The Rood Fair returns! Learn some fair history and meet Showpeople who travel to Dumfries from across Scotland to make it happen. Many Showfamilies have operated on the banks of the Nith for generations – hear their stories while walking the route of local fairgrounds, past & present. The route will start along the riverfront […]
Sami Blood | 2016 | Amanda Kernell | Swedish | 12 A | 1 hr 48 mins Join us for the next in our edition of Reel to Real Cinema, a pop-up cinema space hosted at the Stove Cafe where we will be sharing Sami Blood, a historical drama following a Sámi girl in 1930’s […]
Closed (Sundays & Mondays) An exhibition by Artful Migration artists-in-residence, Leeming & Paterson. Over the past 8 months Ted Leeming & Morag Paterson have spent time at Lochar Mosses exploring the elusive Nightjar, one of Scotland’s rarest and most unusual birds, which appears to be thriving in the region. The nightjar has secretive behaviour and […]
Closed Sunday’s As part of this year’s Wild Goose Festival, the Stove’s Conversing Building project has been engaging with Fife College learners based at HMP Dumfries. Sharing inspirations and prompts from the festivals theme of Keep Looking Up, the learners have worked through a variety of creative mediums to respond through both creative writing and […]
Part of the #WildGooseFestival2023. Meet Bart (the Barnacle Goose) and read his story along this self-led, short activity trail about how his family try to survive life as wild geese. Collect an activity booklet and pencil at our visitor centre and then head to places along the marked trail. Warning, some activities will require grown-up […]
Feast your eyes on badgers, as they snuffle around for a snack in our garden. So, they’re not goosey but are just as black, white and grey as our barnacle geese! These creatures are living on the reserve and often leave tracks and signs along our trails but close views can be a challenge. Watch […]
The Artful Migration conference will share learning from three artist residencies located in Dumfries & Galloway, developed by Upland and Moving Souls Dance. Bringing artists and conservationists together, keynote speakers Sacha Dench and Chris Fremantle will explore artistic practice linked to migratory pathways of birds challenged by climate change. The Artful Migration programme created three […]
Take a gander with a wander up Wardlaw to celebrate the return of the geese for Wild Goose Festival, WWT Caerlaverock wardens are joining NatureScot reserve staff to lead a walk up Wardlaw Hill to see the dusk flight of the pink footed geese and barnacle geese as they head out to roost on the […]
All day we are running activities inspired by the most famous migrant in children’s literature – Paddington Bear. All activities are drop-in and included with a house ticket to Moat Brae. Film and TV series screenings will be running all day and we will have crafts, drama, storytelling and more.
Interested in a new pair of binoculars, or a telescope? Optics greatly enhance your experience of watching geese, helping you see the stunning plumage of these beautiful birds and watch their fascinating behaviour. Experts from Swarovski and Viking are visiting WWT Caerlaverock to demonstrate and sell a range of optics. Take this opportunity to try […]
Peter Scott was a remarkable man who led an extraordinary life. Writer, artist, broadcaster, conservationist, sportsman; in any one of his chosen fields he would have been remembered as someone who made a difference. That he excelled in all of these is perhaps the main reason why his life remains an inspiration to others more […]
In Dumfries and Galloway we have a small wintering population of light bellied brent geese. These fascinating birds migrate 5,000km from Canada each year to spend the winter on our coastline. Most of the population winter in Ireland, but we have a small population on the coasts of West Galloway where they feed on eel […]
Build your confidence in wetland bird identification at our reserve and learn how to get involved in recording the birds you see. Join a friendly warden who will help show where and what species to look out for when birding, as well as sharing more information about wetland habitats and wildlife. This is a great […]
Some of the greatest spectacles of nature take place at dusk. Join our guide to enjoy Svalbard barnacle geese descending on the sandflat and reserve to roost. This will involve a ¾mile/1.2km walk down to the shore, to view incoming geese. There may be some standing around for a while once in position. Please wrap […]
Take this unique opportunity to watch thousands of barnacle geese flighting in to the reserve against the dawn sky. We will walk out to the merse at dawn to watch this spectacular wildlife event. Please bring weatherproof clothes, suitable footwear, binoculars, and a torch. BOOKING ESSENTIAL Accessibility Details: Please bear in mind, this requires a […]
Interested in a new pair of binoculars, or a telescope? Optics greatly enhance your experience of watching geese, helping you see the stunning plumage of these beautiful birds and watch their fascinating behaviour. Experts from Swarovski and Viking are visiting WWT Caerlaverock to demonstrate and sell a range of optics. Take this opportunity to try […]
Come and make a willow bird feeder with experienced weaver Fiona Moir. You will learn how to work with willow to make a feeder that takes fat balls. Hang it in your garden and then watch the variety of birds that will use it. Fiona practices various crafts and has taught many craft classes to […]
Judith Hewitt managed the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Cornwall for five years and she will draw on her work at this museum for this talk. This included a display dedicated to The Goddess – a Pagan deity who takes many forms. Many Goddess archetypes connect with birds in some way and, arguably, some […]
Join us for a walk with a knowledgeable warden to learn how we manage the reserve for the thousands of barnacle geese and pink footed geese that migrate here in winter. Learn how to identify different species and experience the sights and sounds of these wonderful wildfowl. BOOKING ESSENTIAL Accessibility Details: The trails are all […]
Feast your eyes on badgers, as they snuffle around for a snack in our garden. So, they’re not goosey but are just as black, white and grey as our barnacle geese! These creatures are living on the reserve and often leave tracks and signs along our trails but close views can be a challenge. Watch […]
Join our RSPB Warden at Ken Dee Marshes by the car park to look for and hear about the geese and other wildlife that winter around Loch Ken and surrounding area, including the Greenland White-fronted Geese which we be arriving after their epic migration from Greenland via Iceland. Drop by to chat and ask questions […]
Cycling Dumfries are delighted to join WWT, Nith Life and NatureScot, to host this guided wildlife ride to WWT Caerlaverock, taking in Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve and the river Nith along the way. The ride is around 20 miles – but with plenty of stops on the way to look out for wildlife and take […]
Geese like stars, they help them to migrate. Nigh-ttime is a great time for stories, star stories in particular. Elizabeth Tindal, Biosphere Dark Sky Ranger, will be there to tell you stories about constellations, the importance of the North star to both people and birds, moon geese and the moon rabbit all while standing under […]
We’ll be hosting 2 sessions throughout the day: 10am-12noon & 2pm-4pm. Taking inspiration from nature, these drop in sessions are for all ages and abilities. We will select some natural materials gathered from around our reserve. Where creativity is encouraged for the simple pleasure of it, in a fun, supportive and positive atmosphere coupled with […]
Discover some of the amazing wildlife looked after on this farm. As the season changes, so too do the habitats and special creatures found here – with lush greens turning to golds, reds and browns and flocks of ducks, geese and wading birds arriving in massive numbers. These walks will give you a chance to […]
Join Adam Murphy of Nith Life and award-winning nature writer Stephen Rutt for a guided sunset walk, looking with readings along the River Nith. Discover Dumfries’s urban wildlife, learn more about rivers and hopefully a skein or two of geese passing over. About Stephen Rutt Stephen Rutt is an award-winning author of three books about […]
In the main hall of Dumfries Museum, the award-winning nature writer Stephen Rutt will deliver a talk about the birds of the River Nith. Using the museum’s recently refreshed taxidermy displays as a starting point, he will explore what they can tell us about the River Nith and what the river can tell us about […]
Sami storyteller and joker Berit Alette Mienna and musician Øistein Hanssen travel to Dumfries for a cosy and unique evening of stories, music and song from the far north. About Øistein Hanssen Øistein Hanssen has roots from Sami, Kven and Norse ancestry and has studied the different cultures’ musical background. To gain a deeper understanding, he has spent decades tracing humanity’s musical heritage back to the dawn […]
The dark days of the witch trials left a powerful mark on the town of Dumfries… At the height of the persecutions, at least 78 people were accused of witchcraft, with many more affected in the wider region. Join award-winning storytellers, Mostly Ghostly, as they reawaken a collection of historical, thought-provoking accounts, through layers of […]
Take this unique opportunity to watch thousands of Barnacle geese flighting in to the reserve against the dawn sky. We will walk out to the merse at dawn to watch this spectacular wildlife event. Please bring weatherproof clothes, suitable footwear, binoculars, and a torch. Please bear in mind, this requires a walk of approximately half […]