Easter Holidays in the Cairngorms National Park

Easter Holiday time is around the corner...... and it's time to plan where to go and what sort of holiday you prefer. If you dislike the hustle and bustle of busy hotels or living in a city apartment what are your options!  

You can rent a caravan or hire a tent, all just a bit cold, or you could decide to take a cozy cottage holiday. Holiday cottages and homes come in all shapes and sizes tiny ones for two people or large ones for ten to twelve people or more. They can be quaint and crooked or up to date with all the mod cons.

You can find one with a loch view which is every ones picture of a real country cottage, or many of them have a hot tubs or games rooms for kids!   They can be in the depth of the Cairngorms National park away from it all, where woodland and wild flowers are in abundance, or in a small village where the local shop sells anything and everything.

For the first time in 15 years it looks like we are going to have an Easter holiday with full skiing and snowboarding available on all three of our Ski resorts, Lecht near Tomintoul, Glenshee in Royal Deeside and the Cairngorm Mountain near Aviemore.  Why not let the kids enjoy a Scottish ski holiday like the old days before easy jet.

If you like the idea of farming life where the children can see the animals and feed the hens, you’re in luck because many highland farms rent out the little cottages on their land some even have a horse to ride.

Climbing, hiking and mountain biking holidays are very popular for the fit and hardy in the Cairngorms National Park, you can find a cottage or a cozy wooden chalet on the side of a Cairngorm Mountain in the Scottish Highlands.

Many cottages allow dogs; imagine their delight with so much open space and all the different smells that send them ecstatic with joy.

What ever you decide, check www.CairngormsHolidayCottages.com for the widest range of holiday accommodation in the Cairngorms National Park

Going Wild for Wildlife in the Cairngorms

If you are wild about wildlife in the Cairngorms National Park why not sign up for the first ever Cairngorms Wildlife Recording Forum next month?

The event on Saturday 17th April at Boat of Garten Community Hall is designed to get people with a passion for biodiversity across the Park together to help build on the collection of data already available regarding wildlife in the Park.

The Cairngorms Wildlife Recording Forum is being organised by the North East Scotland Biological Records Centre (NESBReC) with support from the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA). There will be a number of talks and presentations from countryside rangers, CNPA staff, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Butterfly Conservation Scotland as well as ample opportunity for networking with fellow wildlife enthusiasts.

Dr Annie Robinson project officer with NESBReC, based at Aberdeen University said: "We are lucky to have some great speakers and a very interesting and varied programme for this up and coming event. Similar NESBReC events have had large turnouts and we are hoping for a great success for this inaugural event in the Cairngorms National Park."

Willie McKenna, CNPA Board member said: "This will be a great day for people to share their passion for recording wildlife, to learn more about it and help contribute to the National Park Plan by collecting data on the Park's rich biodiversity."

April's event marks an important stage in publicising the Cairngorms biological recording system that collates and manages all species and habitats records for the Park, which is one of the actions outlined in the Cairngorms National Park Plan.

The Cairngorms Wildlife Recording Forum is a free event, however booking is essential. For more information or to book please email Annie Robinson or phone: 01224 273633.

in reference to: Cairngorms National Park Authority: News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Some Facts About the Capercaillie

The capercaillie, once widespread throughout Europe and Asia, is Britain’s largest game bird – so large that its nickname in Gaelic is ‘horse of the woods’. Having been hunted to extinction in the eighteenth century, the bird was successfully reintroduced into Scotland fifty years later. Now, however, the species is under pressure once again.

Some Basic Facts About the Capercaillie

The capercaillie (scientific name Tetrao urogallus) is a member of the grouse family. It is noted for its size (roughly the same as a small turkey) with the males reaching 86cm in height with a wingspan of up to 125cm and weighing around 4 kg. The female is substantially smaller. Male birds are blackish grey in colour and the females are reddish brown.

The range of the capercaillie is large, extending through the pine forests of northern and central Europe, northern Asia and Siberia. They thrive in natural pinewoods, where they feed on seeds and forest fruits, especially blueberries, and can also live in man-made plantations, as long as their basic requirements are met. Where habitats are not ideal the birds may still survive but there will be a significant impact on their breeding.
The birds nest on the ground, often at the base of trees, where they will typically lay 5-8 eggs. The males are notably territorial and aggressive – they have been known to attack large mammals - and even to take on humans if threatened. In spring the male birds come together to perform a ritual known as a ‘lek’, in which they display their tail feathers and produce a range of spectacular wheezing, popping and gurgling noises.

The Capercaillie Under Threat

There are many threats to the successful existence of the capercaillie. Once native to Britain, the birds were hunted to extinction in the eighteenth century, the last pair thought to have been killed in Aberdeenshire in 1785. After several failed attempts at reintroduction, thirty-two birds were brought from Sweden in 1837. The reintroduction was a success and the birds are currently found throughout the Scottish pinewoods, most notably in the Cairngorms National Park. For more info check www.capercaillie-life.info and for info on the Cairngorms www.Cairngorms.co.uk

Insider 2010. 17th to the 20th June 2010, Inshriach House.

In April 2009 the owners of Inshriach House, Ord Ban Restaurant and Backwoods Productions decided to have a party. They had a venue and some friends and 6 weeks to convince the cream of Scottish folk and contemporary artists they weren’t joking. They sprinkled in the finest local food and washed it down with tasty ales and called it The Insider.

www.insider2010.com

Fast forward to January 2010 and the Backwoods board re-convened (down at the Old Bridge Inn, again with ale) and all were in agreement. The Insider should happen again, a bit bigger and with another stage and lots more bands.

Forward planning was never a Backwoods strong point but The Insider 2009 generated a huge dollop of goodwill so you can expect us to pack a cutting edge and eclectic line up, the best food in the valley and some right tasty beverages.

For now we are keeping our full line up close to our chests but to whet your appetite here is a little taster; Joe Acheson Quartet, Sparrow and the Workshop, Woodenbox with a Fistful of Fivers, King Arthurs Men, Mike and Solveig (with Mike Heron, of Incredible String Band), Jo Mango, Three Blind Wolves, Donna Maciocia, The Banana Sessions (of course), Horndog Brass Band, Jack Sandison and the Holy Ghosts, The Injuns, Claes Cem, John Langan Band, Over the Wall...

Video postcard from Cairngorm

If you've never skied in Scotland then check out the video of what it like. It's had a good winter with bumper levels of snow and record number of visitors, so it seems a pretty good time to visit.

There are many myths about skiing in Scotland. Some love it and swear it is the soul of British sking, while others simply turn their noses up at just the prospect of it.

The PlanetSKI content editor, James Cove, takes a personal and objective look at skiing in Cairngorm - the skiing, the resort and the surrounding area.

in reference to: PlanetSKI | News | Video postcard from Cairngorm (view on Google Sidewiki)

Big BioBuzz Day Saturday 22 May 2010

Your chance to get involved in a unique wildlife and plant recording event happening in the Cairngorms National Park!

The Cairngorms Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) is running three 24 hour events in the Cairngorms National Park to celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity 2010.

The Park communities of Grantown-on-Spey, Kingussie and Ballater will play host to the Big BioBuzz Day on Saturday 22 May 2010 to coincide with International Biodiversity Day and Scottish Biodiversity Week .

The Big BioBuzz Day is aimed at getting folk involved in exploring and recording wildlife on their doorstep, with the ultimate goal of collecting as much information as possible on local animals, plants and habitats.

Staff from the Cairngorms National Park Authority, local ranger services and other nature experts will help to identify plants, birds, mammals, insects and amphibians, and how and where they live. They will pass on knowledge and showcase obscure or unusual species. Local schools are also being encouraged to participate.

As well as providing the perfect opportunity to get out and about to explore what’s happening right on your own doorstep, you can also enjoy other activities. These will vary from community to community, but are likely to include storytelling, puppet shows, green woodworking, chainsaw demonstrations, lathe woodworking, nature games, building wildlife homes and much more. Evening events focusing on nocturnal species and dark skies are also planned.

We’ll be publishing more information about the Big BioBuzz Day over the next few weeks and months, as the programme is finalised, along with details of other events taking place throughout the year (see below). So bookmark this page to keep up to date with what’s happening and don’t miss out on being part of this unique event!
Contact

For more information, please contact Stephen Corcoran, Cairngorms biodiversity officer:
Email: stephencorcoran@cairngorms.co.uk
Tel: 01479 870528

in reference to: Learning (view on Google Sidewiki)

Mossie Housing Development Refused

The planning committee of the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) has refused an application for 193 houses in Grantown-on-Spey at its meeting in Boat of Garten this morning (5th March)

The recommendation put forward by planning officers was to refuse the application to develop the area known locally as "The Mossie". Planning committee members turned down the proposals because of the potential for flooding, the area's high nature conservation value especially for breeding waders and invertebrates, and the unsuitability of the design of the proposed houses.

in reference to:

"Mossie Housing Development"
- Cairngorms National Park Authority: News (view on Google Sidewiki)

New Event on 20 and 21st March. Skier and Boardercross Competition

News and events
New Event on 20 and 21st March. Skier and Boardercross competition sponsored by Salomon and ESP(Elgin).

There will be a new Boardercross slope build close to the Buzzard lift. Plans still to be finalised but afternoon of Staurday 20th there will be a practice period with individual non-stop timmed runs. Top 30 will qualify for the competition on afternoon Sunday 21st. Rest will be through heats on Sunday.

Ski and Boardercross is a high risk event and helmets will have to be worn and other protective gear is recommended. More details to follow soon. Planned race days.
11 March 2010 Scottish Schools Senior Championships
13/14 March North East Childrens Championships

http://www.lecht.co.uk/8.html

in reference to:

"New Event on 20 and 21st March.  Skier and Boardercross competition sponsored by Salomon and ESP(Elgin)."
- Welcome to the Lecht 2090 - Scotland's ski and snowboard destination. Lecht resort, skiing scotland, snowboarding scotland, mountain biking scotland, ski aberdeenshire, snowboard aberdeenshire, ski resorts, snowboarding scotland, skiing scotland, snowboar (view on Google Sidewiki)

Pubs, Bars and Clubs in the Cairngorms National Park

The towns and villages dotting the Cairngorms National Park offer the holiday maker a great selection of pubs, bars and clubs, from Blair Atholl, north to the nightlife hub in Aviemore, over to Grantown-on-Spey, Ballater and beyond. The list below details some of the 'best of the best' pubs, bar and nightclubs in the Cairngorms National Park. For more formal places to wine and dine, check out our Cairngorms Fine, Wine and Dine information page.

in reference to:

"The towns and villages dotting the Cairngorms National Park offer the holiday maker a great selection of pubs, bars and clubs, from Blair Atholl, north to the nightlife hub in Aviemore, over to Grantown-on-Spey, Ballater and beyond. The list below details some of the 'best of the best' pubs, bar and nightclubs in the Cairngorms National Park. For more formal places to wine and dine, check out our Cairngorms Fine, Wine and Dine information page."
- Cairngorms Holiday Cottages (view on Google Sidewiki)