Dunachtonmore Farm

Explorer Tom At Highland Wildlife Park near Kincraig, your first safari instruction is wonderfully simple: stay in the car and let the elk, bison and vicuña make their own plans. The drive-through reserve is the unusual beginning; after that, the walking areas let you meet more animals at a human pace. Bring curiosity, a coat, and absolutely no sandwiches for the bison. The park is run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, whose work here includes caring for animals and telling visitors about conservation. Its reserve holds hoofed species including Eurasian elk, bison and vicuña. Seeing an animal is never guaranteed; one may nap instead of performing for your camera. Quite right too. Nobody offers you a refund when you hide behind the sofa on a wet Sunday. Follow the park's rule in the vehicle section: remain inside your car and never feed the animals. You can drive the reserve again if your first circuit misses someone, although severe weather may close that section, especially with winter snow or ice. Walking paths and animal areas add a second sort of visit. The park opens seven days a week apart from Christmas Day, but its hours change by season and tickets can sell out, so check and book before setting off. The combination works beautifully: wild-looking Highland ground outside the windscreen, then a chance to slow down and learn why the residents matter beyond a good photograph. It is a wildlife park, so patience beats a frantic species checklist. If the bison declines your starring role, watch the reserve around it; that broad landscape has a personality of its own, and it never asks you to wave at a lens.

Explorer Tom Insh Marshes spreads across the Spey floodplain near Kingussie, where pools, wet grass and birds make a far better argument for lingering than Tom's promise to identify every feather by name. Three trails lead through woodland and towards the marsh; the ground is softer than his confidence. Start slowly, and let the water show you what this valley does when it has room to breathe. The reserve covers about ten square kilometres between Kingussie and Kincraig. Curlews, lapwings, redshanks and snipes breed in its wet grasslands, while other birds use the place as seasons change. The conservation work is active: managers are undoing old drainage damage and adjusting grazing so the floodplain can function as habitat again. Sheep, cattle and ponies may share parts of the reserve. It is not a neat garden, and that is precisely why the marsh matters. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds manages the reserve and provides three nature trails. Walk quietly and watch for the movement of a wader at the pool edge, or just look at cloud and hillside reflected in the water. Trails are narrow, uneven and unsurfaced in places; conditions can be wet even when the sky looks friendly. There are no toilets on site. The main entrance lies east of Ruthven Barracks on the road from Kingussie, with a small car park. The reserve is open around the clock and entry is free, but daylight gives you a fairer chance of seeing its inhabitants. Keep dogs short-led during nesting season and near livestock. Bring binoculars if you have them; the marsh will offer a view with or without a checklist.