07:30 – Dusk
Available Year Round
The Kingfisher Photography Hide is spacious inside and has ample room for 4 people plus storage space.
Meeting will be 730am Ringford Village DG72AL except from the start of November through until the end of February. In this period it will be 830am start.
From here you follow the hide operator in your OWN vehicle approximately 2 miles to the site.
This can only be booked through the website from October through until the end of March.
From April until the end of September it is email ONLY as things can be slow in this period due to low water levels or if they are on eggs. Email address is alanmcfadyen@ymail.com
The walk to the hide from where you park is only 2 minutes along a pathway
You are supplied with Gimbal plates so if you have a gimbal head that is ideal, but beanbags and tripods are also fine.
Woman’s toilets are also on site which are clean and kept to a high standard. Please remember to ask for the toilet code from the hide operator first thing in the morning before he leaves you for the day.
This hide is set up for perched and also has a diving pool available, however this isnt always available all year round and if this is why you wish to book please email alanmcfadyen@ymail.com prior to booking to check if it is on offer. It will only be available when visits are very regular. It is important to know that all parties must be in agreement if the diving pool is to be used on your day. The reason being that not every photographer has the correct equipment to do diving and it wouldnt be fair on them.
For perched images 400mm to 500mm full frame is best.
For the diving pool you are needing around 200mm focal length on a full frame camera. We recommend to use a beanbag or better still a gimbal head. Its also worth bringing a wireless remote in case there are 3 or 4 people on the diving as it is extremely tight to have 3 sitting together at the diving pool and impossible to have 4.
We feel this diving pool is better designed than the few others that are available in the UK.
With most of the others your camera is outside the hide all day so you can not check your images, but we have chose to design it so you can shoot from the hide which means you have the chance to view images and change any camera settings required throughout the day. This is a huge plus, especially on days with changing light levels.
We have made things as simple as possible so no matter what level of photography you are at this hide will give you great images.
It really is as straightforward as could be so do not be intimidated if you are a novice. At the start of your day you will be shown how to set up.
There is to be no messing about with the set-up in anyway apart from changing perches. This should only be done a minute or two after the Kingfisher has visited and left.
Disturbance must be kept to a minimum.
Do not wander in and out of the hide unless completly neccessary
No gaps in the netting making yourself visible in any way from outside.
No sudden lens movements
Noise to be kept to a minimum
Please take all your litter home
The site is covered by CCTV with audio.
Anyone found to be flouting the rules will not be welcome back to any hides run by Scottish Photography Hides.
PLEASE NOTE: You can stay in the hide until sunset however there is no obligation on the time you spend in the hide and its entirely up to you how long you give it.
Meeting Point
Beside the War Memorial at, Ringford, DG7 2AL
Meeting Time
Monday-Sunday: 07:30am March through until end October
Monday-Sunday: 08:30am November through until end of February
Photography Hide Facilities
Terms & Conditions
By booking this photography workshop you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions.
Additional Information
During the Winter months it can get cold in the hide therefore warm clothing is advised. For this time we recommend thermal leggings and tops with a couple of layers on top. Dark upper clothing is also desirable.
Toilets are available for Females only.
Available: All Year
Max Participants: 4 Persons
Lenses: 200mm (diving) and 300-500mm (perched)
Plates are in the this hide so a gimble heads can be used
Meeting Point & Time
Meeting March through to end October is 07:30am and from November through to the end of February it is 0830am meeting. This will be beside the War Memorial at, Ringford, DG7 2AL . There is a detailed desription plus a photo under “meeting points” on the top bar
It is important that clients are there sharp as the hide manager only has a 30 minute window and if you are even 1 minute late you may loose your day. We run under an extremly tight schedule so please be aware of this. It would also be appreciated if you could be suited and booted and have all required kit ready prior to the meeting. Thanks in advance.
FAQ
From the 7:30am start you can finish whenever you wish. However we advise that you stay until the light fades so that you maximise your chances of capturing your intended subjects. Another reason we encourage you to stay is the best light at this hide is the last few hours of the day.
Because of our schedule we cannot meet any later than this. However if you have been before then it can be arranged that you make your own way up. Please note the cost is the same as you are still taking a place up for that particular day.
It is our policy not to give out our number as in the past it caused to much hassle as we were receiving calls all day and night. We were forced to make the decision to only deal with emails, Facebook messenger or Instagram messages.
No, you are greeted at the meeting point then are told to follow the site manager to the hide where you park up. The hide is only a short walk from here.
NO, All bait must be supplied by Scottish Photography hides.
If you would like a hide to yourself the number of seats in that particular hide must be paid for.
Only if no other clients are using the hide that day.
Unfortunately no, We do our best to attract them regularly and have a high hit rate. Of course there will be days a no show occurs, but we are dealing with wildlife here so you must understand this can happen.
If the cancelation occurs within one month of the hide date you will unfortunately lose your day altogether. If it is over a month away you will be able to choose another date that must be taken within a 12 month period of the cancelation. With Covid-19 being a factor in recent times we have extended this period to 2 years. However no refunds will be issued on any cancelations.
