If you're used to an urban environment, you will find Airds a truly different experience.   A walk of few metres from the guest house brings you into Airds Glen, an area of rough  grass and woodland, free of livestock at all times, left entirely for the benefit of nature.   In the spring, as the lower left picture looking over Loch Ken from Airds Glen shows, whin bushes blaze with yellow blossom.   Buzzards will be seen soaring overhead or perching in the treetops.  Within the woodland, at the same time, bluebells carpet the ground as seen in the right hand picture.

Airds was classified as an ESA (environmentally sensitive area) and over the past few years or so, as a result of our participation in the scheme in conjunction with the Scottish Executive, we have been able to rebuild some of the dry stane dykes.  The new scheme starting 2006 is known as RSS (Rural Stewardship Scheme) and involves further developments such as growing crops to be left unharvested for birds to eat, planting hedges and creating two further ponds.

Pictures above show seed being sown for the crops and a row of hedge planting protected from stock by a double fence.

Sunflowers in a field of tritikale, quinoa & kale                            Pond construction