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About Us
With 30 years’ experience in wildlife guiding, Speyside Wildlife has always been focused on our guests, ensuring the quality of their experience through the quality of our guides. Wildlife identification takes skill, but the perfect guide will not only know their wildlife, plants and habitats, they’ll be able to illuminate and interpret the landscape surrounding them. Our Wildlife Identification Courses are tutored by our guides, who are story-tellers and all-round field naturalists.
As well as our wildlife guides, we also have a fantastic and experienced admin team. Ailie will be your point of contact during the course and will ensure your queries before and during the course are answered efficiently.
Nothing illustrates the success of these courses more succinctly than the feedback we’ve received from participants over the years. Below is just a flavour of that feedback.
“Just the right balance of observation, discussion and different sites. Many thanks for an excellent programme – it really is life changing.” Karen – 2018/19 ID course
“I’d highly recommend this 2-day course to anyone interested in birds. I’ve learned lots and am looking forward to learning more.” Gill – 2019 Raptor Masterclass
Our Venue
For our Cairngorms National Park based courses, our classroom days are based at our Evening Mammal Hide venue, located in the old Inshriach Nursery Potting Shed Tearoom. The bright and airy classroom space benefits from wildlife feeding stations outside the large picture windows and the large nursery gardens. The grounds surrounding our classroom base provide a rich wildlife habitat for a variety of species, ensuring that during our breaks we can stretch our legs and enjoy nature.
For those wishing to combine a short break away with our courses, please ask us about local accommodation options.
Our Team
Roy Atkins
Tutor and Guide
We’ve known Roy for over 25 years. He’s a great all-round naturalist and years of experience in the world of teaching have made him a great people person, so making him ideal as a trainer on our courses. He knows exactly how he learned to identify birds and mammals and therefore has the perfect approach to pass on that skill to others.
Duncan Macdonald
Tutor and Guide
With a background in environmental education and conservation in the Highlands of Scotland, giving him great guiding skills, as well as knowledge of a wide range of birds, mammals, butterflies and bugs, Duncan is also the perfect trainer to pass on all that knowledge in a fun, interesting and ultimately ‘successful’ way.
Jonathan Willet
Assessor
Jonathan has been working as a wildlife guide for 25 years and has always worked in the Highlands and Islands. He is an all-round naturalist but specialises in dragonflies and can usually fit them into a conversation somewhere. He has helped us develop our Wildlife Identification Courses and is our assessor for the students during their final exam.
Ailie Brown
Administrator and Guide
Ailie grew up in the Highlands and studied Zoology at Aberdeen University before interning at Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve. Ailie has a great interest in birdwatching and identifying wildflowers and butterflies too! She leads on the administration of our ID Courses and Guided Days Out as well as guiding our local guests in the Cairngorms.
Harris Brooker
Classroom Assistant and Guide
Growing up around Banff in Aberdeenshire, Harris is a well-rounded naturalist with a wide interest in nature and a particular passion for wildlife, botany and astronomy. Harris is our Evening Mammal Hide guide, based near Aviemore and you will also find him supporting our Wildlife Identification Courses.