Wild Braemar

So a month ago, if you had told me that I would be raving about dunking myself in freezing water, I would have said you were seriously delusional. However, after having spent a day with Annie Armstrong of Wild Braemar, I am officially raving.Wild Braemar was one of the best parts of our trip to Scotland. Annie is super knowledgeable, fun, and great company. We spent a day with her, first doing a lovely hike through an old growth forest, followed by wild swimming. She had set up a fabulous experience, beginning with snacks in a delightful tent filled with soft sheepskin rugs and beautiful books. The snacks were followed by a dip in very cold water (I edged in literally a micro inch at a time while my partner jumped in). After the dip, we moved to her wood-fired sauna, where we managed to bake enough that we were ready for another dip in the freezing water. All of this in the most gorgeous Scottish highland setting.Annie is passionate about the environment, about her country and town, and she is an example of how we can be more in tune with wildness. I am very grateful to her for sharing her time, skills, and heart with us!I would go back to Braemar just to repeat that experience. It was amazing.

Fantastic guide, Annie took us on a beautiful tour through a hidden little glen we would never have found on our own, followed by a delicious picnic next to a secluded little river pool where we could even have a short dip! Amazing experience, definitely will hire again!

We had a fantastic experience with Annie yesterday. Even the horizontal torrential rain didn’t prevent us from having a great time and immersing ourselves in the River Dee! Annie is a fountain of knowledge and very easy company. Her tipi is amazing and a haven in the blowing Scottish winds! Please do not miss out on this experience when you are visiting Braemar. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. I wish Annie every success.

Great experience would highly recommend

Excellent walking guide and very knowledgeable about local area and nature.

I arranged wild swimming with Annie for guests staying at Candacraig on the River Don. They all had a wonderful time and pushed themselves out of their comfort zone, resulting in a great positive feeling of accomplishment. Annie made the guests feel safe and provided the cosy haven of her wild tent to warm up after the wild swim. Everyone concluded they wanted to do it again!