IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LYNX
Rewilding Learning Day
Join Dr Hugh Webster and Dan Puplett on this fascinating day to learn about what life might be like living alongside a reintroduced lynx population in Scotland.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Across mainland Europe, the Eurasian lynx is staging a comeback. Freed from the pressures of unsustainable hunting and benefiting from a softening of public attitudes, this enigmatic feline has been successfully reintroduced into several countries and is now growing in numbers and expanding its range.
This special Learning Day will explore what a reintroduction in Scotland might look like, what challenges we might face and how we might manage coexistence.
We will also explore what it would be like to walk in the lynx’s footsteps once again, as we sharpen our senses to forgotten cues and learn how to identify and track pine martens, wildcats, badgers and foxes, comparing their behaviours and signs to those of a lynx. We will learn to think both like a lynx and like the lynx’s prey, experiencing the landscape through their eyes, ears and noses, as we seek to re-imagine how our woodlands would feel in the presence of this apex predator.
The Learning Day will cover:
- An introduction to lynx ecology and behaviour
- What a Scottish reintroduction might look like
- How a lynx reintroduction could benefit Scotland
- Remaining barriers to a lynx reintroduction and how they might be overcome
- Thinking like a lynx - tracking skills and the art of silent stalking
- Living with lynx - a fresh look at life (and death) through the eyes of a roe deer
This Learning Day is for you if:
- you are a student, graduate or other individual interested in pursuing a career within the rewilding/species reintroduction sector
- you are interested in learning more about this fascinating apex predator and its place in the Scottish landscape
- you are a conservation/rewilding professional wanting to learn new skills
DATES
| DATES | GUIDE | STATUS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DATES: 15 Apr 2026 | GUIDES: Dr Hugh Webster & Dan Puplett | STATUS: Open | BOOK NOW |
PRICE
£95
PRICE INCLUDES
- Tea/coffee/biscuits on arrival
- All presentations, excursions and take-home resources
- Certification for course attendance
PRICE EXCLUDES
- Travel to/from the course
- Lunch (please bring a packed lunch)
- Personal expenses
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Timings
Arrival from 9am for tea/coffee/biscuits, for a 9.30am start. The day will wrap up around 3.30pm.
How do I get there?
This Learning Day will be run from Ballintean Mountain Lodge, Glenfeshie, near Kingussie, PH21 1NX
From the south:
Exit A9 at Kingussie/Kincraig turn and take B9152 north towards Kincraig.
From the north:
Exit A9 at Lynwilg (turn for Aviemore/Kincraig) and take B9152 south towards Kincraig.
Once in Kincraig…
- Turn off B9152 into The Brae by war memorial, towards Insh/Feshiebridge.
- Follow road past the café, over the river bridge and past Loch Insh Watersports.
- At the T junction, turn right towards Insh
- After 0.5 miles, bear left up the single-track road signed Glenfeshie.
- 1.5 miles up this road, turn left down the forest track signed Ballintean. After c.200m, before going over the cattle grid, bear right and you will see Ballintean Mountain Lodge (large stone building).
- Turn into the car parking area on the left. Please try and car share, where possible.
Timing: Approx. 20 minutes from Aviemore or Kingussie.
What size are your groups?
Our Learning Days are for groups of up to 15 participants.
Read our FAQ's for more info
VENUE
Ballintean is a former farm situated on the banks of the River Feshie in the heart of the Cairngorms. The site began its rewilding journey 25 years ago and for the most part, the land is now governed by natural processes with woodland and scrub communities expanding, almost exclusively by natural regeneration.
Today, they welcome guests throughout the year to both a lodge and cottage situated on their 130-acre rewilding reserve.
