Countryside Rangers Upcoming Events 2025
We are now using Eventbrite for some of our event bookings – check out our listings and follow us here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/high-life-highland-countryside-rangers-33097164665
All other bookings can be found on the High Life Highland booking site: https://booking.highlifehighland.com/
HLH Membership options can be found here: Join High Life Highland – High Life Highland
Explore the heart of the Scottish Highlands, with the twelve naturalists from the High Life Highland Ranger service. Our articles bring you news stories about wildlife and history; our events and conservation efforts.
Nature Unveiled | High Life Highland Ranger | Substack
Thinking about those long dark winter nights ahead? We have a fantastic series on ONLINE TALKS that will bring the nature of the Highlands straight to the comfort of your own home. Waxcap mushrooms, the Great Yellow Bumblebee, Otters, Badgers and more to be announced!
Date: Sunday 7th December
Area: Ardnamurchan
Volunteer Day – Sunart Footpaths
Join Ranger Eilidh-Ann and Sunart Community Company on this regular volunteer session. Please bring gloves, loppers, hand saws and spades. No need to book – this is a drop-in activity.
Time: 1.30pm – 4pm.
We make no charge for this event but we rely on your donations to help us protect our Highland wildlife and heritage.
Contact: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday 9th December
Area: Wester Ross
Ullapool Nature Tots for pre-school children, Animals in Winter, Ullapool Library
Nature Tots is aimed at children under 5 and their carers. It includes nature stories and activities. This time our theme is about snow and ice and animals keeping warm in winter.
Time: 10.30am – 11.30am
We make no charge for this event but we rely on your donations to help us protect our Highland wildlife and heritage.
Booking: Not required
Contact: [email protected] M: 07917 307499
Date: Tuesday 9th December
Area: Inverness
You’ll tak’ the Low road – Winter Wildlife on the Old A96
This abandoned road follows the seawall from Milton towards the Longman. It provides a great chance to see wintering birds sheltering in the Moray Firth as well as other wildlife and fantastic views. 4km/ 2.5 miles. Parking at Milton of Culloden is very limited so meet at the Retail Park Tesco’s car park beside the recycling bins for a lift to the start of the walk.
Please bring binoculars if you have them.
Time: 10am -12pm
This event is free but we ask for donations for this event to help with our work, which goes towards education about and protection of the nature of the Highlands. Please give what you feel you can afford. We suggest a minimum donation of £5 per person to cover our costs or £10 per person to further support our work. Please be aware that there is a minimum donation of £1 required to book on via Eventbrite.
Booking: Click here to book via Eventbrite
Contact: [email protected] 07886649093
Date: Monday 15th December
Online Talk: Virtual Tour Across A Billion-Year Shore: Otters, Garnets and Gneiss
Join Ranger Donald for a fascinating virtual guided walk around Scourie Bay in northwest Sutherland, a coastline shaped by time, tide, and the tracks of otters. From the comfort of your own home, follow Donald as his talk explores the 3-billion-year-old Lewisian gneiss, streaked with dark dykes and glinting with red garnets, and hear stories gathered from years of Ranger life along this wild Atlantic shore. Through photographs and first-hand tales, you’ll discover how to spot the signs of otters, their spraints left neatly on rocks, smooth runs through seaweed, and slides into the sea. Donald will share his encounters with these playful, elusive creatures, describing their habits, feeding grounds, and the quiet joy of watching one rise and roll through silver water at dusk. You’ll also pause along the virtual path to admire cliff-top wildflowers, listen to seabirds calling over the bay, and enjoy sweeping views across to Handa Island, the distant Assynt hills, and, on a clear day, all the way to the Isle of Lewis.
This talk will be on Microsoft Teams.
Time: 7.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: This event is Free but we ask for donations for this event to help with our work, which goes towards education about and protection of the nature of the Highlands. Please give what you feel you can afford. We suggest a minimum donation of £5 per person to cover our costs or £10 per person to further support our work. Please be aware that there is a minimum donation of £1 required to book on via Eventbrite.
Booking: CLICK HERE TO BOOK VIA EVENTBRITE
Contact: [email protected] Tel:07825 116516
Date: Wednesday 17th December
Area: Inverness
Christmas at Clava Cairns
Join us away from the seasonal rush for a magical Christmas celebration close to the Mid-winter Solstice – the time when Clava Cairns came to life in the Bronze Age. Discover some of the hidden secrets of the Cairns and learn more about how some of our more modern Christmas traditions came about!
Time: 10am – 12pm
This event is free but we ask for donations for this event to help with our work, which goes towards education about and protection of the nature of the Highlands. Please give what you feel you can afford. We suggest a minimum donation of £5 per person to cover our costs or £10 per person to further support our work. Please be aware that there is a minimum donation of £1 required to book on via Eventbrite.
Booking: Click here to book through Eventbrite
Contact: [email protected] 07771370959
Date: Thursday 18th December
Area: Caithness
Crosskirk to Scrabster ‘Festive’ Walk
To prepare yourself for the festive excesses, enjoy some good company (and a mince pie) on our annual 11km bracing guided walk, with the countryside ranger. Walk along the coastal edge from Crosskirk to Scrabster harbour in Caithness. Some rough ground to cover, so a reasonable level of fitness and suitable walking gear required. Over 18years only. Dogs are not welcome. There is no charge but a kind donation on the day will ensure we can continue to provide such activities.
Time: 10am – 3.30pm Booking ref: ACT003374
Cost: Donation
Booking: High Life Highland Activities
Contact: [email protected]
Date: Thursday 15th January
Online Talk: Red Deer: The Monarchs of the Glen
Join Countryside Ranger John Orr for an evening exploring the lives of Scotland’s largest land mammals. Discover how red deer shape the Highland landscape, their seasonal behaviour, and the challenges of managing these iconic animals in a changing environment.
This talk is on Microsoft Teams
Time: 7pm – 8pm
This event is free but we ask for donations for this event to help with our work, which goes towards education about and protection of the nature of the Highlands. Please give what you feel you can afford. We suggest a minimum donation of £5 per person to cover our costs or £10 per person to further support our work. Please be aware that there is a minimum donation of £1 required to book on via Eventbrite.
Booking: Click here to book via Eventbrite
Contact: john.orr@highlifehighland,com 07771370959
Date: Friday 6th February
Area: Easter Ross
Volunteer Day – Gorse Clearance at Tarbat Ness
The valuable coastal heath habitat at Tarbat Ness is in danger of being crowded out by encroaching Gorse. We will be using hand tools to remove Gorse closest to the paths to give heath vegetation underneath a chance to grow. Refreshments will be provided, meet at the Tarbat Ness Car park Gloves will be available, but you may wish to bring your own.
Time: 1pm – 3pm Booking ref: n/a
Cost: FREE
Booking: n/a
Contact: marcia.o’[email protected]
Date: Friday 20th February
Area: Easter Ross
Volunteer Day – Gorse Clearance at Tarbat Ness
The valuable coastal heath habitat at Tarbat Ness is in danger of being crowded out by encroaching Gorse. We will be using hand tools to remove Gorse closest to the paths to give heath vegetation underneath a chance to grow. Refreshments will be provided, meet at the Tarbat Ness Car park Gloves will be available, but you may wish to bring your own.
Time: 1pm – 3pm Booking ref: n/a
Cost: FREE
Booking: n/a
Contact: marcia.o’[email protected]
Date: Tuesday 24th February
Area: Online
Herring, The Fish & The Folk.
Join us as we take a closer look at this fascinating fish, and then also the ‘Herring Girls’ who made their living “Following the Fish”. A joint talk with High Life Highland Countryside Ranger Patti Bremner, and High Life Highland Archivist Jamie McAffrey.
Time: 7pm – 8pm
Booking: Click here to book via Eventbrite
This talk will be on Microsoft Teams. The talk will be recorded and everyone who books a ticket will receive the recording – so don’t worry if you cant make this date!
We ask for donations for this event to help with our work, which goes towards education about and protection of the nature of the Highlands. Please give what you feel you can afford. We suggest a minimum donation of £5 per person to cover our costs or £10 per person to further support our work.
* Please be aware that there is a minimum donation of £1 required to book on via Eventbrite. This does not go to the Ranger Service but is to cover Eventbrite fees*
Contact: [email protected]
Date: Thursday 19th March
Area: Caithness
‘Life at the Edge: Photographing the Natural History of the Caithness Coast’
Discover the little known and dramatic coastline of Caithness through the eyes of wildlife photographer, naturalist and author Ken Crossan.
Ken will join ranger Kirsty to share his incredible award winning images and the stories behind them. Come with us as we take a virtual tour of the coastline together, exploring the creatures and features, both dramatic and diminutive, of our favourite place. Leaving no habitat ignored, Ken’s beautiful images invoke awe, wonder, endearment and joy. This informal talk will highlight the flora, fauna and geology of the north highlands – a must for anyone interested in natural history, or in wildlife photography.
This talk will be on Microsoft Teams. For more information contact Kirsty Rosie at [email protected]
We ask for donations for this event to help with our work, which goes towards education about and protection of the nature of the Highlands. Please give what you feel you can afford. We suggest a minimum donation of £5 per person to cover our costs or £10 per person to further support our work.
* please be aware that there is a required £1 minimum donation. This covers Eventbrite fees and does not go to the Ranger service.*
Time: 7.30pm – 8.30pm
We make no charge for this event but we rely on your donations to help us protect our Highland wildlife and heritage.
Booking: Click HERE to book via Eventbrite
Contact: [email protected] or 07920182658
