These exclusive falconry days in Edinburgh will see you meet and work with an impressive collection of birds of prey on a one to one basis and the setting for these experiences is absolutely stunning too. The 13th century Dalhousie castle sits in 700 acres of Scottish woodland, providing the perfect backdrop for your raptor encounter.
The 'Ultimate' falconry voucher offers an all encompassing experience that will have you enthralled with a short history of the birds and plenty of time to enjoy close encounters with the likes of hawks, owls and buzzards, as well as seeing the agility and speed of the falcons. The 'Platinum' experience extends your time to include a hawk walk - where you get to see the hawks deftly weaving in and out of the trees showing off exactly why they are the 'wolves of the sky' as the only birds of prey to hunt in packs. The 'Platinum' falconry experience also allows you to fly one of the centre's amazing Steppe or Tawny Eagles.
Opting for the 'owl experience, you'll learn about the habitats, hunting and behaviour of these ever-popular birds and you will meet indigenous British species of owl such as the Tawny, Barn and LIttle Owls as well as rarities such as the Mexican Striped, European Eagle and Bengal Eagle and Boobook Owls. And in keeping with a certain Harry Potter, you can handle the Snowy and Grey Owls too.
All in all, this range of one to one falconry experiences in Edinburgh offers lots of 'hands on' time with these beautiful birds and you can even share your experience with loved ones, as you can take along two spectators to follow you on your experience to take photos of you handling the birds, enjoy the atmosphere and share your moment too.
All experiences will begin with a welcome, short discussion on the history of falconry and introduction with the birds of prey. Ultimate experiences last for 2 ½ hours and include handling and flying a selection of species including Hawks, Owls, Buzzards and Falcons. Platinum experiences last for 3 ½ hours and include handling and flying a selection of owls, a buzzard, Harris Hawk and finishing with either a steppe eagle or tawny eagle. The Owl Encounter allows you to meet, learn about, handle and fly a large variety of owls. Including British, Tawny, barn, European Eagle, Bengal Eagle, Mexican striped, Boobook and Snowy Owls.
Experiences run on a pre-booked basis and dates can be made available upon request.
These experiences take place in the stunning grounds of the Dalhousie Castle Hotel in Bonnyrigg, approximately 8 miles from the centre of Edinburgh.
Platinum experiences require a minimum age of 18 due to the handling of an Eagle. All other experiences require a minimum age of 9. All participants under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
A maximum of 2 spectators per participants are permitted. A fee of £15 per person will apply and is payable on the day of the experience. There is a relaxing lounge area onsite serving tea and coffee as well as a bistro serving meals and snacks. There is a gift shop onsite.