Update from the Reserve – January 2020

Written by: Stewart Borland
Published: 1st February 2020, last updated: 12th October 2022

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As thousands of people around the world sang oor Rabbie’s Auld Lang Syne to bid farewell to the old year, we were ready to welcome the New Year – and with it, all the exciting projects and adventures that await us in 2020. This month, we reveal the winning name for our resident hybrid wildcat, we bring you some exciting wildlife news, and we even have a sweet deal for you – continue reading to find out more!

Let There Be Hope

In November, we asked you to suggest a name for our resident hybrid Scottish Wildcat – and over 1,000 of you stepped up to the challenge. Last month, we put the top ten entries to a vote – and over 2,000 of you made your voice heard! We are very grateful for your participation.

As it turns out, the Community’s favourite name is… Hope! While the Community has found naming the wildcat difficult, the favourite name was selected with 22% of the votes, and it was closely followed by Bonnie, Guinevere, and Heather. We are so proud of the Community for choosing this name, as it truly represents what we all feel about the future of this species. Despite being a hybrid, we hope Hope brings hope for the future of Scottish Wildcats in Scotland!

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From The Hedgehog Hospital To The Great Outdoors

In late December, the temperature hit a record 16 degrees overnight in Scotland. We normally see temperatures closer to 0 degrees – at best! This oddly high temperature has given us the opportunity to move the now “fattened up” hedgehogs from the hospital to the great outdoors – a much less stressful and more natural place for them to be.

Instead of a hard release, we’ve gone for the softer alternative, having decided to release them in the Forever Home enclosure where we can continue to monitor and feed them if required. Whilst it involved a bit of work for the team, all went well, and we’ve even given their new homes an extra layer of protection, with a top coat of wood chips, to keep in the heat. We are happy to announce that they’re all currently hibernating, happy and cosy in their new homes!

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Polishing The Lairds Lodge

Earlier this month, Fiona exchanged her cosy spot in the Reception for some manual work at the Lairds Lodge. After working hard to give the little cabin a quick freshen up, our Shepherd Hut-style accommodation is ready to welcome new guests. So if you fancy a total digital detox with bucket loads of peace and tranquillity in the middle of our Nature Reserve, consider staying at our Lairds Lodge.

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An Early Treat for Valentine’s Day

Lord and Lady of Glencoe in the Nature Reserve
There’s no doubt that the best Valentine’s Day gifts are the ones you can enjoy as a couple – and there’s nothing more romantic than becoming Lairds, Lords or Ladies of Glencoe and owning a wee piece of Scotland together! Hence why we are bringing you a sweet deal and offering a special 20% off discount code on all of our couples plots – simply enter LOVE at the checkout.

Clip of the Month: Bonnie Badger

This month’s clip shows a lovely catch on our BadgerCam. We like to call this one “Can’t Beat A Good Scratch” – I guess if you are living underground, you are bound to pick up the occasional little itchy friend?

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