Wild Boar Guided Walk – Tracks and Signs

There is an established population of Wild Boar / Feral pigs at Bunloit Estate. Most are thought to be a mixture of wild and feral domestic pigs. Their presence has substantial implications for land management: on the one hand, they introduce beneficial forms of disturbance that are usually absent in Scotland, and on the other hand, little is known regarding what constitutes a healthy population size and a healthy level of disturbance.

This is why we are studying their impact closely with our wild boar monitoring program: estimating population size and measuring ground disturbance. If you would like to learn more about this animal and how we monitor them, then join us for our first event in a series about Wild Boar.

We will start off by taking you on a guided walk around the estate, on the look out for signs of boar. Come and learn how to identify their prints, wallows, signs of rooting and more!

Learn about our wild boar monitoring program and see how you can get involved.

Please bring strong sturdy footwear and suitable outdoor clothing. A good level of fitness is recommended as this event involves a fair bit of walking, sometimes on steep ground. No previous experience or equipment is needed though if you have binoculars please bring them along as there will be plenty of opportunities for wildlife watching.

Regular breaks will be taken throughout the day, during which we will offer refreshments. Please bring along your own packed lunch and plenty of water.

Meeting place will be at the Bunloit Farmhouse carpark (Grid Ref: NH 50429 25262, or W3W ///waggled.harps.statement)

For further information please get in touch with Beth, Ranger at our Bunloit Estate, beth.harwood@highlandsrewilding.co.uk.

We are delighted to be hosting a series of immersive experiences at Tayvallich this year. 'Gu h-àrd is gu h-ìosal - Above and Below Foraging and Heritage Tours combine coastal foraging, immersive sea swimming, a three course forager’s lunch and place-based storytelling.

Wild swim coach Dan the Merman and wild food guide Heather are delighted to be offering a series of these immersive experiences with Highlands Rewilding at Tayvallich in 2025. Join us for a half day sensory and immersive experience amongst stunning west coast scenery. Together we learn about nature's bounty and wild edibles, take the opportunity to immerse our senses with a dip in Argyll's stunning waters and learn some of the wonderful meanings and the stories behind the Gaelic names that describe our sense of place and the nature that surrounds us. After a dip we will share a wild food lunch together that showcases some of the wonderful wild edibles found in Argyll.

Below are some images from an Above and Below event at Tayvallich last October.

Woodland Regeneration Surveys

Join the ranger team at Bunloit to learn about how we monitor the impacts of large mammals on our native woodlands. On the estate we have five exclosures, four of which are in our native woodlands. These were set up as monitoring plots, excluding large mammals such as deer and wild boar from entering these small pockets of woods. Near by are control plots, where large mammals are free to roam. The idea is to look at the difference between the vegetation inside and outside the exclosures to monitor the impacts of browsing and ground disturbance from large mammals.

If you are interested in finding out more and having a go at surveying these exclosure and control plots, then join us on the 5th June. Please bring sturdy footwear and suitable outdoor clothing. This event involves a fair bit of walking, so make sure you bring a packed lunch and plenty of water.

Meeting place will be a the long layby on the Bunloit Road (Grid Ref: NH 50927 27338, or W3W///bulges.brittle.outboard).

For further information please get in touch with Beth, Ranger at our Bunloit Estate, beth.harwood@highlandsrewilding.co.uk.

Join us to walk bee transects and weed around Beldorney’s new trees. 

To find out more information and to sign up, please email Ranger Louise at louise.mclaren@highlandsrewilding.co.uk.

We hope to see you there, but if you can't make these upcoming dates, please email Louise to sign up for future volunteering opportunities!

Protecting Native Trees

Help us restore our native woodlands!

Join us in for a walk through our native woods, on the look out for native tree saplings. Natural regen can sometimes struggle to reach maturity due to deer browsing. Help us give the saplings a boost by protecting them with tree guards. We will also be recording what species we find as well as their locations, to get a better understanding of how the native woods are doing.

Please bring strong sturdy footwear and suitable outdoor clothing. A good level of fitness is required as this event involves a fair bit of walking, sometimes on steep ground. No previous experience or equipment is needed though if you have binoculars please bring them along as there will be plenty of opportunities for wildlife watching.

Regular breaks will be taken throughout the day, during which we will offer refreshments. Please bring along your own packed lunch and plenty of water.

Meeting place will be at the Bunloit Farmhouse carpark (Grid Ref: NH 50429 25262, or W3W ///waggled.harps.statement).

For further information please get in touch with Beth, Ranger at our Bunloit Estate, beth.harwood@highlandsrewilding.co.uk.

We are delighted to be hosting a series of immersive experiences at Tayvallich this year. 'Gu h-àrd is gu h-ìosal - Above and Below Foraging and Heritage Tours combine coastal foraging, immersive sea swimming, a three course forager’s lunch and place-based storytelling.

Wild swim coach Dan the Merman and wild food guide Heather are delighted to be offering a series of these immersive experiences with Highlands Rewilding at Tayvallich in 2025. Join us for a half day sensory and immersive experience amongst stunning west coast scenery. Together we learn about nature's bounty and wild edibles, take the opportunity to immerse our senses with a dip in Argyll's stunning waters and learn some of the wonderful meanings and the stories behind the Gaelic names that describe our sense of place and the nature that surrounds us. After a dip we will share a wild food lunch together that showcases some of the wonderful wild edibles found in Argyll.

Below are some images from an Above and Below event at Tayvallich last October.

Guided Bird Walk & Non-Native Removal

Join our Ranger team on a guided walk around Clunebeg where we will talk you through our bird monitoring program. We will show you different tools and apps we use to help us differentiate species. Try your hand at identifying birds that we may meet along the way.

After refreshments, join us in looking after our native woods by helping us remove non-native tree saplings from an area that we are converting to native woodlands. Previously a spruce plantation, this area has been planted with a variety of native broadleaf and pine species. Removing non-native regen will give our native trees a boost, by eliminating direct competition for space and resources.

Please bring strong sturdy footwear and suitable outdoor clothing. No previous experience or tools are needed, though if you have your own pair of work gloves, bring them along to ensure a good fit. If you have binoculars please bring them along as well as this will help when watching birds.

Regular breaks will be taken throughout the day, during which we will offer refreshments. Please bring along your own packed lunch and plenty of water.

Meeting place will be at the entrance to Clunebeg (Grid Ref: NH 51013 28062, or W3W ///downsize.gazed.slimy).

For further information please get in touch with Beth, Ranger at our Bunloit Estate, beth.harwood@highlandsrewilding.co.uk.

Join us to walk bee transects and weed around Beldorney’s new trees. 

To find out more information and to sign up, please email Ranger Louise at louise.mclaren@highlandsrewilding.co.uk.

We hope to see you there, but if you can't make these upcoming dates, please email Louise to sign up for future volunteering opportunities!

If you are local to the area, or just passing through, drop in on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month between 10am-4pm to get outside in nature and take part in our rewilding efforts.

Usual meeting place: Bunloit Farm W3W///green.script.tint

Pick ups available from Loch Ness Hub, Drumnadrochit

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Estate Manager Alex Davies on alex.davies@highlandsrewilding.co.uk

Wildlife walks, mycorrhizal experiments, berry picking, forest gardening, tree planting, climate conversations, pond dipping, tracks and signs, mulching, invasive species removal and much more!

We hosted a group of Human Geography students from Edinburgh University on Bunloit last week, showing some of the habitats and work we're doing on the estate, and their many links to people, past and present. The students went on to several other restoration sites to learn about different approaches - and enjoyed some of the best weather of the year.

If you are local to the area, or just passing through, drop in on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month between 10am-4pm to get outside in nature and take part in our rewilding efforts.

Usual meeting place: Bunloit Farm W3W///green.script.tint

Pick ups available from Loch Ness Hub, Drumnadrochit

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Estate Manager Alex Davies on alex.davies@highlandsrewilding.co.uk

Wildlife walks, mycorrhizal experiments, berry picking, forest gardening, tree planting, climate conversations, pond dipping, tracks and signs, mulching, invasive species removal and much more!

Alex, Bunloit’s Estate Manager, in partnership with GURCA, held the first design session for the ‘Let Us Grow’ community food growing project at Drumnadrochit.

We’re really pleased to see the Let Us Grow project gaining momentum.

This first garden will act as the central hub, with plans to expand into other plots as the project grows. Produce will be used to support the community centre, Bite & Blether lunches, the monthly market, and potentially local veg boxes.

More than just growing food, the project is closely aligned with the community’s action plan, aiming to strengthen food security and support healthier lifestyles. The garden will be a shared space for local residents, school children, and in time, could provide a day service for people with additional needs.

These photos were taken during two recent design sessions with Alex Davies (one in the village hall with 8 in attendance, and one in the community center with 10 in attendance), who brings a wealth of experience in creating productive, wildlife-friendly gardens and working alongside communities in agroecological projects.

Volunteer in our Forest Garden at Bunloit

Join our ranger team at Bunloit’s forest garden to learn about how the food forests can support biodiversity and mimic natural woodlands.

Get stuck in to some of the maintenance tasks such as mulching, pruning and building tree guards. Everyone is welcome, no skills required.

If you are local to the area, or just passing through, drop in on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month between 10am-4pm to get outside in nature and take part in our rewilding efforts.

Usual meeting place: Bunloit Farm W3W///green.script.tint

Pick ups available from Loch Ness Hub, Drumnadrochit

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Ranger Beth on beth.harwood@highlandsrewilding.co.uk

Wildlife walks, mycorrhizal experiments, berry picking, forest gardening, tree planting, climate conversations, pond dipping, tracks and signs, mulching, invasive species removal and much more!

Alex, Bunloit’s Estate Manager, in partnership with GURCA, held the first design session for the ‘Let Us Grow’ community food growing project at Drumnadrochit.

We’re really pleased to see the Let Us Grow project gaining momentum.

This first garden will act as the central hub, with plans to expand into other plots as the project grows. Produce will be used to support the community centre, Bite & Blether lunches, the monthly market, and potentially local veg boxes.

More than just growing food, the project is closely aligned with the community’s action plan, aiming to strengthen food security and support healthier lifestyles. The garden will be a shared space for local residents, school children, and in time, could provide a day service for people with additional needs.

These photos were taken during two recent design sessions with Alex Davies, who brings a wealth of experience in creating productive, wildlife-friendly gardens and working alongside communities in agroecological projects.

Removal of non-native pines

One of our objectives at Bunloit estate is to progressively transition from non-native plantations to native woodlands. Young native trees have to compete with the non-native pines for space and resources.

Join us in giving our native tress a helping hand by pulling out noon-native conifer regeneration (small saplings).

If you are local to the area, or just passing through, drop in on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month between 10am-4pm to get outside in nature and take part in our rewilding efforts.

Usual meeting place: Bunloit Farm W3W///green.script.tint

Pick ups available from Loch Ness Hub, Drumnadrochit

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Ranger Beth on beth.harwood@highlandsrewilding.co.uk.

Wildlife walks, mycorrhizal experiments, berry picking, forest gardening, tree planting, climate conversations, pond dipping, tracks and signs, mulching, invasive species removal and much more!

Non-native Spruce Removal Day

One of our objectives at Bunloit estate is to progressively transition from non-native plantations to native woodlands. Young native trees have to compete with the non-native pines for space and resources.

Join us in giving our native tress a helping hand by pulling out noon-native conifer regeneration (small saplings).

If you are local to the area, or just passing through, drop in on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month between 10am-4pm to get outside in nature and take part in our rewilding efforts.

Usual meeting place: Bunloit Farm W3W///green.script.tint

Pick ups available from Loch Ness Hub, Drumnadrochit

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Ranger Beth at beth.harwood@highlandsrewilding.co.uk

Wildlife walks, mycorrhizal experiments, berry picking, forest gardening, tree planting, climate conversations, pond dipping, tracks and signs, mulching, invasive species removal and much more!

Mindfulness in Nature

Free session on Thursday 13th February from 10am to 1pm

Stephen Wiseman from N4H and Peter Wilkes from the Highland Mindfulness Group are combining their expertise for a half day of nature mindfulness on the Highlands Rewilding Bunloit estate near Drumnadrochit.

The session will consist of a variety of mindfulness meditation practices some of which will involve sitting whilst others will involve moving and observing nature. We hope participants will enjoy lovely wooded surrounds and views overlooking Loch Ness.

Hot drinks & flapjack will be provided.

HOW TO BOOK:

Booking is required as places are limited. Over 18s only.

Please contact Daniel on highlandmindfulness@gmail.com to book your place.

The event is free. Donations are welcome to help us run more of these sessions.

The meeting point is the Loch Ness Hub car park in Drumnadrochit at 9.30am for onward car sharing to the estate and the base for the session.

Photos and more info: https://highlandmindfulness.co.uk/mindfulness-in-nature/

If you are local to the area, or just passing through, drop in on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month between 10am-4pm to get outside in nature and take part in our rewilding efforts.

Usual meeting place: Bunloit Farm W3W///green.script.tint

Pick ups available from Loch Ness Hub, Drumnadrochit

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Estate Manager Alex Davies on alex.davies@highlandsrewilding.co.uk

Wildlife walks, mycorrhizal experiments, berry picking, forest gardening, tree planting, climate conversations, pond dipping, tracks and signs, mulching, invasive species removal and much more!

Come and cut your own wonky Christmas trees, and join us in removing non-native tree regeneration.

10am - 4pm

One of our objectives at Bunloit Estate is to progressively transition from non-native plantations to native woodlands. Young native trees have to compete with the non-native pines for space and resources. This winter, to give them a helping hand, the Estate team at Bunloit will be removing non-native conifer regeneration.

This is a great opportunity for you to join us in taking out spruce and hemlock. Though not your typical Christmas trees, a little wonky and a little spiky, these trees make lovely festive decorations full of character.

If you are new to Bunloit’s nature days, get in touch with Estate Manager Alex Davies on alex.davies@highlandsrewilding.co.uk. We hope to see you at this event, the last nature day of 2024.

Tayvallich primary school visited Tayvallich Estate to see Rowan and Ewan in action at work. A brilliant day all round, the children also got to meet Calum, the Chief Scientist for the estate, who helped us learn about some of the plant and animal life. The event was put together by Keira, Highlands Rewilding’s Community Engagement Coordinator, with funding through FIRNS funding (The Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland), provided by NatureScot and the Scottish Government.

After the visit, the school said:

“We found out so much really interesting and useful information, including why science and surveying are so important on the estate, why drones have transformed ways of observing and monitoring animals, how a dry suit really does keep you dry when you dive for scallops and oysters and why turning a duvet cover inside out helps you to fit it. The pictures tell the stories and the children will tell you more!”

https://www.tayvallich.argyll-bute.sch.uk/fabulous-family-friday-visit-to-the-tayvallich-estate-6th-december-2024/

We were delighted to host the school group and hope to organise more visits soon.

If you are local to the area, or just passing through, drop in on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month between 10am-4pm to get outside in nature and take part in our rewilding efforts.

Usual meeting place: Bunloit Farm W3W///green.script.tint

Pick ups available from Loch Ness Hub, Drumnadrochit

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Estate Manager Alex Davies on alex.davies@highlandsrewilding.co.uk

Wildlife walks, mycorrhizal experiments, berry picking, forest gardening, tree planting, climate conversations, pond dipping, tracks and signs, mulching, invasive species removal and much more!

It was brilliant to host a Nature4Health session for the Huntly Youth Club at Beldorney Estate last week, getting kids out into nature. Everyone got involved in practising fire lighting, first with cotton wool and then with thistledown and birch bark, before cooking some tasty "doughnuts" on the fire. We learned about prey and predator behaviours before heading out to look at some animal tracks and signs.

After some warming spruce tea, learning some knots and making some wooden Christmas decorations with nettle cordage for hanging, we rounded off the morning with lunch round the fire and hot chocolate.

Thanks to N4H, Rachel n Jaz Youth Work, Barnardo's, and the funders of the wider FIRNS project NatureScot and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

If you are local to the area, or just passing through, drop in on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month between 10am-4pm to get outside in nature and take part in our rewilding efforts.

Usual meeting place: Bunloit Farm W3W///green.script.tint

Pick ups available from Loch Ness Hub, Drumnadrochit

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Estate Manager Alex Davies on alex.davies@highlandsrewilding.co.uk

Wildlife walks, mycorrhizal experiments, berry picking, forest gardening, tree planting, climate conversations, pond dipping, tracks and signs, mulching, invasive species removal and much more!