Getting up close and personal with busy beavers, majestic red kites and native red squirrels makes this rewilded Scottish retreat the perfect place to get back to nature.

Deep in the woods, our small group huddles close to the river. There’s a murmur of wind through the trees as our guide, Tom Bowser, hands us powerful binoculars. The Argaty estate has been in Tom’s family since 1916, and he’s passionate about creating a haven for nature. This evening, we’re hoping to spot the resident beaver family – and I’m expecting a very long wait. Because nature is unpredictable, right? It’s not the theatre – the performance doesn’t just start because we’re perched on our folding chairs, waiting for it to begin.

However, what happens next takes my breath away. Almost immediately, Tom whispers, ‘There, look! Across the river.’ And because my knowledge of small mammals is pretty much limited to hazy memories of Tales of the Riverbank, I’m astounded as our first beaver appears. Tom catches my surprise: ‘They’re much bigger than you expect, aren’t they?’ He’s right – and they’re fascinating to watch. Soon, more individuals emerge from the enormous and somewhat ramshackle mound of sticks and branches (it’s actually the beavers’ self-built family home, called a lodge). We watch, transfixed, as they groom each other and take to the water, where they swim in a stately fashion as dusk falls.

Tom was instrumental in releasing this beaver family onto the Argaty estate in 2021 and has an intimate knowledge of their habitat. He shows us the dam and system of mini canals they’ve built, and the numerous trees they’ve gnawed to form sharp, pencil-like stumps. ‘They really are engineers,’ he says.

CALL OF THE WILD

As well as focusing on rewilding and eco projects, Tom and his wife, Sarah, manage self-catering accommodation on the estate. We’re staying at Argaty Cottage, a delightful, freshly renovated home with two double bedrooms and one twin. It’s an ideal place for a family – or group of friends – to enjoy a peaceful break on the 1,400-acre estate, which is still a working farm. But this time it’s just me and my husband, Jimmy. The cottage is also cosy for two, with its tasteful soft grey decor and log-burning stove. As it’s a pleasure to cook in the spacious and well-equipped kitchen, we pick up ingredients just a mile away in the nearby picturesque village of Doune.

Aside from the delightful stone-built cottages, independent shops (including a mapmaker) and tranquil riverside walks, the village’s main attraction is its medieval castle. It has featured in Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Game of Thrones, and now fans of Outlander also arrive to gaze in wonder at its magnificent great hall. Back at Argaty, we’ve booked a place on the day’s red kite watch. As the estate is famous for its part in the reintroduction of these birds to Scotland, it really is a must-do. Once our most common bird of prey, red kites had been obliterated by the early 1900s due to relentless persecution by gamekeepers. When the birds were reintroduced in a programme by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Scottish Natural Heritage, Tom’s parents (Niall and Lynn) decided to establish a feeding programme and offer visitors the chance to watch the kites in action.

We gaze from the spacious wooden hide as the birds swoop and dive dramatically for food. And later, we’re treated to a tour of the estate in Tom’s buggy. His enthusiasm is infectious as we arrive at another hide, deep in the forest. Here, red squirrels soon emerge from the woods, lured by a scattering of nuts.

It’s magical – and a privilege – to see these creatures in the wild. And my knowledge of wildlife has shifted up several notches since those old episodes of Tales of the Riverbank.