Clyde and Avon Valley Festival 2017: Falls of Clyde Family Badger Watch

Join the Scottish Wildlife Trust Ranger for an evening walk to our badger viewing area following a clue trail to our secret sett! Perfect for a younger audience. Have the chance to view badgers, bats and other nocturnal creatures. Includes a 45 minute walk to the sett.

What to expect

You will meet the Ranger at the Visitor Centre who will guide you to the badger sett following a clue trail in time for them emerging for the evening (around a 45min walk). The main objective of the watch is to observe badgers, but you may be lucky enough to see other nocturnal wildlife.

Watches typically last for 3hrs with around 45mins spent at the sett. The sett is situated in the middle of the reserve but we will stop regularly along the way to learn about badger behaviours, tracks and signs.

The badgers are wild animals and we do not feed them. Although every opportunity will be made by the Rangers for a successful watch; we cannot guarantee badgers will be seen on every occasion. Badger activity around the sett can range from a few minutes up to 1hr.

Photographic equipment is not likely to be effective due to low light levels and noisy cameras or flash may disturb the badgers. Therefore we do not allow the use of cameras at the sett.

What to bring

Sensible footwear and suitable waterproof, warm, outdoor clothing is essential. Try to avoid brightly coloured clothing and strong scented perfumes or cosmetics (including midge repellent). A torch and binoculars may be of benefit. Children must be accompanied by an adult, over 5 years only.

Other Information

Terrain:  Please note there are steps and it can be steep on the reserve. Some paths may be uneven with tree roots.

Maximum number of participants:  15

Age group:  Adults and children over 5 yrs. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Driving and public transport directions:  There are a number of buses and trains to Lanark and a bus to New Lanark. Please check www.travelinescotland.com for the various options available.

Parking:  Car parking is available in the village of New Lanark. It is possible to drive into the village past the front of the hotel and down to our visitor centre in the bottom of the village. Otherwise please park in New Lanark’s main carpark at the top of the hill.

Contact details for bookings and enquiries:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This event is part of the Clyde and Avon Valley Wildlife Challenge 2017 - see if you can tick off any wildlife from the 12 species list and don't forget to choose one of the 12 species to submit a short story on to the 500 Word Challenge! Find out more by clicking the Clyde and Avon Valley Wildlife Challenge link below.