phoenix falconry

Have just returned from "The Falconry Adventure" with Phoenix Falconry which was the full day trip which included The Falconry Lesson, Meet The Birds and a half day hunt with a GosHawk. There are many places offering Falconry experiences but i am sure you will not find one as professionally run. The owner Adrian has been involved with the birds most of his life(including writing 2 books on the subject) and the knowledge and experience really shows when talking about the various Falcons, Eagles or Owls that he introduces you to. The hunt was the highlight as everyone had a turn to carry the hawk although the best time go do this is Sept/Oct the begining of the season. We only managed to get one rabbit(see pic) although one of the ferrets had a very lucky escape. If you not only want to meet the birds but also learn about them then this is the place.

Great day out with the family. Despite the vegetarian element in my family being very sceptical after watching the introductory video we had a wonderful time here. Very good with young and old alike. We did the meet the birds experience and it was absolutely one of the highlights of our recent holidays. Adrian was very good.....witty, informative and good with the children. Fascinating finding out about the birds and having a bald eagle on your arm is something not to forget! Vary good value too (especially compared to the Gleneagles prices...)

Visited recently and was absolutely stunned at the experience. This was an excellent gift, myself and girlfriend both really enjoyed it. The venue is clean and tidy, also the individual stalls for the birds are well kept. Adrian knows so much about falconry and everthing else connected with it which he is happy to share. We both learnt so much as well enjoying just seeing the birds. We were shown around the venue before being taken out to the area to fly the birds. Adrian spoke about each bird of prey in turn. With out a doubt the bald eagle was my favourite but all the birds were beautiful and very well trained. I would definitely recommend this experience to my friends and family, I would do this experience again!

I bought the "meet the birds experience" + one spectator for my partner and me ( me being a little chicken ) the full experience from start to finish was more than worth the buck. The owner was welcoming, informative and so enthusiastic about his birds, all of which looked beautiful, and impeccably cared for. The experience was not only interesting but completely hands on. My partner had the privilege of flying some of the most amazing birds we have seen. I can quite honestly say, ofAll the outdoor experience days we have tried our hand at. This. By far was the best. Next time. I won't just be spectating :)

Hands down the best falconry experience I've had. Beautiful birds which are clearly well cared for and well loved, a guide who is very knowledgeable, personable and clearly loves his job, a small group so plenty of chances to hold and fly the birds (including a bald eagle - no messing about here!) and a cup of tea afterwards. Lovely.

Excellent service from extremely professional people with a true passion for the birds great knowledge and happy to answer questions, will defo be back in the near future.... :-D

We had a wonderful day at this Falconry Centre. The site is impressive: the birds are housed in spotless areas, and the care shown to them is exemplary. We felt honoured to be trusted with letting the birds land on our gloves. These well trained birds showed us their intelligence and fun, and we had a great time interacting with them. In the afternoon we went hunting. Watching the birds doing what comes naturally to them was quite magnificent. Adrian , the owner of the facility, is a devoted carer for the birds, and very knowledgable about his craft. We will recommend this place to friends, but we will also tell them to take boots or wellies for the hunting session!

Well worth the visit the best Christmas my wife has ever bought me. Professional knowledgeable friendly staff. I purchased a couple vouchers as presents for Xmas.

my friend and I were just passing though to see what it was all about; even though u need to book a session we got lucky and the friendly staff did a special one off session!! it was one of the best thing i have ever done! Thanking the everyone at the school.i will never forget this experience. Highly recommended!

First off.. we had a lot of trouble finding the place as the GPS in our rental car could not figure it out. it's a bit out of the way. Once there we did not expect such a large group for the 3 hour falconry. we got to handle several birds of prey including a bald eagle and got an education about falconry, Much respect for that and the present was extremely knowledgeable. After the the third or fourth bird it was getting a little repetitious. and it took a while to go down the line of a dozen or more people so that everyone had a chance handle the birds. It was a unique experience and I'm glad to say I was able to do it. I think if the group we were in was smaller it would have been a much more intimate experience.

I'd read about Phoenix Falconry on TripAdvisor and thought me and my husband might want to give it a try. We were very fortunate to book an appointment during the early part of September. Tom was an excellent guide bringing us through the bird holding pens and describing all the different breeds of these beautiful birds. He even allowed me the chance to hold a Himalayan owl briefly before we progressed on to our Experience 1 tour of the day. Since we were only two visitors that morning, it was a great pleasure to have a "private tour" with Tom. Our Harris Hawk experience was first rate and it was amazing to interact many times with this extremely intelligent bird. It was a memorable experience and well worth a second visit to interact with these other birds of prey.

My wife and I arrived at the Phoenix Falconry in Scotland, and were greeted by Adrian. I immediately liked his welcoming, engaging, and pleasant personality. We started the day by watching two documentaries about birds of prey. Adrian narrated the documentaries.... from memory......and not by following a written script. You discover very early in the process that Adrian is not some novice bird handler as he is well published (three must-read books) and respected in the scientific community. Adrian is extremely well-learned, intelligent, knowledgeable, and eloquent, and is a Master Falconer with many years of practical experience and academic research. And it shows. Every behavior, movement, and action of the birds of prey was scientifically explained by Adrian. I do not remember the price we paid for this memorable experience. Whatever the price was, it is not enough as you receive and experience so much. The awe of having a hawk, falcon, and a Bald Eagle swoop down from atop a tree, only to land on your arm is truly difficult to explain in words. This is not a petting zoo or some cheap petting cage where the handler places a chained and drugged bird of prey on your arm. The demonstrations are real and will deeply touch you.The demonstrations for the owls, hawks, and falcons will impress you. The birds of prey were truly fascinating. I am confident that you will enjoy every minute of the demonstrations. What steals the show, however, ....is Adrian himself..with his amazing knowledge and personality.

This is without a doubt a great experience, instructor( Adrian) has some 30years experience and was informative and so knowledgeable of the birds. The whole 3 hours plus was enthralling. As with most people booking this it is something I have always wanted to do and believe me you will not be disappointed. I live on the Isle of Skye and we see many birds of prey and marvel at their presence constantly so to have their way of life explained in such a definitive manner was very interesting to us. After the informative session the actual flying of the birds is an experience you will never forget. The session is very well organised and the safety aspect is very well enforced. Where located you can be at the mercy of the weather ( we were lucky) glad we took the whole "Pheonix Experience" as the informative session is well worth taking a great afternoon and worth every penny

My husband got me the Phoenix Experience for my birthday, and it didn't disappoint! We heard all about the way the birds are trained and how they are differently adapted to suit their hunting styles. Finding out about all the falconry terms which have worked their way into our language was also fascinating. The birds themselves stole the show, though. Particular highlights included the bald eagle, the caracara and a Himalayan owl which made everybody smile. Seeing them so close was an absolute privilege, and nothing can compare to the feeling of them landing on your wrist! Definitely recommended.

So glad I checked Trip Advisor for suggestions on activities in Perthshire, as Phoenix Falconry is not advertised anywhere (that I have seen). We have been coming to the area for 25 years and never knew about this well-kept secret. I had wanted to book Meet the Birds, due to the cost, but we only had a couple of days, so we took what was available. I called on Monday, and we booked The Phoenix Experience for Wednesday. There were 6 in our party, including two children (age 8), three adults, and one senior. We were joined by two other parties, bringing the total to 12. I would have preferred a smaller group, but then we wouldn't have benefited as much from Adrian's encyclopedic knowledge. I am also grateful that Adrian allowed our kids to participate, as they are younger than are typically allowed. Our experience was about 4.5 hours, and we loved every minute of it! The true testament to how wonderful it was is that my kids never once asked how much longer it would be! It was easy for them to understand everything that Adrian was saying about the birds and their natural history, morphology, and the history of falconry. We hung on every word. Even my mom, a lifelong birder and board member of CT Audubon, learned a ton. We started out with a Harris' Hawk, and it was with this bird that we spent the most time, with Adrian demonstrating proper handling techniques. Even the kids were able to fly it! Our second bird was a Himalayan Eagle Owl- what a stunning creature! We also were able to fly a Serpent Eagle, falcon hybrid (one of only three in the world!), Striated Cara Cara (endemic to the Falkland Islands, and the most intelligent of all birds), Bald Eagle, and an 11 week old black Gyrfalcon. Not only did we fly these birds, but also got to see them perform amazing feats that demonstrated each one's strengths. The Harris' Hawk was flown through someone's encircled arms. The falcon hybrid chased a lure in the air. The Cara Cara ran back and forth through a tunnel in an intricate pattern, much as a dog on an agility course. Adrian also demonstrated a new falconry technique, which is using a drone to train the birds! The birds were in immaculate condition; obviously well-cared for. Adrian was very safety-conscious, both where the birds and the humans were concerned. We shied away at the cost at first, but in the end, felt that it was worth every penny. We learned so much, and everyone raved about the experience, even the kids. Adrian is the only Master Falconer in Scotland, so I am sure this experience is often copied by lesser outfits, but it could never be duplicated. We will absolutely be back!!