Welcome to Wild at Heart!

Wildlife conservation holidays, family holidays, nature retreats and specialist marine wildlife breaks. Located in the stunning and unspoilt region of Moray Speyside, near the Scottish Highland capital of Inverness.

Come and stay in our beautiful eco-friendly accommodation and enjoy a short break or longer holiday, guided by expert wildlife biologists.

New & Very Special: Whales and Wildlife photography holiday to California, full details

  

Watch dolphins from shore, the best place in the UK! Learn about nature conservation, from bees to seals.

NEW: Scroll to the bottom of the page to watch a video of the local dolphins - all taken during Wild at Heart holidays.

 On a Wild at Heart holiday there's so much to experience. Get involved with practical wildlife conservation and seal research; go dolphin, seal and bird watching with knowledgeable experts; unravel nature's mysteries with wildlife tracking and bushcraft; try your hand at nature based art projects and environmental games; find your inner quiet with nature writing and journaling, or learn new skills such as wool felting and willow weaving.

Go to the Find a Holiday page for more details or Contact Us.

Wild at Heart is based at Newbold House; a beautifully maintained Victorian mansion, in 7 acres of beautiful grounds, run as a nature and wellbeing centre. You can choose to stay in one of our lovely rooms or the more rustic option of a comfortably outfitted, vintage themed, canvas bell tent.

 

Side view of Newbold House and Victorian conservatory                  Cosy interior of a bell tent

Fancy learning some practical sustainable living skills as well? Go to our Accommodation page to find our what else is on offer at Newbold House, including bread baking, hen keeping and organic gardening. 

 

Poppy the Wild at Heart dog; favourite sport - chicken watching!        The bee-friendly wildflower garden

Wildlife Conservation Holidays

"More than a holiday, more than a travel experience, more a completely new way of looking at wildlife and life in general, including our own...could well be a life changing experience for both of us" Alison Nichol-Smith and son Miles (aged 14), April 6th 2012.

Develop a deeper connection with native British wildlife and make a real difference with our wildlife conservation holidays. From attracting and supporting wildlife in your garden, to learning sea mammal research skills, this holiday takes you on a journey of discovery and reveals the mysteries of the natural world. Details, dates and prices.

Nature Retreats

A deeply relaxing and rejuvenating short break or longer holiday where Nature does the Nurturing. Come alone, as a couple, or with friends. Includes the perfect balance of nature and wildlife based activities, holistic therapies and time for relaxation and de-stressing. Details, dates and prices

Wild at Heart Family Holidays

Memorable family holidays for all ages including wildlife watching, boat trips, forest skills, beach activities, arts & craft projects, campfires and storytelling. Fully inclusive at our Newbold House base, or self catering with our friends at Tullochwood Lodges. Parents/adults can choose to join in with the kids or sometimes just relax and unwind while we entertain the children nearby. Details, dates and prices

Coastal Wildlife Breaks

A unique opportunity to spend time exploring the Moray Firth and its stunning wildlife with an experienced marine biologist and dolphin expert, our founder Deborah Benham (PhD). This area is famous for its resident population of dolphins, the biggest and most northerly bottlenose dolphins in the world. Our local bay is home to a large population of common seals and a huge variety of waders and wild fowl. A short distance away there are extensive seabird cliffs which offer wonderful opportunities to see nesting gannets. Deborah has worked with the dolphins and other wildlife in this area for the last seven years and can share a wealth of information and stories about these amazing animals.

Details, dates and prices

   

Video of dolphins all taken during Wild at Heart holidays, both from land and responsible, acrredited boat trips. Music kindly provided by Session A9. Find out more about this fantastic Scottish band on their website http://www.sessiona9.com