Join us for a 6-day adventure into the wild heart of Scotland, where we’ll explore the stunning landscapes of the Cairngorms and relax in a cozy mountain lodge. The Cairngorms is a breathtaking region of ancient forests, rushing rivers, and expansive peatlands, home to unique wildlife found nowhere else in the UK. We will journey through these regenerating landscapes on foot, immersing ourselves in their beauty while learning from the passionate people driving their transformation. Witness the power of rewilding initiatives, meet dedicated experts restoring nature, and indulge in delicious, locally sourced meals in a tranquil lodge where rewilding thrives right outside your door!
After arrival and introductions, we savour welcoming ‘Scottish’ cocktails and a pre-dinner presentation sets the scene for our adventure. We then gather around our farmhouse dining table to enjoy our first evening meal together.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Ballintean Mountain Lodge
We begin our journey with a pre-breakfast walk and talk along the River Feshie within the 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.
After a hearty breakfast, we venture into Glenfeshie, part of the inspiring Cairngorms Connect initiative. The glen is regenerating after decades of intense management for sport shooting. Young forests are marching up the hillsides, while black grouse, hen harriers and golden eagles are making a comeback. As we travel alongside the river, this landscape of hope provides a glimpse into what rewilding could look like across much more of Scotland. After dinner, we gather around the fire pit near the river to reflect on the day and savour the long midsummer evening.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 11 km / 7 miles
Accommodation: Ballintean Mountain Lodge
Abernethy is one of the largest remaining tracts of the ancient pinewood which once stretched across much of the central Highlands. Here, centuries-old gnarled pines stand sentinel, providing homes for crested tits, pine martens and more recently, white-tailed eagles. Our walk in Abernethy is off the beaten track and takes in not only the majesty of the forest itself but offers expansive views towards the mountains, where it is easy to imagine the prowling of wolf packs hunting deer.
At the end of our walk, we’ll learn about the Cairngorms Connect Venison Project, which blends conservation-oriented deer management with the supply of a healthy, ethical, local food resource. Our evenings are flexible, providing the option of a post-dinner film screening, or a short walk to a local viewpoint overlooking a series of woodland pools.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 11 km / 7 miles
Accommodation: Ballintean Mountain Lodge
Today, we explore two sites where, thanks to recent reintroductions, beavers are now engineering the landscape for the first time in 400 years! Our first walk to a nearby wetland, is a rich mosaic of ponds, channels, reedbeds and scrubby woodland, where ospreys circle overhead. In this hidden corner, we’ll look out for signs of beaver activity and learn about their ability to shape landscapes and in doing so, boost biodiversity.
After a scenic lunch overlooking the confluence of the Rivers Spey and Feshie, we head to a wonderful lochan where against the backdrop of the mountains, beavers are resuming the work that their ancestors carried out for millennia. In the evening, we enjoy a presentation about the potential for the return of lynx to Scotland.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 12 km / 7.5 miles
Accommodation: Ballintean Mountain Lodge
We’ll embark on a wonderfully varied walk today, beginning near the 18th-century ruins of Ruthven Barracks, which overlook the River Spey and its floodplain. Our route takes us across heather moorland before descending through regenerating birch woodland into Glen Tromie, another landscape where nature is now being allowed more space and freedom to govern itself. We cross the cascading River Tromie before meandering through a mosaic of scattered woodland bordering the Insh Marshes, one of Europe’s most important wetlands. Here we learn about an initiative to fully reconnect the river with its floodplain, while looking out for the Konik ponies which graze the marshes, serving as proxies for extinct wild horses.
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
Hiking: 11 km / 7 miles
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!