Sabbatical to do list

The plans for the next few months are starting to take shape:

Spend 2-3 weeks in Gairloch with Peter Cunningham
- Peter works for the Wester Ross Fisheries trust. You might have noticed an article on the BBC News he was featured in recently about spawning herring off the coast of Gairloch. Peter is a Watsonian, and I have worked with him for many years on S3 Projects. He is an inspiration. He has great plans for creating an EcoCentre in Gairloch, and developing ecology trails in the area. There is so much to learn from him.
Visit Trees for Life in Dundreggan
- Many estates in Scotland are focussing on revitalising wild forests, improving spaces for wildlife to thrive. Dundreggan is one such place, and a day here is bound to inspire thoughts and ideas.
Visit the Highland Wildlife Park
- This park has lots of education packages, but also has a new hub focussing on native wildlife – I think it might be worth exploring!
Peter Cunningham has put me in touch with Peter Cairns, author and film director – for films such as “Riverwoods” and “Why Not Scotland?” – see trailer below. His company, Scotland The Big Picture, has a Rewilding learning hub in the Cairngorms that I’d love to find out more about.

Visit the Aigas Field Centre in Beauly
- My mum-in-law works at the Field Centre, and having a contact there just seems like an opportunity too good to miss. Aigas has a vast number of programmes available for all sorts of clients, and if I could gain a little of John Lister-Kaye’s time then it would be time well spent!
Closer to home, meet with the Friends of Easter Craiglockhart hill. This is Watson’s Local Nature Reserve. Making a better connection with this group and exploring how we could better utilise outdoor learning is a real focus of my time this term.
Last, but definitely not least – a personal target is to climb a number of munros west of the great glen. I’ve my eye on Glen Affric, Mullardoch, and the South Glen Shiel ridge. So you know, small days in the hills! A proper target would be to climb the 37 I have left to complete in this area….but if March and April weather has been anything to go by, there is little hope! If anyone fancies a day in the hills, do get in touch!