"Pine Marten & close views of Badgers"
Richard Henser
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"The fact that the Badgers and even a Pine Marten came out to play, with wildlife it's down to them if they show up, which is how it should be, so it was magical to see them"
Debbie Sloan
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"Seeing the live Badger really up close"
Kevin Jones
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"Seeing a Badger close up"
Liz McGill
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"Seeing the Pine Marten just before we left"
Andrew Palmer
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"The Badgers with the Wood Mice a close second"
Callum Foster
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"Seeing a Pine Marten for the first time. He visited twice and we had an amazing time seeing him so close and for so long"
Simon Prosser
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"Undoubtedly the sighting of first a female Pine Marten taking the egg bait, and then a male, who stayed longer to eat the peanut butter secreted in the logs"
Richard Braund
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"Seeing two different Pine Martens"
Holly Page
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"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
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"Seeing the Badgers so clearly due to the lighting and so close and finally a Pine Marten who was quick but it was great to see"
Amanda Frazer
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"Pine Marten of course but I also loved to Wood Mice :-) The whole evening was amazing. I made the right decision to go exclusive - we had a really special experience. Thanks so much"
Mary Wilde
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"Being so close to the animals that were around"
Richard Beal
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"Seeing the Badgers was so good but the highlight without any doubt was the arrival of the Pine Marten we so wanted to see one and when it turned up we were so excited it totally completed our holiday"
Gary Dixon
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"We both had a great evening from start to finish. We saw 5 Badgers including Bertie who climbed up the tree to get to the food on the branch and that was fascinating to see, I didn't know they were able to climb. To be so close to the Badgers as they fed on the rocks was fabulous, they are such gorgeous animals! We were very lucky to see both the male and female Pine Marten during our visit. They both visited the feeding station separately and fed for a while before leaving so I got some amazing photos and video. I got some great photos and videos of the Badgers. Watching the Wood mice darting in and out of the rocks was great especially when they were being brave in running around close to where the Badgers were feeding. We were so lucky to have the hide to ourselves by chance and this allowed us to move around freely"
Sarah Henry
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"Seeing the Badgers, wood mice and the very brief visit of a Pine Marten. It's a unique and exciting way to see such beautiful wild creatures up close"
Gregor Mackie
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"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
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"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
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"Lovely Badgers, walking through the dark and the joy on my little girls face as she watched Bertie climb a tree!"
Anna Stephenson
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"The hide is superb, being so close to the animals was a real treat"
Neil Heggie
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"Lovely walk in to the hide and on coming out walked in the moonlight which was a real lovely addition to the evening"
Gillian Beadell
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"Seeing the Pine Marten outside the hide for about 10 minutes"
Mike Jones
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"Seeing a Pine Marten and 6 Badgers so close"
Tracy Barker
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"The highlight was the whole experience! We saw everything that we hoped we would see and more! Bats, Badgers, Deer, Mice, Moths, Pine Marten and Tawny Owl all at very close quarters in the comfort of the hide made it all unforgettable. The visit by the Tawny Owl was fantastic and John informed us that this close an encounter had only happened once before in all his time as a guide there. We really felt as if the Owl had come to view us in our cage. We were mesmerised by the Pine Marten and how agile and quick she was. Every animal was fantastic as was their comical antics as they tried to get the food, this was the highlight of our whole holiday!! Many thanks to John and the team"
Tadek Sobolewski
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"Seeing the Tawny Owl land on the branch! I've never seen a wild one so close up before so it was a real treat!"
Clare Murray
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"Seeing the Badgers and Pine Marten so close and so clearly"
Julia Prior
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"Seeing Badgers in the wild in a lovely hide in a beautiful location"
David Jones
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"The Pine Marten arrived early and went off with the egg! He returned later. We saw four Badgers and a number of mice. The group was not big so we could move around easily, this the fourth time I have visited the hide"
Winifred Keeves
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"Pine Martens! Actually I have to say that the whole evening was rather magical, and seeing the wildlife was a dream come true!"
Debs White
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"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
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"Seeing the Pine Marten and being able to see Badgers up so close. It was fantastic"
Gillian Strong
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"Pine Marten and when the Badgers first appeared and came straight up to the window"
Bruce Taggart
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"Seeing the Pine Marten. She waited till the end to make an appearance but well worth the wait. While waiting we were treated to 7 Badgers too. Fab evening"
Marian Toomey
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"Watching the Badgers at such a close range and seeing the Tawny Owl close by"
Sally Watt
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"We saw Badgers for the first time. We were also lucky enough to have the hide to ourselves"
Anne Walton
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"Seeing a Badger up a tree and seeing a Pine Marten"
Alan Hobson
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"Being able to see the wild animals so close"
Jennifer Torrington
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"The Badgers were very cool. I am a graduate of the University of Wisconsin whose mascot is a Badger. Fun. Would have been neat to see martens. The time flew by"
Scott Belanger
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"It has to be seeing the Pine Martens. Hope to come back again"
L Curley
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"For me, the Badgers initially arriving. For my wife, the Badger climbing a tree. It was all brilliant though!"
Quentin Gallagher
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"The build up to seeing two Badgers in the wild and being able to get so close to them"
Linda Cleveland
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"The antics of the Badgers, especially "Bertie" climbing the tree to get at the peanuts. It was a shame that the Pine Martens did not show up as we would have loved to see them. But that is the chance you take with wild animals"
Carol Thorpe
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"Seeing Pine Martens at such close quarters was a real thrill - several Badgers all identified by John were equally exciting"
June Ross
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"Watching the Badger climb the tree, very funny"
Steve Mabbett
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"Seeing the wildlife so close"
Tarina Hays
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"Seeing the Badgers and Pine Martens again. It was mum's first time and she was absolutely delighted with it"
Faith Clarke
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"Pine Martens, obviously"
Ian Devereux
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"Seeing the Badgers and of course the Pine Martens"
Andrew Pollard
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"Seeing one Pine Marten (twice) and 6 Badgers, including one up a tree"
Rob Scaife
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"When the Pine Marten and Badgers came to the hide. Great photo opportunities for everyone"
Dorothy Noble
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"Pine Marten, one of our wanted species"
Carole Reeve
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"Seeing Badgers climb trees"
Corrine Jones
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"Our third dusk watch visit, excellent this time as before. 4 Badgers and 2 Pine Martens, getting a bit concerned when nothing at 10:20pm but then brill when they ball turned up for about an hour+"
Philip Brown
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"Seeing our first 'live' Badgers although fantastic views of the Pine Marten"
David Ratcliffe
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"Thought we had missed the Pine Marten as the egg was taken without anyone seeing it so it was brilliant when it came back again! Seeing it so close for a good length of time was excellent"
Diane Carter
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"Seeing the Pine Martens quite so close and so clearly was an absolute joy and was a real high point in our week's wildlife and birdwatching on Speyside"
Ian Bennett
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"Day one was the Badgers within touching distance and day two seeing the elusive Pine Marten. The whole experience was brilliant and I'd recommend anyone to go and see animals which you would never see in any other way. Well worth the £25 admission charge"
Rick Mason
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"We booked last year and enjoyed it so much that we came back again this year. We loved seeing the Pine Marten grab the egg from the feeding table. The tiny Wood Mice were adorable and the Badgers very greedy. We feel very lucky being able to see these animals in their natural habitat.
Keep up the great work!"
Sarah Donnelly
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"Seeing our first Pine Marten in the wild"
James Cassidy
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"Seeing the Pine Marten for such a long time"
Richard Greenwood
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"Hearing all the stories the guide told about his lifelong work with animals and Scottish wildlife"
Francis Fyfe
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"We were all experienced wildlife watchers so we were fully aware that nothing is guaranteed so the Pine Marten turning up on the night was the highlight"
Bob Gill
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"The Badger up a tree"
Sarah Duncan
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"The Badgers were fantastic but we loved watching the tiny mice dash about! They were wonderful to watch so closely!"
Amy Francis
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"I visited with my 18 year old son who is autistic. He is totally focussed on animals. I had a slight concern in advance that he would have expectations that were not matched. I need not have worried. Although the Pine Martens took a night off, the Badgers were awesome. They and John gave my son (and myself) a truly magical evening. The highlight had to be his excited whisper 'a real Badger' when the first one appeared. Based upon his reaction, I am certain that I will be 'badgered' into further dusk watches. I certainly hope so... Thank you for a memorable evening. Please convey our thanks to John and the Badgers!"
John Haswell
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"All of it. The boys particularly liked the Pine Marten but the Badgers showed for longer so they could get some pictures"
Tim Humpage
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"Badgers were amazing, and the amount that visited was amazing"
Alys Wilson
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"Facilities and experience excellent, everything we hoped for"
Alan Everest
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"We loved watching the Pine martens and Badgers so close. It was really exciting when one Badger climbed a tree!"
Gemma Kelly
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"Everything was tip-top. An unforgettable experience. Could not believe wildlife could come as close to humans as this"
Pierre Lebrun
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"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
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"We were very pleased to have seen a Badger and 2 Pine Martens. Would have been nice to have seen more, but you can't plan their visits"
Steve Buxton
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"The highlight was seeing the Pine Marten and Badger in their own environment"
Chris Byrne
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"The Pine Marten showed up as arranged!"
Phil Whieldon
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"The Badger chomping away on the nuts and peanut butter"
Ian Craven
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"Seeing the Pine Martens and having the information John told us about beforehand was excellent."
Sharon Fishwick
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"Our students actually loved the hide and it's setting, also James made the experience so much better"
Ken Oliver
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"We saw a Pine Marten and a Badger which was what we had hoped for"
Steven Ledingham
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"Seeing two Pine Martens - the highlight of our trip to Scotland!!"
Andrew Harriss
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"Pine Martens... it was the purpose of my visit and it delivered"
Gary Elson
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"Aside from seeing the animals, how comfortable the hide was and the quality"
Diana Mardon
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"We saw at least two Badgers maybe three or four. As we were watching the Badgers at the back we missed the first Pine Marten sneaking in and taking the egg! However it did come back and then another one arrived just before the end of the session. Great views as they are so close to you without realising you are there. Thank you"
Susan Rowley
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"Seeing Pine Martens for the first time"
Kay Goodall
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"Outstanding views of Badger and Pine Marten, expect me again"
Richard Henser
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"Seeing Pine Marten next to the Badger in the tree"
Justin Harwood
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"Seeing the wildlife, with stories from the guide and information about all the animals"
Claire Bowden
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"The overall experience was amazing. However I loved the Badgers and John had placed food up in the trees it was great to watch"
Diane Frame
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"The whole visit was thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end. The hide warm and comfortable. When wildlife watching there are no guarantees and to be visited by both Badger & Pine Marten was fantastic especially given the close proximity to observe from. Excellent"
Paul Bennett
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"Obviously - seeing three Pine Martens. The Badgers and the mice were fun as well, but the highspot was the Pine Martens"
Peter Chadwick
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"Amazingly close up views of Pine Marten and Badgers from a comfortable hide with an excellent guide. Many thanks"
Matt Hadlington
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"Without doubt it's the Pine Marten showing up, but another showstopper was when one of the five Badgers climbed up the tree to eat the peanut butter! Funny watching the woodmice trying to hide the peanuts before the Badgers showed up!! Nice to hear Tawny Owls screeching too!"
Dougie Holden
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"Both seeing and photographing a Pine Marten, something I have wanted to experience for many years"
Brian Smith
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"Didn't realise the hide was so modern and comfortable with the Badgers so close"
Shona Alexander
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"Three Pine Martens and seven Badgers and a guide who was a wealth of information"
Ann Tennant
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"Seeing Badgers and Pine Martens together at the feeders. Whole experience was quite magical. My friends were all captivated by the wildlife. We were exceptionally lucky to have been the only group in the hide that night. It was a privilege to be able to see the animals so close up"
Caroline Steel
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"Seeing two Pine Martens and all the Badgers so close!!!"
Aurora Milroy
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"Comfort of the hide and how close you are to the wildlife for photos"
Alan Evans
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"Seeing wildlife and the guide's stories about previous wildlife encounters. It was a lovely way to spend an evening - I would highly recommend this"
Justine Vella
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"3 Pine Martins, 8 Badgers, a mouse and a bat what more could you ask for"
Ruth Darwin
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"Pine Marten arriving before the food was put out. Antics of the woodmice at the end.
Badger climbing the tree"
Stuart Ball
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"The closeness of the Pine Martens and Badgers"
Gordon McLeay
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"I expected the Pine Martens to be the highlight (though I had seen them before, so maybe they would have been if I hadn't) but in fact the Badgers were by far the highlight. Especially the tree-climbing Badger. Great views of animals completely at ease, it was fascinating"
Caroline Weir
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"Seeing Pine Martens very close to the hide and looking very relaxed"
Heather Carrick
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"Seeing Badgers and Pine Martens for the first time, and being able to watch them up close"
Lorna Oliver
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"The Pine Martens which appeared just as we were about to leave"
Jacqui Ansell
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"My daughter loved seeing the Badgers, whilst I liked the Pine Martens"
Steve Barrs
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"Always wanted to see Pine Marten so seeing them at such close views was certainly our highlight"
Graham Jones
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"The tree-climbing Badger!"
David Gwynne
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"Seeing the Badgers and Pine Martens and as close as they were was fantastic. I enjoyed the whole experience. We arrived early for a walk around Loch an Eilien, and came across a Red Squirrel to help pass the time. As people and photographers the whole experience was fantastic. Will be back"
Anon
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"Being able to get so close to the animals"
Victoria Swan
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"Pine Martens were a joy. But all of it was a fab experience"
Paul Andrews
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"Seeing Pine Martens for the first time. My son was taken with the 'egg thief'"
Peter Williams
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"Young Badger climbing the tree !! Never seen one do that before !!!"
Barry Sample
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"(Staying up late) No, just the whole experience was fun and of course to see the animals"
Dave Higginson
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"7 Badgers, 1 Roe Deer, wood mice and a shrew! A brilliant hide. An amazing set up and we could move round the hide to see animals both sides, we were not expecting that. The experience was so good we returned the next night. Thank you John and Speyside"
Fiona Harrison
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"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
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"The wildlife, of course! The astonishing thing was the closeness of the martens and Badgers, enabling excellent photographic opportunities"
Elspeth MacArthur
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"Whole thing was excellent, guide could not have been better"
Gordon Rutter
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"Seeing so many Pine Martens and Badgers at the same time. The hide was very good too"
Jacquie Barbour
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"Seeing all the animals at such close quarters"
Nigel Sillet
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"Animal watching can be very hit and miss, but without doubt the mammal hide on the Rothiemurchus Estate is an established facility run in a professional manor. Full marks to Speyside Wildlife"
Richard Smith
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"Being so close to the Pine Marten, such a secretive animal normally, and one you will never meet as its nocturnal and will not normally be close to humans"
Iain Stark
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"The Pine Martens and Badgers! Especially the Badger up a tree!!"
Nicola Simmonds
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"Seeing live Pine Martens up close for the first time in my life"
Sylvia Bain
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"Great views of nocturnal wildlife are alway a privilege, and this done in comfort was a real treat"
Keith Barnes
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"I'm mainly interested in birds but the Pine Martens were very enjoyable and I had my best ever views of Badgers"
Jan Wilczur
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"The total experience"
Ewan Thomson
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"John made the visit for us. The fact he could offer some insight into what was going on, really enriched the experience"
Andrew Wilton
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"Seeing the Pine Martens and Badgers and John's easy going style"
Laura White
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"The Pine Martens as we had never seen any before, but the whole experience was marvellous"
Steve Bickford
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"Not only seeing my first Pine Marten but seeing two so well, with a supporting cast of Badgers and a couple of Woodcock"
Pauline Walton
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"Have always wanted to see Pine Martens and Badgers in the wild so it was a real joy to see them so close feeding and interacting with each other"
Kevin and Lena Linklater
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"Seeing Pine Martens for the first time and having such close-up views of Badgers was a delight also"
Paul Bebbington
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"4 Pine Martens (our first ever!!), 4 Badgers, Woodcock and Tawny Owl, AWESOME!!!"
Paul Herrieven
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"An owl swooped in for a very brief visit, and we had lovely long sightings of Badgers and Pine Martens"
Matt Lewis
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"Seeing Pine Martens really close! It was a beautiful starlit evening and there were good views of Badgers too and deer"
Clare Tomlinson
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"Seeing Pine Marten for the first time ever! Also being so close to Badgers"
Sarah Donnelly
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"Getting so close to Badgers was incredible and seeing my first Pine Martens and Badgers was totally unforgettable"
Liam Gormley
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"Seeing the Pine Martens in their natural habitat"
Sally Thorne
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"Although I've seen Pine Martens and Badgers before I've never seen them that close up, they were fantastic!"
Dot Mechan
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"Pine Martens! But also seeing Tawny Owl and mice along with Badgers"
Martin Yarrow
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"A Tawny Owl alighting in a tree above the hide offering amazing views"
Ian Callender
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"Seeing the Pine Marten take the egg from the table and the mice running in and out of the rocks"
Rachel Norgate
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"Seeing the animals so close-up was a real privilege and John's insight was invaluable"
Jackie Turley
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"Having a private hide and seeing the Badgers up close and of course the amazing Pine Martens up close and personal was awesome!"
Karen Wilson
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"Seeing my first Pine Marten up close and personal"
Adam Berger
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"Seeing a Pine Marten for the first time. We've visited Speyside many times and seen most of the native wildlife, but never a Pine Marten, so although the Marten didn't hang around for long it was great to see one at last"
Elaine and Jonathan Pittaway
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"I should mention we did two sessions, on 16th and 18th March. On the first we had three Badgers and one Pine Marten: the latter was clearly the highlight, not only did it provide superb photo opportunities but it was a lifer for two of our group. We had a second night as back-up against failure on the first night and it was even better, with animals present for a higher proportion of our time: two different Pine Martens turned up and used different parts of the area from the first session and the Badgers too put on an excellent performance. Absolutely belting experience and the highlight of the whole holiday"
John Dixon
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"Seeing the Pine Martens and Badgers so close"
Julia Johnson
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"All of it to be honest, the Pine Martens and Badgers, the hide, the guide and the group on the night. Thank you"
Nigel Robinson
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"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
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"Seeing Badgers close up"
Simon Prosser
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"The highlight was the three Pine Martens! I have never seen a Pine Marten in the wild before. The whole experience was excellent; the hide was well set up, warm and spacious, the guide exceedingly knowledgeable and the wildlife wonderful"
Susan Hodgkinson
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