The Super Moon!

This blog comes from Nikki and Will, rangers up in Strathyre in beautiful Perthshire. Here, they share some of the mystical beliefs that surrounding the moon and the Alder tree.

The full moon in March is said to be the ‘Wind Strong Moon’. This March is very special as the moon is the closest to the earth in decades. As winter turns to spring, storms sweep in, bringing with them a turbulent time of both hope and danger. As we didn’t see a shadow on February 2nd here though, we should expect a lovely spring this year. Plus, a snowy February is said to bring a good spring! Talking of spring and rebirth, here is a bit of moon superstition and lore for you:

If you give birth on a waxing moon, your next child will be the same sex. If you give birth on a waning moon, your next baby will be the opposite sex!

There is much interest in the moon, whether it’s connected to space flight or the lunar effect on earth’s creatures and plants, our moods and our energy. Some of these things we talk about on our walks here at Strathyre, but regardless of your interests, there is something very special about gazing up at a full moon.

The Celtic tree calendar for Alder started yesterday. In traditional lore, its wisdom supposedly helps bring us a balanced outlook, providing a firm foundation for blending our watery intuitive selves with our outer fiery selves.

This is my own birth tree, so it is a personal favourite of mine. Not only is it known as a ‘soil fixer’, it’s also water resistant, can be used as a fabric dye or paint, a toothbrush or even a magical flute thanks to its great acoustic properties. It even has the ability to refresh hot, tired feet whilst you are out on your forest holiday walks!

The Amazing Animals of Argyll

Nestled on the edge of the Argyll Forest Park, overlooking beautiful Loch Long, our Argyll Cabins tick all the boxes. Whether you fancy mountain biking, climbing, bagging a Munro or two, or a spot of water sports, this location has it all. But if that sounds a little too much like hard work, a hefty dose of adrenaline can also come in the form of spotting the amazing animals of Argyll...

The last week of February turned out to be great for wildlife spotting, particularly for one group of guests who enjoyed more excitement than they could ever have dreamed of!

Peeking out of their bedroom window at dusk on the Friday, they noticed two four-legged creatures gracefully prancing outside, heads held high as they trotted along in unison. They had spotted a mother and daughter (pictured) who regularly frequent our site. Rather pleased with their luck, our guests retired to bed.

During breakfast the following morning, one particularly sharp-eyed guest became aware of a dark grey head bobbing around in the loch just in front of their cabin. They all dashed out onto the decking, binoculars in hand, to discover the head belonged to a seal!

That afternoon, believing they’d enjoyed more than their fair share of wildlife, the guests were ambling along the shoreline enjoying the magnificent views of the loch against the backdrop of mountains. All of a sudden, their attention was grabbed by a high-pitched squealing sound. Glancing to the north of the loch, they spotted a pair of otters merely yards away, who were delighting themselves (hence the squeals of joy) smashing open mussels using rocks against their bellies.

Delighted with their fantastic introduction to the wonderful Argyll wildlife, the guests decided to spend Sunday afternoon in their hot tub, in the hope that they might see the seal again. Basking in the bubbles, glorious sunshine overhead, they were truly overwhelmed when they spotted a pair of porpoise! The fabulous weather must have tricked the porpoise into thinking that summer had already arrived and they had prematurely headed up the loch in search of a shoal of mackerel. But we’re not complaining about their early appearance, and neither were our guests!

February in the Forest

As winter quickly marches into spring, the rangers at Keldy continue their work of helping out the birdlife that populate the local woods and gardens, especially the Blue and Great Tits, who find Keldy an extremely pleasant habitat. This month I’ve asked Ranger Chris to give us a bird’s eye view into how they look after these common but beautiful birds – and how you can help too...



“Having to cope with a harsh winter like the one we’ve just had, it is easy to forget our feathered friends. Putting out food and providing nesting sites for the birds that populate our sites, and indeed your gardens at home, will go a long way to ensuring the survival of these species. Even the hardiest of Robins won’t turn his beak up at an easy snack and Blue Tits and Great Tits are likely visitors to most gardens. So, as they soon be looking for nesting sites, ready to lay eggs in April/May, now is a good time to give them a helping hand.

As a company, Forest Holidays endeavours to provide a sense of the natural environment we are surrounded by, so it seemed a good idea to get the kids who come to stay involved in building bird boxes and teaching them something about the types of birds they could expect to inhabit them. Building and siting a bird box is not as straightforward as you might expect. The position should be about 1.5-2m up with clear access and sight from a good tree, with small branches for the young to flit about on. The hole should be between 25-32mm to prevent predators stealing their eggs, and drainage holes should be drilled in the bottom.



Not only does this give the kids a sense of achievement and a memento of their stay, but also an education into the wider natural world around them. Keeping activities seasonal with a natural twist is something we strive to achieve here, and using the debris that the forest throws up is a great way for the kids to explore, not to mention a brilliant way of recycling.

Now, what to do in our glorious Spring? Bird feeders anyone? Blooming marvellous idea.”