Let’s immerse ourselves in Scotland’s wild places, taking the time to slow down, breathe deeply, and listen to the silence. Over 6 days, we’ll wander through ancient pine forests, picnic by cascading rivers, and uncover the groundbreaking rewilding projects that are restoring nature—and along the way, we’ll meet the inspiring people making it all happen. We’ll reconnect with the natural world through forest bathing, wild swimming, yoga, and foraging, all within the regenerating landscapes of the Cairngorms National Park. Visiting multiple Northwoods partner sites, we’ll witness transformational rewilding efforts firsthand. At the end of each day, we’ll relax in a stunning mountain lodge, surrounded by rewilding in action, and share delicious, locally sourced, home-made meals.
After arrival and introductions, we savour welcoming ‘Scottish’ cocktails and a pre-dinner presentation sets the scene for the coming days. We then gather around our farmhouse dining table to enjoy our first evening meal together.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Ballintean Mountain Lodge
After a hearty breakfast, we step outside to begin our journey with a walk and talk along the River Feshie within our rewilding reserve. As part of the Northwoods Rewilding Network, the emphasis here is on letting nature shape and govern the landscape, assisted by a free-roaming herd of Highland cattle that replicate the grazing patterns of lost wild herbivores.
A short drive takes us into the heart of Glenfeshie, where we’ll wander alongside the tumbling river, through the regenerating native woodland that is finding its way back after decades of suppression. As we take in this landscape of hope, we’ll slow down, breathe in the pine-scented air, and ease into the rhythm of the forest. After dinner, we may gather around the fire pit near the river to reflect on the day and enjoy the night sky.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Ballintean Mountain Lodge
We start the day with a pre-breakfast introductory yoga session. Our teacher’s holistic approach revolves around a moving meditation, helping to align the mind and body, and offering a soothing counterbalance to the fast pace of modern life. After a nourishing breakfast, we stretch our muscles with a gentle walk to a stunning local viewpoint overlooking a series of pools to the glen beyond.
In the afternoon, we meet an experienced wild swimming coach for an introduction to cold water immersion and its many benefits. This elemental and invigorating experience will deepen our connection to nature, followed by cosy dryrobes and hot drinks to warm up. Our evenings are flexible, offering the option of a local walk or simply a relaxing glass of wine and a cosy chat!
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Ballintean Mountain Lodge
In the morning, we will meet a passionate local forager who will show us how we can incorporate foraged treats into our everyday cooking. We’ll learn about plant identification, their historic medicinal uses and discover how to make pine needle tea to enjoy in the outdoors.
After lunch, we head to Northwoods partner Ballinlaggan Farm near Dulnain Bridge. Formerly a sterile sheep pasture, thanks to the vision and hard work of its owners, it is slowly being transformed into a vibrant mosaic of habitats. Gale and Mark will introduce us to their small tree nursery and we’ll get our hands dirty by helping to plant seedlings, contributing to the forests of tomorrow.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Ballintean Mountain Lodge
Today we visit Lynbreck Croft, another Northwoods partner. Owned by Lynn and Sandra since 2016, Lynbreck is a 150-acre farmholding that has become a haven for wildlife, trees and people. Lynn and Sandra’s strong connection to the land is inspirational and we leave feeling uplifted after touring their kitchen garden, meeting their livestock and learning about their life connected to nature.
After our final evening meal, we’ll unwind with a ‘wee dram’ and enjoy a film that ties together many of the places and rewilding principles we have seen and learned about during our journey.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Ballintean Mountain Lodge
We say our farewells after a hearty breakfast. If you’d like to stay longer in the area, just ask your guide for recommendations!
Meals: Breakfast
Please note that regardless of the itinerary you choose, inclusions stay the same.
Included:
Add-ons:
Not included:
Regardless of the itinerary you choose, just a basic level of fitness is required. Each day, you will walk at a leisurely pace on established tracks and trails. In some places the ground underfoot can be wet, uneven and sometimes slippery. Occasionally, you may need to cross minor burns and/ or shallow rivers, which will require sure-footedness and reasonable agility.
While all of these rewilding hiking adventures in the Cairngorms, Scotland, are quite similar in terms of walking, keep in mind that Walking the Wild itinerary is slightly more demanding than the other two, and you can read about expected day-by-day distances above.
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Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Rewilding is a process of nature recovery that leads to restored ecosystem health, function and completeness. The goal is to maintain and expand areas of wildlife in a manner that has a positive impact on the climate and encourages biodiversity. Rewilding Britain is an organization founded in 2015 that promotes the rewilding of Great Britain. It is a registered charity in England, Wales, and Scotland.
Group sizes and pricing
Rewilding hiking adventures in the Cairngorms can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Ballintean Mountain Lodge in Kingussie, the starting point of the tour, most people fly into Inverness Airport (INV) (1 hour away by car and 2 hours away by train) or Aberdeen International Airport (ABZ) (2.5 hours away by car or 4 hours away by train). Once you reach Kingussie, your guides will transfer you to your accommodation.
Private transfers from Inverness Airport to the accommodation are possible to arrange. Let us know upon booking if you’re interested.
Weather in the Scottish Highlands is very changeable and at any time of year, you should expect anything from warm, calm conditions to wintry squalls. Temperatures are likely to range from 0 to 10°C (32 to 50°F) in autumn and 10 to 22°C (50 to 72°F) in the spring/summer.
Yes. After covering the necessary costs associated with the trip itself, such as accommodation, food and transport, the hosts are left with a small surplus which gets reinvested into rewilding work. The visit allows the hosts to train and employ local staff and to purchase supplies and services from local businesses. In doing so, they demonstrate that rewilding is an economically viable land use in Scotland.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!
Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!