Ever wondered how to pronounce the name of a Scottish mountain? Or wondered what that name might actually mean? Ever wanted to see what placenames have to tell us about the plants and the people, the birds and the animals who have gone before us in our landscapes? Or perhaps you’re intrigued by the connections between Gaelic and rewilding? If so, this weekend is made for you!
Join us for an immersive experience of walks and activities which will open your eyes to Dundreggan’s Gaelic landscape, with a traditional Highland Cèilidh thrown in as well: bidh craic math ann, agus bidh fàilte mhòr ron a h-uile duine!
This residential will be led in English, but you will come away from it knowing more Gaelic than you did at the start, and with a deeper appreciation of the significance Gaelic language and culture plays in Scotland’s landscapes, past, present and future!
Gaelic is the oldest surviving language in Scotland and for many centuries it has been spoken throughout these glens. For Gaels, their sense of being part of their homeland is summed up perfectly in the word dùthchas which encapsulates belonging, tradition, and an attachment to landscape and all living things.
Details
CountryScotland
Duration (in days)4
Itinerary
You will receive a finalised itinerary and kit list via email in the fortnight ahead of the residential. All meals are included and will be served in our An Nead café or as a packed lunch to take with you. Please note: activities, locations, and timings may be subject to change.
Day One – Gaelic Experience
– Arrivals and welcome: fàilte! (2pm)
– Introductory guided walk: Gaelic and Dundreggan
– Check in to rooms, and free time to settle and unpack
– Dinner
– Fire lighting and lichen dying
Day Two – Gaelic Experience
– Breakfast (8 – 9am)
– Gaelic and the community session with our own Trees for Life Oifigear Gàidhlig (Gaelic Officer)
– Lunch
– Guided walk: plants and placenames
– Free time
– Dinner
– A night walk exploring Dundreggan by dark (bat detectors supplied)
Day Three – Gaelic Experience
– Breakfast (8 – 9am)
– Guided hill walk: exploring sites of old shielings and new areas of planting and regeneration
– Lunch
– Gaelic awareness session
– Gaelic singing with Brian Ó hEadhra, celebrated Gaelic singer-songwriter and musician based in the Scottish Highlands
– Free time
– Dinner
– Highland Cèilidh! Dancing and songs in Scottish Gaelic and English, led by Brian Ó hEadhra
Day Four – Gaelic Experience
– Breakfast (8 – 9am)
– Check out of rooms and return keys
– Dundreggan placenames session
– Guided walk: Gaelic and the future
– Lunch
– Departures (2pm)
What's Included?
Three nights' accommodation in An Spiris, three breakfasts, three lunches and three dinners from An Nead Cafe and activities led by the Dundreggan Rewilding Centre visitor experience team.
How your experience helps rewilding efforts
Dundreggan is the 10,000-acre flagship estate of Trees for Life, a charity that has been rewilding the Scottish Highlands for over 30 years. The Rewilding Centre and its programme of paid events/activities, along with cafe, retail and accommodation, operate as the commercial arm of the charity, with excess profits there going to support charitable work. Visitors also have the opportunity to get involved through volunteering and financial support.
Dates & Duration
Thursday, 23 April until Sunday, 26 April 2026
Seasonal Availability
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Food & Stay
You will stay in our accommodation, An Spiris. Stay in the double or twin en-suite rooms and relax in the comfortable and cosy communal space. Towels and bed linen are provided, and a boot room is available for drying outdoor gear.
Please get in touch if you would like to extend your stay (arriving sooner or staying extra nights) in An Spiris. The residentials have been scheduled to align with public bus timetables.
All food is provided in house, made by the team in An Nead Cafe, part of the Rewilding Centre. The seasonal menu features locally sourced ingredients to create a hearty and sustainable food offering for all guests.
Languages spoken
English
Difficulty
Who is this experience for? Adults wishing to learn more about Gaelic language and culture, and its connections to our landscapes, nature and rewilding. No previous knowledge of Gaelic is necessary.
Most of the activities are suitable for all audiences, including those with additional accessibility needs. However, some of the planned walks may include occasionally steep, pathless terrain. If you have questions about accessibility please get in touch.
We will also host a traditional Highland Cèilidh, with storytelling and music – feel free to bring your own instruments.
Group size
Maximum 12 participants
What to Bring
We will meet you at Dundreggan Rewilding Centre at 2pm the day your programme starts. Please ensure you have had lunch before meeting. We will show you to your accommodation, give you time to settle in, then meet up as a group to begin the programme.
We have included a kit list below. Please make sure you bring all the essential items on it, as they are necessary for your comfort during some activities. If you think you are unable to bring any of them, or are unsure, please get in touch with us on info@visitdundreggan.co.uk or call the Rewilding Centre on 01320 340 380.
Essential Kit
Waterproof jacket and trousers
Comfortable wellingtons or walking boots
Two sets of warm clothes (long-sleeved tops recommended to protect from ticks)
Warm hat and gloves
Small rucksack
Toiletries
Warm clothes for evenings
Thermos flask and drink bottle
Lunch box
All bedding and towels are provided.
If joining our Introduction to Rewilding programme, you may wish to bring something to make notes, such as a notebook and pen, laptop, or tablet.
Optional Kit
Gaiters - ticks are common at Dundreggan so gaiters or long socks are advisable.
Camera
Binoculars
Midge and tick repellent (all our guides carry this for your use, but you may wish to bring your own)
Sun hat/sun block
House shoes/slippers
Head-torch
Yoga mats and blocks will be available for your use, but you may wish to bring your own. You may also find a journal helpful.
We provide food for meals, including packed lunches where lunch is scheduled to be away from the Centre. Snacks such as crisps, cakes, fruit and snack bars are available to purchase in our cafe. However, you may wish to bring some extras for your lunch like nuts, crisps, chocolate bars etc. or special ingredients for meals. The nearest shop is 7 miles to the east in Invermoriston, or a 15 minute drive away in Fort Augustus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dundreggan Rewilding Centre - Terms and Conditions
When you book your activity and complete payment, you accept these terms and conditions, they form the basis of a contract between Dundreggan Rewilding Centre and yourself.
Online booking
When purchasing tickets via the online booking system you are responsible for making all payments due. Full payment is required at the time of booking via the payment gateway. Payments will be taken before the confirmation is sent. An order confirmation is sent to the email address which you provide at the time of making your booking.Contact us if you do not receive your confirmation email within 24 hours. Please check if your confirmation is correct as soon as you receive it. Contact us immediately if your confirmation is incorrect.
The email confirmation will serve as proof of payment for your entry ticket. Please bring along your booking reference number and order confirmation, either on your mobile phone or a printed copy, for access to your booking.
Prices
Prices are inclusive of any applicable taxes and there are no surcharges whatsoever. Once you have paid, we will not increase the price of your tickets. Prices displayed on the site are subject to change without notice.
Cancellations and refunds
We strongly recommend that participants take out personal travel insurance for additional
protection, particularly if they need to make a last-minute cancellation. Please carefully read our cancellation policy. Rarely can we make any exceptions to this. Our team are instructed to follow this policy and rules. So to save any misunderstanding we would be grateful if you can observe the following:
• Cancellations made 8 weeks or more before the start date of the experience will receive a full refund minus a £40 administration charge.
• Cancellations made between 8 and 6 weeks before the start date will receive a 50% refund minus a £40 administration charge.
• No refunds or transfers are available for cancellations made within 6 weeks of the start date.
• Transfers to a different experience are treated the same as cancellations.
• As places are limited, it is very important to notify us of any changes as early as possible.
• If the guest arrives and decides to leave early, the full amount of your reservation will be charged.
• In case of a “no-show”, the total price of the reservation will be charged.
• There is only one way in which we can acknowledge cancellation of the guest’s reservation; the guest MUST send a cancellation request stating the reservation number via email to the following address: stay@visitdundreggan.co.uk
• All cancellations are confirmed via email immediately after the reservation has been cancelled.
This does not affect your consumer rights.
Tickets are non-refundable unless Dundreggan Rewilding Centre is forced to close due to extreme weather conditions or other unprecedented issues. Examples of such circumstances when we may cancel are as follows:
· One or more of the persons running the event/activity are unavailable for reasons of sickness or otherwise;
· Viable participant numbers are not achieved for that event/activity;
· Circumstances arise that are outside of our control, e.g. adverse weather, floods, fire.
You will be notified as soon as reasonably practicable if an event/activity is to be cancelled. Where appropriate an alternative date will be offered to you. If no alternative date is offered to you or where none of the alternatives dates offered are convenient for you, we shall refund the amount you have paid for that event/activity in full. We will not be liable for any other expenditure or costs incurred by you as a consequence of such cancellation.
Liability
All persons visiting Dundreggan Rewilding Centre do so entirely at their own risk and we shall incur no liability whatsoever for any damage to the property of or injury to any person howsoever caused.
All persons visiting the Dundreggan Rewilding Centre shall be strictly liable for any damage which they cause to the premises and their contents.
Some of our events and activities require the participants to have a certain level of physical ability, fitness and mobility. Where this is applicable this will be specified on our website. Should you have any concerns whether you are capable of participating in a particular event or activity we advise you to speak to one of our members of staff who can explain what the event or activity will involve.
If you have any known disability that may affect your participation in an event or activity this should be disclosed to us prior to booking so that we can consider whether we are able to accommodate your attendance or participation in that event/activity and what, if any, reasonable adjustments we can to allow you to participate safely. This may include requiring that you are accompanied by another person whilst attending or participating in the event/activity.
This experience involves
Hiking
Workshop
Educational experience
Dark skies & stargazing
Herbivores in this landscape
Red deer
Roe deer
Scavengers and other large birds in this landscape
