We are lucky to be in the centre of a wonderful area for birdwatching. There are 6 RSPB reserves easily accessible by car, amongst them the famous and important wetland habitat at Insh Marshes which is home to lapwings, redshanks and curlews in the spring, and during the winter flooding flocks of whooper swan and greylag geese can be spotted.

The local area is a haven for many rare species including crested tits, Scottish crossbills, Capercaillie and the Osprey which can be seen at the nearby Loch Garten/Abernethy Forest reserve. Osprey are often seen over Craigellachie nature reserve at the rear of the house and frequently feed from the fish farm at the Rothiemurchus estate in the village.

Loch Ruthven is an important site in the UK for the rare Slovonian grebe as well as Osprey, black grouse and if you are lucky…peregrine and hen harrier.
The golden eagle may also be spotted high in the Cairngorms (the funicular railway makes the ascent a lot easier these days!)

The Cublin Sands Reserve is worth a visit. You may be lucky enough to see oystercatchers, bar-tailed godwits and knots and large numbers of sea ducks..

The Ravenscraig is a popular guest house with birdwatchers and we encourage all enthusiasts to fill in our 'bird journal' with details of sightings and locations – a useful reference for newcomers to the area.