Wild Discovery - Ballater

Nigel S.

What a wonderful trip around the North Coast of Scotland! My target species was black-throated diver and that was achieved but we also saw so much else. Plants and mammals as well as birds, it helps that Dan and Rachael have such broad knowledge of nature. Are they ornithologists, botanists, mammalists? Basically, they can cover every aspect of nature with confidence and that makes the trip so enjoyable, you know you can ask about or to see anything and you will get ban answer or it will be shown to you. The accommodation was carefully picked as well and we enjoyed the best that the North Coast has to offer from Annie's Kitchen's outstanding foods in Dunnet to the astonishing whisky list at Castle Dornoch via Cocoa Mountain in Balnakiel!

Tessa H.

Wow - what an incredible couple of days. Rachael & Dan are brilliant guides - they are hugely knowledgeable, and we loved hearing them tell tales of the natural history and changing landscapes as we walked through the beautiful Cairngorms. But we were not expecting such abundant and diverse wildlife sightings; Eagles, Short-eared Owls, Red Squirrels, Red & Black Grouse, Dolphins... the list goes on. We felt like we were on an episode of Wild Isles! They made us both feel at ease with our lack of experience, helping us sight things and explaining things carefully. The next opportunity we have to head to Cairngorms, we'll be back for another tour with the awesome duo!

Claire H.

What an amazing trip! Just back from two incredible weeks of a combined Private tour (Shetlands) and Short Tour (Deeside) with Dan and Rachael.

Two highly memorable experiences with some absolutely amazing wildlife sightings. Whilst there was an element of “right place, right time”, Dan and Rachael worked incredibly hard to put us in the right place to have those opportunities. The research and planning that they had done to make this trip a life-time memory certainly paid off.

Shetland is a magical place and we had some truly magical sightings of both a big bull Orca and also a feisty dog otter feasting on a huge scorpion fish. That day, I ran out of superlatives!

Royal Deeside was stunningly beautiful in glorious weather and raptor heaven. Buzzards, peregrines, kestrels, golden eagles and some very special sightings of osprey chicks getting ready to fledge.

We also took time to explore the fabulous flora in both locations with an abundance of both species and colour bringing the fields, hills and verges to vibrant life.

Dan and Rachael’s knowledge across the whole natural world and their willingness and love of sharing that knowledge was truly inspirational. I learnt so much on this trip and have returned home with a much better appreciation of what is around us.

I cannot recommend this great husband and wife team highly enough for an outstanding wildlife experience. Will definitely be back!

Robert K.

My wife, my three teenage children and I enjoyed a fantastic wildlife tour of upper Deeside with Rachael and Dan. Booking was very easy and Rachael and Dan were keen to understand what we would like out of the tour and put together a bespoke plan for us. The day itself went absolutely seamlessly. We managed to fit in so much and see a huge variety of flora and fauna. Both Rachael and Dan have such an eye for detail and are full of interesting information. Even though we know the area well, Rachael and Dan opened our eyes to so much that was new. Wildlife can be unpredictable, but it never felt like we were just waiting around - every moment was filled and fascinating for every member of the family. My son even developed an unexpected fascination for moths. I cannot recommend a tour with Rachael and Dan highly enough - hugely enjoyable and great value for money.

Steven

Dan and Rachael are both wildlife experts as you would expect from BBC’s Wild Isles consultants. What makes them brilliant is their infectious enthusiasm. They captivated our group of 8, ranging in age from 11 to 60. What a fabulous day we had, spotting white tailed eagles, an osprey nest, peregrine falcon, buzzards, carnivorous plants, mountain hares, ptarmigans and an incredible array of moths…and so much more. They even showed us an amazing place for wild swimming - see photo. Some of us have been visiting the Cairngorms for over 30 years and we saw and learnt more in one day with them than we could believe. They opened our senses which has made our own subsequent trips so much more interesting and enjoyable - we now spot more than we ever did before. We intend to book more trips in future - honestly, it’s not a trip more an essential life lesson!

Cindy L.

As avid birders and nature enthusiasts, my husband and I were thrilled to travel with Dan and Rachel throughout the Cairngorms and the Aberdeenshire coast of Scotland. We saw so many varieties of birds and wildlife, learned so much about the entire ecosystem, and had a great deal of fun as well. The scenery was spectacular and having Dan and Rachel as knowledgeable guides and taking care of all the logistics made for a seamless and very pleasant overall experience. I would highly recommend taking a tour with them as you will certainly gain an even greater appreciation for our natural world.

Dave R.

Fantastic tour of Georgia & Armenia supported by a super local guide- rare birds, surprising fauna, great food, good company. Well done you two

adrianfisher

My wife and I have been on very many wildlife trips. I don't think that I have ever had a guide so comprehensively knowledgeable, and skilled in finding interesting wildlife. Rachael is not very far behind him on both counts, and they are both wonderfully amiable. I look forward to my next trip with them.