About Us
Naturedays at Aigas is an environmental education project supported by the Aigas Trust. We have been working with families, young people and schools in the Highlands (and beyond!) for more than 40 years.
We focus on connecting people of all ages with nature, whether that means learning to identify wildlife, developing employability skills through practical projects, or simply finding quiet moments out in the forest.
Our highly trained staff deliver nature-based education at Aigas Field Centre, school grounds or in a local green space.
Meet the Team
Fin Denerley
Education Manager
They/Them
My background is in ecology, but I have worked in environmental education since finishing my PhD. I love helping people of all ages to see the world a bit differently: focusing on the details around them, then zooming out to put their lives and actions in a global context.
Milo Mole
Senior Education Officer
He/Him
I come from a background in Marine Biology, having studied Bioscience and Zoology at university. I worked with whale sharks in the Philippines and surveyed marine mammals whilst living in a lighthouse on the West Coast of Scotland, where I fell for the Scottish Highlands. I love birdwatching and try to bring my enthusiasm for wildlife to people of all ages.
Bethany Hickling
Education Officer
She/Her
I grew up in rural Northumberland where my fascination for nature first began. I developed an interest in environmental education whilst studying Ecological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh and volunteering on outreach projects such as an Osprey Watch at Kielder Forest; I enjoy helping all people to access and understand their surroundings. I love the outdoors and want to make learning about the environment as exciting as I have found it.
The Magnus House
Naturedays is very lucky to be based in the Magnus House, a beautiful eco-friendly building that was opened in 2009. Almost all the materials used in this magnificent building were sourced within 100 miles, such as the larch cladding and stone walls. Solar panels produce energy for the building, and an air-source heat pump provides the small amount of heat needed to keep it warm alongside the turf roof and insulated walls containing recycled plastic. It is named after the late Magnus Magnusson, writer, broadcaster, and a great friend of Sir John Lister-Kaye.
Magnus House facilities:
Wheelchair accessible toilets
Audio-visual facilities with hearing loop
100 person capacity
Spacious entrance
Toilets with disabled access and baby changing facilities
Parking
Basic kitchen
Aigas Field Centre
The Aigas estate is a beautiful place to learn, with a vast array of habitats and wildlife on our doorstep. As a private estate it offers a safe environment to explore the outdoors, with features such as a dipping platform by the loch, wildlife hides and archaeological sites.
For more details about Aigas Field Centre please click the link below to visit the website.
Image descriptions:
Above is a gallery of seven photographs showing the Aigas Field Centre and surrounding grounds.
Image 1: A large wooden building has a carved motif of an osprey on the side. It has a living turf roof, and sits in front of tall coniferous trees.
Image 2: A side-on view of the Magnus House, a large wooden building with a carved osprey on the side. There is a picnic bench and some blooming foxgloves in the foreground.
Image 3: Inside a large room with a green carpet. The ceiling is very high and slants to one side. Dotted across a shelf on the far side, there is a collection of taxidermy including otters, badgers and a capercaillie. Above it all, suspended from the roof there is a whole dolphin skeleton.
Image 4: A large room with a green carpet. On the left wall there is a shelf with a taxidermy collection, including an otter, badgers and a beaver. On the far wall, there is a large white projector screen. Light pours in from large windows on the right side of the room.
Image 5: An aerial view looking down a lush green glen. A river runs through the centre of the frame, splitting woodlands on either side. In the distance, an impressive historical building presides across the scene. It is the House of Aigas.
Image 6: A wide-angle view looking up at the House of Aigas. It shows an impressive Victorian building with crow-stepped gables and decorative cannons protruding from its turrets. There is a stone balcony that looks out across well-tended gardens.
Image 7: A beautifully calm loch extends away from the camera. On the far banks, there are a mixture of broadleaf and coniferous trees. On the left, a small wooden building overlooks the loch.