Moose (European Elk) Arrival

Thanks to the relentless energy of Hugh Fullerton-Smith, Alladale’s Reserve Manager, and the sponsorship contribution from Highland Airways, we finally managed in November to airlift two young elk from Northern Sweden directly into Inverness airport.

At one point we felt that the outbreaks of ‘foot and mouth’ and ‘blue tongue’ were going to scupper our plans. From a nervous arrival Hercules (bull) and Hulda (cow) have settled remarkably well into their new surroundings making the most of their 450 acre enclosure.

We have been delighted to observe that amongst other vegetation they are very keen on heather, a plant species not targeted by other species on the reserve. Elk are the largest of European ungulates and in some circumstances can reach weights up to 800kgs! The elk are unrelated, so we look forward to 2009 when hopefully, Hulda will produce twins.

Filming at Alladale

The TV film crew have now finished filming 400 hours of raw footage around the reserve and in several countries from Sweden to South Africa! Editing down to 4 hours of documentary is now taking place and we will be sure to let you know, in advance, when the BBC propose to air the programs.

A sneak preview of the 50 minute Natural World program shows that it is a first class production; congratulations to the producer Mike Birkhead and his team.

On a personal level, I was lucky enough to accompany the film crew to South America to meet and learn more about the amazing work of Doug and Kris Tomkins who are protecting and restoring 2 million acres of wild lands in Chile and Argentina!

The Festive Season at Alladale

We were delighted to welcome the Lilley family for Christmas at Alladale. Some arrived from the US and others from England to be our first Lodge guests for Christmas.

Our entire staff both in the Lodge and out on the Reserve worked tirelessly to ensure that our guests enjoyed every minute of their stay. Having visited Alladale earlier in the year to meticulously plan the visit, Mr and Mrs Lilley ensured that, over the five days of their stay, the family enjoyed pony trekking, mountain biking, clay bird shooting, falconry displays, hill walking and lively Ceilidhs in the evenings.

The day after our Christmas guests departed, a party of 12 Hogmanay ‘revellers‘ arrived to see in the New Year with real style! It was a fun time for all at Alladale and with everyone’s participation, guests and staff alike, the celebrations were a great success.

Thanks to photographer Gavin Wright for the image; the lodge staff will be pleased to arrange a professional photographer for your party.

Eagle Feeding

In line with SNH’s recommendations that occasional deer carcasses should be left on the hill to feed birds of prey, our two pairs of eagles make good use of Alladale policy to follow those guidelines. Centuries ago and in the presence of large carnivores our eagles would have scavenged carrion off wolf, bear and lynx kills!

Our rangers and WildCRU (Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Oxford University) staff are very keen photographers and their cameras are important pieces of equipment in assisting our restoration programme.

Wildlife photography is also becoming a well established attraction on the Reserve and the very popular Alladale Photographic Retreats run by Northshots (www.northshots.com) cater for both the experienced and novice photographer.

Click here to find out more about our photography breaks