Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre

A good place to see and feed some animals. We went on an overcast day during school holidays to this wildlife park. Paths vary from tarmac to loose gravel and the whole site is on a hill. Most was OK for a powerchair but would be hard work pushing a wheelchair. I often reclined by chair to going down the steep bits. There were a few hoses crossing one path which dragged when wheeling over. There was a picnic area overlooking the play area accessed by a steep grass slope which was OK as it was dry. It was good to be able to feed the animals and see animals that aren't native in the UK. It felt a little run down in places. The reception staff were friendly. There was an accessible toilet.

We went with our granddaughters and their parents. Although the girls (ages 5 and 7 had been the previous week with their other grandparents they really wanted a repeat visit. I was pleasantly surprised to find nearly all areas of the park were accessible to my mobility scooter, and delighted that our dog was welcome on a lead in most areas. (He was not allowed near the wildcat enclosures or in the cafe) There were enough indoor areas to attract should the weather be unsettled. The girls loved holding the newly hatched chicks , and close encounters with a tortoise. We bought bags of food and they enjoyed feeding the greedy goats. There was plenty of outdoor play equipment in an excellent playground and an indoor play barn. The cafe had excellent reasonably priced food, and views over the glen to die for. A thoroughly good day out

When out for a drive during our stay, we saw a ‘brown sign’ pointing to a wildlife centre 9 miles and thought we would go and find it. It seemed to be an awful long nine miles but it took us through some lovely scenery. On reaching the turn of for Auchingarrich, I did have my doubts as we made our way up the rough road but I have to say, we are very glad that we did. Not knowing what to expect, I was surprised (pleasantly) at the number of animals within the centre – Marmosets, Lemurs, porcupines being amongst the more unusual ones. Personally I loved the tartan sheep and had a close encounter with a rabbit with whom I could have spent hours with. Oh, and I have to give special mention to the tartan sheep – how superb are those