OUR
WALKS, TALKS
& GATHERINGS
bring people and place together
Walks & talks
We believe landscapes really come alive when you engage with them. We offer a varied programme of guided walks, talks and workshops throughout the spring, summer and autumn, giving people a chance to delve deeper into the sights and sounds of Dùn Coillich.
For some, it’s a canvas for creativity; we offer dedicated workshops where you can write, draw or develop photography skills.
Others want to reap the rewards that being surrounded by nature can bring, mindfulness walks or joining a guided tour walk to learn about the wealth of flora and fauna that call Dùn Coillich home.
Walks, talks and workshops are booked through our Eventbrite page where you will find full details of timings, where to meet, what to wear/bring and what to expect.
Numbers are strictly limited and booking is essential for all events, so make sure you get in early!
Events
An introduction to Lichens
Saturday 5 September 2026
Your Host
Caleb Wellock – Local Nature Guide
Lichens are amazing. They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours, can survive in arctic conditions and even in space.
But what is a lichen? What can they teach us about community and working
together?
Join avid Lichen enthusiast Caleb Wellock as he helps uncover the wonderful world of lichens growing on the rocks and trees of Dun Collich.
Marvellous Moths for Kids
Saturday 1 August 2026 – 9.30am
Your Host
Susanna Wellock – Local Nature Enthusiast
Super smellers, disguise masters and metamorphosing magicians; moths are amongst some of the coolest insects on the planet!
Come and learn more about their secretive life cycles, get up close to some live moths and get messy and creative with some fun moth themed crafts.
Event length approximately 1 hour. Begins at 9:30am.
Please note this event is followed by the event “The little world of Lichens” also designed for children at 11:00, please feel free to book that event too and come to both!
The little world of Lichens – Children’s event
Saturday 1 August 2026 – 11am
Your Host
Susanna Wellock – Local Nature Enthusiast
Lichens are amazing! They live on every continent, can survive in the artic and even in space. They come in all sorts of sizes, shapes and colours, and some even have belly buttons!
But what is a Lichen? What do they teach us about community and working together? And how can they help you with your sore throat?
Come join us for this children’s event to learn all about these amazing creatures. This event includes interactive activities, competitions and biscuits!
(Please note this event follows the Marvellous Moths workshop for children at 9:30, please feel free to book that event too and come to both!)
Summer Moth Morning
Saturday 27 June 2026
Your Host
Susanna Wellock – Local Moth Enthusiast
Did you know of the 2500 species of moths only two eat clothes, but what of the rest?
Join us for a restful morning of moth marvelling. Learn to ID some common moths of the season captured in a moth survey light trap* and appreciate more about the ecological niche they fill.
*A moth survey light trap is a simple and non lethal device designed to temporarily hold moths for purposes of identification and recording.
Mindful Dawn Chorus
Sunday 31 May 2026
Your Host
Caleb Wellock – Local Nature Guide
‘Early birds’ will be rewarded with an immersive and mindful experience of Dùn Coillich’s resident early birds.
Come along to enjoy the different performers that delight us every Spring. We will learn how to tune in to and identify commons birds according to their song, learn about the order and timing of their songs through the season and then put our ID skills into practice.
Guided Bird Walk and Mindful Evening Chorus
Sunday 24 May 2026
Your Host
Caleb Wellock – Local Nature Guide
If you are less of a skylark and more of a night owl then this is the walk for you!
We will first enjoy a guided bird walk from local wildlife guide Caleb Wellock around some of the paths in Dùn Coillich, with insights into the lives of the birds that make their home there. This will be followed by a brief delve into the evening vocals of Dùn Coillich’s resident songbirds, including basic song ID and how the dusk chorus differs from the dawn.
Ecosystem restoration, regeneration and rewilding at Dùn Coillich – is it working?
Saturday 16 August 2025
Your Host
Willie McGhee, Forest Manager and native woodland expert
Join us for a guided walk to discuss the positive changes at Dùn Coillich over the last 20 years where we will consider what future habitats could look like, including native woodland and ponder what role human interference could play in managing change.
Where there is rock there are lichens!
Saturday 19 July 2025
Your Host
Petra Vergunst, Moss and Lichen enthusiast
Come and join us for an exploration of the rock-dwelling lichens that have made the rock outcrops, drystone dykes and boulders in water courses of Dùn Coillich their home. It’s a whole new world!
The struggle for existence
Saturday 7 June 2025
Your Host
Richard Paul, Trustee and Volunteer
Evolution and adaption! Using the plants and animals that happen to be encountered on a walk as triggers for discussing the more important specific survival techniques that have evolved in each species. Darwin will get the credit!
Meet the Badgers – Act two
Friday 30 May 2025
Your Host
Fred Cochrane, Assistant Project Officer
Another special chance to meet our resident badgers in a dusk badger watch.
GATHERINGS
Getting together is a vital part of connecting with the community, raising awareness of our work, celebrating successes and thanking our volunteers and supporters. Our gatherings play a central part in that.
Events include our twice-yearly community barbeques held at Dùn Coillich. They are held come rain or shine, and the more musical among us might even strike up a tune or two!
Our Annual General Meetings (AGM) provide a great opportunity to meet our trustees, volunteers, representatives of partner organisations as well as our project officers.
Come along to find out more about what we do, and hear about the latest projects. You can also become a member, sign up as a volunteer and find out more about key projects such as our rural skills training scheme.
We also invite inspiring speakers so the local community can hear from key individuals working in landscape regeneration, ecological restoration or wildlife monitoring.
GATHERINGS
Annual General Meeting
Saturday 25 April 2026
The Birks Cinema, Aberfeldy
2.00 – 4.00pm
Including talk from Anthony McCluskey from Butterfly Conservation about the special butterflies and moths of Highland Perthshire.
Mid-summer gathering, bioblitz and barbeque!
Saturday 21 June 2025
Dùn Coillich main car park
10.00 – 5.00pm
A morning’s bioblitz to identify as many species as we can in one day! Followed by our annual midsummer barbecue – chance to meet up with old friends and make new ones…
Annual General Meeting
Saturday 26 April 2025
The Tryst, Church Road, Pitlochry
2.00 – 4.00pm
Including talk from Jean Oudney, Trustee of the Scottish Wild Beaver Group, on ‘Beavers: Nature’s Engineers”.
Mid-summer gathering and barbeque
Saturday 22 June 2024
Dùn Coillich main car park
2.00 – 5.00pm
Preceded by guided walk from Forest Manager and native tree expert Willie McGhee.
Annual General Meeting
Saturday 27 April 2024
Kynachan Hall, Bridge of Tummel
2.00 – 4.00pm
Including talk on pine martens from natural historian, ecologist and forester, Rob Coope.