Arran Ranger Service

Thistle Camp day 4; A few more photos from the final day of fence work yesterday. A great example of volunteering teamwork resulted in an excellent stretch of fence work being built, well done everyone and thanks very much. Enjoy the rhodie slash and burn today in Merkland Wood. Brodick Castle, Garden and Country Park National Trust for Scotland Volunteers Volunteer Scotland

Now that's one fantastic fence! Job done - thanks Thistle Campers! National Trust for Scotland Volunteers

After quite a hectic week, thought we could do with some fabulous Friday Fungi! 1 week of photos of fly agaric emerging from the woodland floor

Torchlight Challenge Cancelled! Unfortunately we have had to make the hard decision to cancel the Torchlight Challenge this Saturday at all 3 sites: Goat Fell, Ben Lomond and Ben Lawers. We have been keeping a close eye on the weather forecast and unfortunately the weather looks to be getting worse and worse on all 3 hills, particularly at the time of the walk. Our Senior Rangers have consulted with the Mountain Rescue teams and feel that that due to zero visibility, strong w...inds and torrential rain which is forecasted along with walking in the dark, the risk to health and safety is just too high.
We know that you will be disappointed like us – however your safety is paramount and we cannot take the risk of leading a team in unsafe conditions. We hope you understand.
As we are heading into the winter months we unfortunately don’t have the hours of daylight to reschedule the walk this year – our new scheduled date will be Saturday 27th April 2019. Your registration fee and any associated fundraising will be transferred to this date and we do hope you can take part. All registered participants should have recieved a separate email from colleague Louise, if you haven't please get in touch to let us know. Regards, Kate VisitArran
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Thistle Camp day 3; Well the day off yesterday really paid off 'cos the campers bossed the fence work today. All fence posts bashed in, wires and stock netting run and fitted, finish off tomorrow with some barb to help keep the hairy coos in. Another good day team, well done ! Brodick Castle, Garden and Country Park National Trust for Scotland Volunteers Volunteer Scotland

Thistle Camp day 2. Old fence removed, new strainers installed with healthy helpings of mud baths and laughs along the way. A good day, well done ! Have a great day off tomorrow campers ! Brodick Castle, Garden and Country Park National Trust for Scotland Volunteers Volunteer Scotland

Only 24 hrs left to register for the Goatfell Torchlight Charity Challenge 2018. Climb Goat Fell with the Ranger Team and Arran Mountain Rescue Team, sunset at the top, and return in the dark. Mountain climbing with a difference! Still some places left, but be quick to avoid disappointment! Registration ends midnight Wednesday VisitArran, Brodick Castle, Garden and Country Park

We welcomed our final Thistle Camp of the season yesterday. After a gruelling day of delays, cancellations and detours just to get here very late on Sunday night they displayed true volunteer qualities by getting stuck into the main task for the week. Good spirits and great team work made light work of one of the fences in the Castle Park fields. Well done everyone, we're looking forward to another week of Thistle Camp capers and all round volunteer greatness. Brodick Castle, Garden and Country Park National Trust for Scotland Volunteers Volunteer Scotland

Hessilhead take in a lot of our injured wildlife, so if any of you are passing them (Beith, North Ayrshire), please drop off newspapers for some of their more squitty in mates!

Wet day today - but here's a photo from last week..... Thank goodness this year the barley has been harvested before the rains came! Last year the whole crop rotted back into the field as there was no dry window to harvest it.

Less than one week to go to the Goatfell Torchlight Charity Challenge 2018 Remember registration ends midnight Wednesday!

Thanks to Graeme Walker today for fabulous fun with fungi! From the Young Gnats to the adults, we all learned something new about fungi identification from textures, smells, colour and spore prints. All rounded off with ceps, chanterelles, charcoal burners and puff balls, all cooked wonderfully by Jackie over our home made charcoal!

Spent this morning getting ready for tommorows Fungi foray Come along for fascinating facts with 'fun guy' Graeme. To find out which ones you can eat and which will make you sick - come along tomorrow! We'll be having a fry up after the walk...….
Young Gnats Club, don't forget we're also meeting tommorrow, usual time and we're going to have fun with fungi too!

Drones & wildlife - PAW Scotland have published a useful best practice guide for operating drones, with advice on how to fly them responsibly without disturbing wildlife, or even committing a wildlife crime.
VisitArran Arran Natural History Society Brodick Bay Community

Only 1 week to go...….. …...before registration closes for the Goat Fell torchlight challenge Book now to avoid disappointment, places are limited: Goatfell Torchlight Charity Challenge 2018

A few impressions from yesterday's deer count on the Goatfell estate. 🦌 Monitoring deer numbers and their grazing impact informs the conservation management of the hills and glens we look after. #goatfell #lovemyjob
VisitArran Discover Ayrshire Arran Natural History Society

Something fishy is going on! Last night I came back from blackberry picking to find this in my garden! Apparently it's a red band fish (Cepola macrophthalma). It lives at depths of about 90m in a vertical burrow where is lies in wait for passing crustaceans. But what's it doing in my garden?! Thanks to Arran Coast for identification!

Quite Sunday morning, so I thought I'd share this video again. Great footage of otters outside Brodick Castle - 2 years ago. Thanks to Jack Ibbotson for making the film. I think he spent many hours before work sitting in midges to get these shots!

Went on the badger watching evening .

Which was fantastic we saw two badgers one of them came really close to us .

Thanks keep up the good work .

Incredible place run by incredible people! If you haven’t gone, go!!

Head Ranger Kate will show you around her hidden world of wonder!

Thank you again!!

Guided walks, cattle herding, stonechat & whinchat counting, footpath mending, drain clearing, bridge painting, step building, rhoddie bashing, brash burning, dutch oven stewing, butterfly surveying, slip gate constructing, cake eating, bronze age reconstructing, squirrel cam fixing, squirrel shed puzzling, tree planting, pond dipping, basking shark sampling, dinosaur footprint hunting, monkey straining, highland cattle vaccinating, cross drain cleaning, deer monitoring, ptarmigan dreaming, bark chipping shoveling, windfall oak chipping, otter spotting, log boat hollowing, more cake eating ....

Fantastic Safari led by Rob, who knows all there is to know and driven expertly by Amy who knows loads too! Great day. Highly recommend it!

5 stars , don't really need to add anymore .

Just keep up the fantastic job you do .

Went on the badger watching evening .

Which was fantastic we saw two badgers one of them came really close to us .

Thanks keep up the good work .

Incredible place run by incredible people! If you haven’t gone, go!!

Head Ranger Kate will show you around her hidden world of wonder!

Thank you again!!

Guided walks, cattle herding, stonechat & whinchat counting, footpath mending, drain clearing, bridge painting, step building, rhoddie bashing, brash burning, dutch oven stewing, butterfly surveying, slip gate constructing, cake eating, bronze age reconstructing, squirrel cam fixing, squirrel shed puzzling, tree planting, pond dipping, basking shark sampling, dinosaur footprint hunting, monkey straining, highland cattle vaccinating, cross drain cleaning, deer monitoring, ptarmigan dreaming, bark chipping shoveling, windfall oak chipping, otter spotting, log boat hollowing, more cake eating ....

Fantastic Safari led by Rob, who knows all there is to know and driven expertly by Amy who knows loads too! Great day. Highly recommend it!

5 stars , don't really need to add anymore .

Just keep up the fantastic job you do .

Went on the badger watching evening .

Which was fantastic we saw two badgers one of them came really close to us .

Thanks keep up the good work .

Incredible place run by incredible people! If you haven’t gone, go!!

Head Ranger Kate will show you around her hidden world of wonder!

Thank you again!!

Guided walks, cattle herding, stonechat & whinchat counting, footpath mending, drain clearing, bridge painting, step building, rhoddie bashing, brash burning, dutch oven stewing, butterfly surveying, slip gate constructing, cake eating, bronze age reconstructing, squirrel cam fixing, squirrel shed puzzling, tree planting, pond dipping, basking shark sampling, dinosaur footprint hunting, monkey straining, highland cattle vaccinating, cross drain cleaning, deer monitoring, ptarmigan dreaming, bark chipping shoveling, windfall oak chipping, otter spotting, log boat hollowing, more cake eating ....

Fantastic Safari led by Rob, who knows all there is to know and driven expertly by Amy who knows loads too! Great day. Highly recommend it!

5 stars , don't really need to add anymore .

Just keep up the fantastic job you do .

Went on the badger watching evening .

Which was fantastic we saw two badgers one of them came really close to us .

Thanks keep up the good work .

Incredible place run by incredible people! If you haven’t gone, go!!

Head Ranger Kate will show you around her hidden world of wonder!

Thank you again!!

Guided walks, cattle herding, stonechat & whinchat counting, footpath mending, drain clearing, bridge painting, step building, rhoddie bashing, brash burning, dutch oven stewing, butterfly surveying, slip gate constructing, cake eating, bronze age reconstructing, squirrel cam fixing, squirrel shed puzzling, tree planting, pond dipping, basking shark sampling, dinosaur footprint hunting, monkey straining, highland cattle vaccinating, cross drain cleaning, deer monitoring, ptarmigan dreaming, bark chipping shoveling, windfall oak chipping, otter spotting, log boat hollowing, more cake eating ....

Fantastic Safari led by Rob, who knows all there is to know and driven expertly by Amy who knows loads too! Great day. Highly recommend it!

5 stars , don't really need to add anymore .

Just keep up the fantastic job you do .