Wildlife Watching Hide

We are saddened to report that in the early hours of Saturday 11 May our Evening Mammal Hide, based on Rothiemurchus burned down. Although this is a shock and our team are obviously upset, be assured we shall be operational again as soon as possible. Please keep an eye on our social media and website for updates.

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Costs	£25.00 per adult, if booked online (£30.00 if booked manually via our office) £10.00 per child 8-14yrs, if booked online (£15.00 if booked manually via our office) Not suitable for children under 8yrs
Exclusive Use	£250.00 per evening, if booked online (£300.00 if booked manually via our office)
Group	Maximum 12 people in the hide
Times	Nightly from Easter to October on an exclusive basis or as part of a group. From November to Easter on a reduced number of evenings per week for exclusive use or as part of a group. Pre-booking is essential. Start times vary with the seasons.
Location	A meeting point map and timing of the visit is also provided on confirmation of booking. Please be aware that there are no toilet facilities whilst in the hide so apologies, no comfort breaks during the watch. There are however conveniences very near to the meeting point and the guide will point these out to you prior to walking up to the hide.
Public Transport	The hide is a short journey from Aviemore and although it is not on the local bus route, our local taxi company are aware of the location and guests can book directly with Aviemore Taxis 01479 811111
Access	There is a 10 minute walk on a wide sandy track from the meeting point to the hide. Car access can be arranged in advance for those with limited mobility. The door to the hide is wide enough for wheelchair access with a ramp up to it. Seating in the hide is at viewing level through large picture windows. Please note peanuts are stored in a closed container inside the hide. Please remember to bring your torches!
Clothing	Warm, non-rustling, subdued outdoor clothing and walking boots or shoes are preferable. Advice on the "how to do it" of wildlife watching is provided on confirmation of booking
Photos	Excellent photographic opportunities for exclusive users. Some incidental photography opportunities at other times. Please note that flash photography is not permitted.
Insects	Biting midges can occur during the summer months.

Come and enjoy our famous “State of the Art” warm, comfortable hide in Speyside’s Caledonian Pine Forest, for Pine Marten, Badger, plus Red and Roe Deer and more.

*	* Large, comfortable, purpose built hide, in the Cairngorms National Park
*	* We regularly see Pine Marten, Badger and much more!
*	* Red and Roe Deer are frequent visitors
*	* The animals come right up to the windows, you won’t get any closer!
*	* You’ll be accompanied throughout by our friendly, expert guide
*	* Hire exclusively and have the hide to yourselves
*	* Tawny Owl, Woodcock and Buzzard are occasionally seen

For a memorable wildlife encounter, spend an evening with our knowledgeable guide and watch the nocturnal creatures that visit our warm and comfortable, baited hide on the Rothiemurchus Estate in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. Your guide will meet you just before dusk, at the location just outside Aviemore within the Caledonian Pine Forest and walk with you down the wide track to the hide.

Once there, they’ll explain the habits and life cycles of the Pine Martens and Badgers that are the most frequently anticipated night-time visitors, while you sit back and relax and await their appearance. Whilst the animals are free and untamed and appear when they wish, years of understanding their nocturnal habits every night has ensured incredibly reliable sightings.

Red and Roe Deer may come to the viewing area whilst it’s still light, but the visits by Pine Martens and Badgers will usually only occur once it is dark. The hide has outside spotlights however, allowing the animals to be seen clearly from the large picture windows without interference.

The hide has been designed to give the maximum viewing area possible for all the guests, without fear of disturbance to the nocturnal visitors. In addition, infra-red cameras give advance notice of whatever animals are moving about in the forest around us. The animals will come to the viewing area at different times in an evening, but we expect that to occur within the 2-3 hours you will be in the hide.

Photographers prefer to take the hide on an exclusive basis. We’ll meet you and take you into the hide and explain the anticipated behaviour of the animals and then leave you alone to capture the images you’ve always wanted. The outside lighting ensures flash isn’t needed and indeed can’t be used as it disturbs the wildlife.

The BBC have filmed here over the years for both The One Show and Springwatch and journalists from around the world have enjoyed the nocturnal antics of the animals that appear.

Just some of what we hope to see..

Pine Marten	Roe Deer	Woodcock
Badger	Wood Mouse	Buzzard
Red Deer	Tawny Owl

"Seeing such excellent views of a Pine Marten...and the stars"
Janice Adams

"Obviously seeing a Pine Marten in the wild and so close. Also our guide was first class"
Carol Whetren

"Close encounters with a Pine Marten (only a few inches away). Photograhing the Pine Marten and Badgers was easy even by just using mobile a phone"
Yana Pocklington

"We had an amazing experience seeing the Badgers and Pine Marten"
Dianne Sorrie

"Seeing the Pine Martens couldn’t believe how close they were to the hide just wonderful"
Caroline Legg

"The wildlife! I have seen Pine Martens several times before, but seeing one so close was superb"
Polly Freeman

"A Pine Marten coming so close that if no glass there, you could have touched it"
Carol Bone

"Obviously to be able to see a free Badger for real and during around ten minutes and also two Pine Martens which were playing and eating just in front of us like if they were dancing! I felt I lived a very rare moment, to be able to see wild animals in our industrial world is almost a mystical experience! I will recommend it to everyone to become aware of the importance to maintain and preserve the biodiversity of our natural sites!! Great, thank you to all the members of the organisation!"
Aurelien Martinou

"Pine Martens and the hide itself. The comfortable seating inside and ability to walk around made it an even better experience"
Hilde

"Being able to watch the Pine Marten so close was definitely the highlight"
Katie Carnell

"Seeing Pine Marten & Badgers at close quarters. Ticked all the boxes we were hoping for, many thanks"
A.Cornell

"We all enjoyed the whole experience. Have been coming to the area for 30 years and never done this before but definitely will again. Seeing the badgers was a highlight. Will be back to look for the elusive Pine Marten??"
Claire Wilson

"Seeing a Pine Marten (which was what we came for). Seeing Badgers close up on the rocks was great and something we haven't had in other hides. Hide was heated - excellent. Bonus was a clear sky afterwards and being able to see the Milky Way"
Clare Russell

"We were so lucky to see 2 young male Badgers and an older mother Badger. They were there for quite some time and very close to the hide providing a fantastic opportunity to watch them! Later in the evening, this year's Pine Marten kit showed up for a good 5 minutes or so. To say I was delighted would be an understatement as I've wanted to see a Pine Marten for many years! Seeing the Badgers was equally thrilling! The whole experience was something I'll never forget and surpassed my expectations. Many thanks to Kate for answering my many questions! I will recommend Speyside Wildlife to friends and family"
Michele

"Seeing a young Pine Marten, not once, but twice! Apparently it is rare for them to come back so we felt very lucky. Generally just seeing the animals in the wild, without disturbing them, was an amazing experience"
Emma Greer

"We were so fortunate as we had a visit of 5 Badgers, a Pine Marten and of course a few Wood Mice. As to the highlight, it was all brilliant so can't pick one over the other"
Trev Johnson

"Finally seeing some of Scotland’s iconic wildlife up close. Most wildlife are seen through binoculars or long lenses,so to be eye to eye was a real treat"
Nick Gibson

"Seeing how much it meant to my Mum, who I brought here to celebrate her 60th birthday. It was an experience she will never forget"
Craig Mcdonald

"Two Pine Martens, mother and kit together,stunning"
Richard Henser

"Seeing Pine Martens at close quarters and 5 Badgers all together feeding happily. It was brilliant"
Celia Davis

"Seeing a Pine Marten right next to the window!! . The Woodcock flying overhead whilst waiting at car park was also an amazing lifer, but would not have known without the help of the guide"
Ellie

"Seeing the Badgers and Pine Marten at such close range - my 81yr old mother is still talking about what a fantastic experience it was"
Steven Gardner

"Excellent views of Pine Marten and Badger, this is my forth visit this year and I find it amazing to see the animals so close, I shall come again, many thanks to you all"
Richard Henser

"I was looking forward to hopefully seeing a Badger so to see not just one, but six individuals, and up close too was amazing! We also managed to see a Pine Marten which was a delight. Although she did not come to the table to eat we saw her popping up in the long grass. The stars on our exit and return to the car were magical too"
Dawn Bain

"Seeing a Pine Marten from the hide was the highlight of our visit, we spent a week in the Aviemore area being able to see Tawny Owls, Badgers and two Pine Martens at such close range in such a comfortable setting was amazing and not what I was expecting. Could clearly see the dedication that John and the rest of the Speyside Wildlife group have gone to great lengths at gaining the trust of such elusive mammals well worth it"
Christian Pearce

"Seeing two Pine Martens, as well as the three or four Badgers. The clear night with the stars above us made the walk back to the car a great end to a great night out"
John Griffiths

"Watching the faces and listening to the excited and amazed comments from my friends who had never been before or witnessed wildlife at such close range. It has the same effect on me even though I have been several times before and will do so again. This time several Badgers and 3 Pine Martens put on a fab show!!!!!!!!! Please tell my cynic of a son you don't let them out of cages up the track though !!"
Joan Glass

"3 different Badgers and 3 different Pine Martens, close enough that you could almost touch, Tawny Owl and also mice. Badgers and Pine Martens didn't just come and go but stayed a good while allowing us to see them close up and in detail, truly a wonder to see such wild animals at close range while not interfering with their way of life. Will certainly be going back again, it was our last stop before driving 600 miles home and I'd happily do the 1200 mile round trip just to sit in this hide another evening, can't recommend it enough"
Gary Funnell