Aigas Field Centre facts for kids
Aigas Field Centre is a special nature centre in the beautiful Scottish Highlands. It's located at Aigas House, which is the home of a famous naturalist and author named Sir John Lister-Kaye. The centre first opened its doors in 1977. It was started by an important ecologist, Sir Frank Fraser Darling.
Aigas Field Centre offers exciting nature holidays for adults. It also provides amazing environmental education programs for school children. It's a great place to learn about nature and wildlife.
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Discover Aigas Field Centre
Where is Aigas Located?
The Aigas Field Centre is found in a place called Aigas. This is right next to the River Beauly. It's about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) west of a town called Beauly. It's also about 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of the city of Inverness. This area is part of the stunning Highlands in Scotland.
The History of Aigas House
Aigas House itself has a long history. It used to be a large country estate where people went for hunting and outdoor sports. In the past, it was owned by the Gordon-Oswald family. They added many parts to the house during the Victorian era. Before that, it was an 18th-century "tacksman's house." A tacksman was like a middleman who managed land for a landowner.
Later, Inverness County Council owned Aigas House. They used it as a home for older people. But then, Sir John Lister-Kaye convinced them to sell it to him. This allowed him to create the nature centre we know today.
The Beaver Project at Aigas
Aigas Field Centre started an exciting project in 2006. They wanted to show how Eurasian beavers could live in the wild again. Two beavers were set free into a large area of about 200 acres. This area includes a loch (a Scottish lake) and the woods around it.
Since then, the beavers have been very busy! They have built their homes, called lodges. They have also had many baby beavers, known as kits. This project helps people learn about beavers and their important role in nature.
Aigas on TV
Aigas Field Centre has even been on television! The BBC chose Aigas to host some of their live nature shows.
- In October 2012, the show Autumnwatch was filmed there.
- In January 2013, Winterwatch also came live from Aigas.
These shows helped millions of people see the amazing wildlife at Aigas.
What Aigas Does Today
Today, Aigas House and Field Centre is a top place for wildlife holidays in the Highlands. People come from all over to see the local animals and plants. The centre also has a special charity called The Aigas Trust for Environmental Education. This trust helps over 5,000 school children every year. They get to visit Aigas and learn all about nature and how to protect it.
