Celebrate Scotland and scottish wildlife
Celebrate Scotland on St. Andrew’s Day at WWT Arundel Wetland Centre
The squeaks and squawks of the ducks at WWT Arundel Wetland Centre will be drowned out by the trills and drones of bagpipe music on Sat 30 Nov, St Andrews Day. Visit the reserve to Celebrate Scotlandat this new event with live folk music, talks on Scottish wildlife and hot toddies with Glengoyne whisky!
The Solway Piper, Andrew Wheeler of Dumfries Scotland, will mark each hour at WWT Arundel Wetland Centre with a 10 minute performance on a set of Great Highland bagpipes in the visitor gallery. Starting at 11 am, Andrew will play dressed in a traditional Glengarry bonnet, day jacket, sporran and ghillie brogues, with a kilt of ancient MacBeth tartan.
Dave Fairlamb the former manager of WWT Caerlaverock Wetland Centre in Scotland is giving two talks at Arundel on Scottish wildlife entitled ‘Birds of the Scottish Wetlands’ and ‘Caerlaverock: a Blizzard of Wings’ in the Sandpiper Theatre. During October’s migration the numbers of barnacle geese, whooper swans and other wintering birds grow in numbers to their tens of thousands at WWT Caerlaverock in Dumfriesshire.
The local folk band ‘Shipwrecked’ will play 20 minute sets of traditional Scottish folk music in the visitor gallery all afternoon. Group members Anne, Alan, and Martin have had a lifelong interest in folk music and experience on the folk and acoustic music scene. Anne and Alan sing harmony and play guitar while Martin plays Uillean (elbow) pipes.
Hot Toddies made with Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky are available from the tasting bar between 1-4pm. The Glengoyne Distillery takes its name from “Glen Guin” or Glen of the Wild Geese. The distillery is a corporate partner of Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT). Glengoyne opened a new wetlands area in July 2011. The distillery has reduced waste by 25% and deals with it in an environmentally friendly manner.
Visitors can also get crafty with the fruit of the Scottish wetland plant, the cranberry. Sat 30 Nov is the beginning of Craneberry Fest at WWT Arundel, celebrating the connection between cranes and craneberries. Make beautiful cranberry decorations for the Christmas tree during this celebration of our favourite wetland fruit, the cranberry, and an iconic wetland bird, the crane, after which cranberries are named, in partnership with the farmer owned Ocean Spray cranberry cooperative.
All the events of the Celebrate Scotland are included in your admission price to the wetland centre. WWT Arundel Wetland Centre is located on Mill Road, Arundel West Sussex BN9 8PB and open every day except Christmas Day from 9:30am - 4:30pm.
List of Celebrate Scotland activities at Arundel Wetland Centre:
- The Solway Piper plays live on the hour, 11-4pm in visitor centre gallery
- a presentation "Birds of Scottish Wetlands" with Dave Fairlamb, 11:15-11:45 am in the Sandpiper Theatre
- Scottish folk music with the band 'Shipwrecked', 20 minute sets between 12:20-3:40 pm in the visitor centre gallery
- Hot Toddy tastings between 1-4pm in the Kingfisher Room of the visitor centre, made with Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky. (adults only, donations please)
- Cranberry Crafts sessions in the Swan Lake Room of the visitor centre from 1-3pm
- Diving Duck feed featuring Scottish Scoters is at Icelandic Pen at 2pm
- a presentation "Caerlaverock: a Blizzard of Wings" with Dave Fairlamb, 3;45 – 4:15 in the Sandpiper Theatre
- The Water's Edge Cafe menu will reflect a Taste of Scotland - open 9:30am-4pm
