ApiScotia Practical Beekeeping Weekend
ApiScotia Practical Beekeeping Weekend
An enjoyable weekend of beekeeping for members who hold the Basic Beekeeping Certificate, who have been keeping bees for a few years, and who are ready and willing to support novice beekeepers to keep bees well.
With very limited places, tickets will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Tickets sales open at 9am on Monday 4th of March
NOTE: Only open to members of the Scottish Beekeepers’ Association
Programme
MEET
Friday 24th May
Join us at 4.00pm for a pre-dinner walk around the extensive Queen Elizabeth Walled Garden, where we’ll focus on planting for pollinators. Your expert guides will be Bron and David Wright, and Melissa Simpson, the Head Gardener.
Sat 25th May & Sun 26th May
LEARN
Our base for the weekend will be the new MacRobert Farming and Rural Skills Centre. Wearing our PPE, we‘ll split into groups and participate in six practical sessions each day, led by our excellent course tutors: Bron and David Wright, Graham Torrie, Margaret Murdin, Matthew Richardson, Stephen Sunderland and Yvonne Davidson.
Across the two days the practical sessions will cover Best Practice in:
| Reading a Colony | Swarm Monitoring |
| Handling Strong Colonies | Double Brood |
| Nosema/Chalk Brood | Bailey Comb Exchange |
| Mentoring | Swarm Management/Nuc Making |
| Varroa | Disease Inspection |
| Beekeeper Safety | Demaree |
SHARE
Relax and get to know others on the course over dinner in the Tamar Manoukian Residential Centre when we all get together.
With breakfast, lunch, and snacks with home baking, included for everyone each day, you won’t go hungry.
Bookings
OPTION 1: STAY FOR THE WEEKEND
Are you ready for an adventure with friends?
We’ve booked the on-site residential centre, aka The Bunkhouse, which comprises separate male and female dormitories with bunk beds for two to eight guests per room. With a variety of extra activities on offer this is going to be the fun place to be.
Course fees and accommodation on
Friday and Saturday nights £270
Make the most of your visit to this lovely estate by staying on site until Monday morning.
Add Sunday night dinner, bed and breakfast for £75.
If this is not for you, there’s alternative luxury accommodation at the Lodge in the grounds of Dumfries House which you can book privately via- https://dumfries-house.org.uk/
OPTION 2: TRAVEL IN EACH DAY
There are plenty of places to stay in the surrounding area with Cumnock a 5-minute drive away, Kilmarnock and the seaside town of Ayr both only 20-minutes’ drive.
The weekend course fee for non-residents is £170, and includes all training sessions, plus lunch and snacks on Saturday & Sunday.
NOTE: Junior members who hold the Basic Beekeeper Certificate are eligible too.
The course and accommodation fee for Juniors is £216 or £136 for non-residents.
Please note that Juniors must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times