start, you can join a guided osprey watch at Rothiemurchus.
You can find out why Cameron the Capercaillie can’t dance in Blair Atholl, or spot dazzling damselflies in Craigellachie, while, in Glen Doll, there’s a chance to go on a guided ranger walk and see the world’s fastest flying birds, the peregrine falcons, as they bring food back to the nest to feed their young.
For full details of the festival visit www.cairngorms.co.uk