Highland cow safari, anyone? We’re completely serious: On Airyolland Farm in Luce Valley in Scotland’s Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere, hosts Neale and Janet McQuistin are eager to introduce guests to the world of Highland cattle and Beltex sheep.

Choose a walking tour that wends past a Bronze Age hut circle; a mobile tour in a weather-proof farm trailer; or the Cream Tea Coo Tour where time with a flock of Beltex sheep and Highland cows are followed with a sheep dog demonstration and a delicious cream tea. The farm is located about two hours by car from Glasgow and three hours from Edinburgh, and the program is not offered from Feb. 20 until late March, or for most of November. Note that advance reservations are absolutely necessary.

© VisitScotland

To further your nature experience, book accommodations at the eco-friendly Treehouses at Lanrick, positioned on the River Teith in Perthshire, close to Trossachs National Park. Gorgeous, self-catering treehouses positioned close to the park’s ancient forest setting offer an ideal, nature-focused base for boating, hiking, cycling, canoeing, mountain climbing, or fishing for trout and salmon. Choose from the Willow Warbler, Flycatcher, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Pipet or the multiroom Keeper’s Brothy cabin. Woodburning stoves and decks beneath tree canopies combine with modern luxuries such as electric car charging points and welcome breakfast stashes packed with local breads, eggs and jams. There’s also lovely quirks such as the outside copper baths at Treecreeper and Nuthatch.

© VisitScotland

Add a foraging course to your Scottish nature journey and acquire some mad skills around safely locating wild berries, seeds and edible plants and how to prepare them. Wildwood Bushcraft offers a two-day Coastal Foraging Weekend on the West Coast that includes expert, guided instruction in foraging, fishing, gathering shellfish, setting creels, identifying and harvesting edible seaweeds, fire-lighting, campfire cooking, and more. Or, enjoy a guided foraging walk with Emma of Glasgow-based Curious in Nature. A countryside ranger and member of the Association of Foragers, Botanical Society of Britain and British Mycological Society, Emma leads guided walks in Glasgow, Stirling, Loch Lomond, Trossachs National Park and other areas. Private bookings are available.