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Doune · Wildlife
Argaty Red Kites with kids: feeding time, the hide and planning your visit
Wild red kites swoop down for food while a ranger explains how they returned to Scotland. You watch from the main hide, reached by a short uphill walk from the car park. Plan around the afternoon feeding visit and bring warm layers, even though the hide gives you shelter.
- Best for
- Patient wildlife fans, roughly 6+; younger children welcome
- Cost
- Adult £12; ages 6–16 £5; under-6s free. Online fees extra.
- Weather
- Sheltered hide; outdoor walk and cold sitting time
- Time to allow
- Around two hours overall; ranger visit about 1½ hours
Our family take
We would choose Argaty for a child who is already curious about birds and happy to watch and listen. Interested primary-age children, roughly six and up, are the strongest fit. Younger children are welcome too, but a 90-minute ranger visit asks more patience than an outing where they can keep moving.
- Wild birds. Sightings and the number of kites vary; feeding does not guarantee a particular display.
- The walk to the hide. Allow for a 350m sloping approach. Arrange any lift or access assistance with Argaty before booking.
The practical details
Plan your visit
- Prices and booking
- Published base prices: adult £12; child aged 6–16 £5; under-6s free; family of two adults and two children £29. Direct online fees are extra: checked totals were £12.60 adult, £5.25 child and £30.45 family. Advance booking is advised; check the total for your chosen date.
- Feeding tour times
- 1:45pm from 21 February–31 October; 1:15pm from 1 November–20 February. The ranger-led visit lasts about 1½ hours. These are tour start times, not the site’s opening hours.
- Site hours
- Usually 9am–5pm almost every day, with some closures for farming. Check closed dates on the booking calendar.
- Access to the hide
- A hard, winding path slopes uphill for about 350m. The hide has a ramp, level entrance and low viewing windows. Contact Argaty before booking if you need assistance; a lift depends on staff availability.
- Getting here
- Free parking at Lerrocks Farm, including accessible spaces. The final road is narrow and winding; use the visitor car park beyond the buildings, not the private farm drive.
- Without a car
- There is no public transport directly to Argaty. Take a taxi from Stirling or Dunblane station; prebook the taxi if arriving at Dunblane.
Accessible toiletsPacked lunch spaceFree ParkingMain Red-kite Viewing HideVisitor Centre
9 October 2026
Check red-kite feeding tour dates and tickets (official)A little more detail
Make it work for your family
Will younger children enjoy it?
Under-six children can join free. A younger child who loves birds may enjoy the visit, especially with an interested older sibling. If your child needs frequent movement or quickly loses interest in watching, think about how they will manage the time in the hide.
The shelter does not make this a warm indoor outing. You still walk outdoors and can feel cold while sitting, so bring layers and waterproofs. A snack and a toilet stop before heading uphill can make the session easier.
What happens during the feeding visit?
The ranger tells the story of red kites in Scotland as you watch wild birds come down for a small supplementary feed. This is wildlife watching, so the number of birds and what you see change with the season and the day.
Allow around two hours altogether for arrival, toilets, walking and the approximately 90-minute ranger-led visit. That overall allowance is our planning estimate. Squirrel hides, photography hides and beaver experiences need their own bookings; the main feeding tour does not include them.
Buggies, wheelchairs and assistance
The 350m path has a hard surface, seats and a gentle slope, but it still means pushing uphill with a buggy. Argaty describes the path and main hide as suitable for electric wheelchairs. The hide entrance has a permanent ramp and a 900mm doorway, with low windows for seated viewing.
If walking or pushing uphill would decide the visit, speak to the team before booking. A lift may be possible in a four-wheel-drive vehicle or ATV, but qualified staff need to be available. Ask about your particular buggy or wheelchair and any transfer needs. Argaty has a complimentary personal-assistant ticket policy; arrange this directly when booking.
Food, toilets and the visitor centre
Bring your own food and drinks. There are picnic tables outside and tables inside the visitor centre, or you can head into Doune for food. Take your rubbish home.
Toilets, including an accessible toilet, are beside the visitor centre near the car park, so use them before the walk to the hide. If you need baby changing, ask the team about the current facilities before travelling.
Direct-booking terms and dogs
For direct Argaty bookings, cancellations or changes need at least 72 hours’ notice. Within 72 hours, a refund or reschedule depends on the slot being filled by another visitor. Read the terms for the booking route you use. Dogs on leads are welcome at the daily feeding, but cannot accompany visits to the woodland and kite photography hides.
Choosing your animal day
Argaty is a focused wildlife visit with time spent watching and listening. Nearby Blair Drummond Safari Park gives you a broader animal day with play breaks if that suits your children better. We would choose one as the main plan rather than rush between the two around feeding time.
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