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Abernethy

Children will be captivated by the Loch Garten ospreys and the atmospheric Caledonian pine forest

Abernethy is the largest remaining remnant of the ancient Caledonian Forest.

It is also home to the famous Loch Garten Osprey Centre, where pupils can watch ospreys on the nest first-hand and learn about the lives of these fascinating and iconic Scottish birds of prey.

The Scots pine and birch, heather and blaeberry are also home to crested tits, red squirrels, wood ants and much, much more.

Visiting classes will explore this rich variety of life, through a variety of hands-on activities and fun games out in the forest. Your class will discover the many and varied interactions within this thriving ecosystem, as well as learn what is being done to conserve and restore it.

Visits can also be made to our nearby Insh Marshes reserve, where children can explore fascinating wetland habitat and its minibeasts through safe, hands-on activities.

A Field Teacher can visit your primary school in Badenoch, Strathspey and Moray. Sessions usually last one and a half hours and include a variety of activities to help pupils explore a range of topics.

Please note we do not have the field teaching staff to accommodate more than one class (maximum 32 pupils) per day at Abernethy and the Osprey Centre, or Insh Marshes. This allows the field teachers to give children as much attention as possible.

We had a superb day! The kids and staff thoroughly enjoyed themselves! It was a great way to complement our topic. Thank you very much!

Aviemore Primary

Contact us

We'd be happy to help you plan your visit

Essential info

Pre-visit Downloads

Costs

Durationper childminimum costs
Half dayN/A
Full dayVisits to the Osprey Centre cost 50p per school child with accompanying staff/adults free of charge

Fact file

How to find us:

For directions to Loch Garten, Abernethy visit the reserve page

When to visit:

You can visit any weekday from the beginning of April to the middle of October. However, the best time to visit Abernethy is from April to mid-August when you can combine your visit to the forest with a visit to see the ospreys. Evening and weekend sessions are also available on request.

You are welcome to visit at any time of year to see where your group will be visiting, carry out your own risk assessment and to finalise your programme. However, please bear in mind that large parts of the Insh Marshes reserve are under water during the winter!

Suitable for

Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, Curriculum for Excellence Early Stage, Curriculum for Excellence First Stage, Curriculum for Excellence Second Stage.

This site has been externally verified to ensure that we are providing high quality learning experiences and managing safety effectively via the LOtC Quality Badge scheme. Read the report.