I reckon I’ve got a solid Glaswegian accent in my arsenal. Outside of the region, I’m not sure how helpful it is. I need more time on the ground in Scotland to test the waters and see what I can get away with. I did actually try it at the petrol station recently, but I wasn’t brave enough to enter discourse further than “Pump 4 please” and “Cheers” on my latest trip up north north. It’s for that reason that I can’t confidently state the name of the place I just visited: Auchingarrich.
Found close to where we were staying in Comrie, Auchingarrich is a family-friendly wildlife centre that my two just couldn’t get enough of.
I would have thought that my two would be wildlifed–out by now, having been on at least one big animal-centred adventure every two weeks since hospitality opened up in May, but absolutely not. They were excited to be able to find out what kinds of wonders they could discover in Scotland and they weren’t disappointed. Nestled in a picturesque location (as much of this part of Scotland naturally is) is a massive outdoor animal centre and play area called Auchingarrich.
With the play section found basically at the entrance, the boys got a great first impression of the place. They got to try out fun park activities, made all the better thanks to the hilly terrain, with llamas beside them and chickens roaming freely beside them. They obviously had no intentions of leaving this bit, because there was so much fun to be had. However, it was just the start of the many things they could enjoy there.
As I go through all the pictures and check out the information leaflet, I’m reminded that we got up close and personal with alpacas, pigs, wallabies, emus, owls, marmosets, ponies, deer and so much more. It was a proper mix bag of animals and not the kind of selection we’re used to seeing elsewhere. As well as the outdoor section, there’s an indoor one where you can feed guinea pigs, tortoises, rabbits and the like lettuce.
To end things off, they’ve got a nice café for you to settle down at. They do a great kids box. Plus – the outdoor seating of the café overlooks the play area, so you can leave them to explore once they’re done.
It’s the kind of place that you can come back and enjoy again and again. My boys are 3 and 4.5 and they loved how spacious, interactive and never-ending the place seemed to be. It’s the type of place really worth travelling for and, if like us you get good weather, you won’t want to leave.
Find all the details on their website – which gets bonus points for using the perfect exact match .co.uk domain.
