Reptile Encounters Scotland

Home
United Kingdom
Stevenston, Scotland
Reptile Encounters Scotland

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Reptile Encounters Scotland, Party Entertainment Service, 4 first Avenue Stevenson, Stevenston.

🦎 Hands-on reptile & invertebrate encounters
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For kids, families & adults
🎉 Parties • Private sessions • Group visits
📍 Stevenston, North Ayrshire
👉 Book online via our website

29/07/2026

🚐 Encounter2U headed to Dalrymple today...

Today we had the pleasure of visiting the Dalrymple, Skeldon & Hollybush Project, where we met lots of inquisitive minds—both young and old—for an afternoon of reptiles, learning and plenty of great questions!

Joining us on today's adventure were:

🦎 Sunshine the Leopard Gecko
🐍 Caramac the Corn Snake
🐍 Sammy the Corn Snake
🐍 Frank the Royal Python
🦎 Blaze the Bearded Dragon

One of the most rewarding parts of these visits is watching confidence grow. Whether someone is fascinated by reptiles from the very beginning or a little unsure at first, it's amazing to see curiosity take over as they learn more about these incredible animals. We were also delighted to spot a familiar face who'd met some of our reptile ambassadors at a previous encounter, and it was wonderful to see that same excitement and curiosity all over again.

A huge thank you to everyone at the Dalrymple, Skeldon & Hollybush Project for making us feel so welcome. We had a fantastic afternoon and hope everyone enjoyed meeting our reptile ambassadors just as much as we enjoyed meeting you.

Our Encounter2U outreach service brings hands-on reptile experiences directly to schools, community groups, care homes, youth organisations and events across Scotland, helping to inspire curiosity, promote responsible reptile keeping and change perceptions—one encounter at a time.

If you'd like Encounter2U to visit your organisation, we'd love to hear from you.

💚 Changing perceptions through education... wherever the journey takes us.

📍 Reptile Encounters Scotland

25/07/2026

💙 Sebastian's journey has been one of patience, trust... and today, a little treat.

When Sebastian, our Blue Tongue Skink, arrived with us after being rehomed through the SSPCA, he wanted very little to do with people.

Having previously been abandoned, he understandably found humans quite frightening. Even standing near his enclosure would often send him disappearing into his hide.

There wasn't a quick fix.

Instead, we let Sebastian set the pace.

Over many weeks we've quietly built trust through gentle husbandry, spending time near his enclosure and gradually hand-feeding insects. Little by little, he's begun to realise that people don't always have to be something to fear.

He's still a work in progress, but every small step feels like a huge achievement.

Today's milestone came completely by accident...

While mixing up food for our crested geckos, we made a little too much. Blue Tongue Skinks can safely enjoy a small amount every now and then as an occasional treat (rather like us enjoying an ice cream!).

Safe to say... Sebastian approved. 😄

Watching him confidently come over to enjoy his little dessert might not seem like much, but for a skink who once hid from every human, it's something we're incredibly proud of.

Our hope is that one day Sebastian will become one of our ambassador animals, helping people learn about reptiles and, just like so many of our other rescued animals, showing that with time, patience and kindness, trust can be rebuilt.

Every animal here has a story.

Some stories just take a little longer to tell. 💚

📍 Reptile Encounters Scotland – Stevenston
🐍 Non-profit reptile sanctuary
💚 Every visit helps us continue giving rescued reptiles the second chance they deserve.

22/07/2026

💚 Changing perceptions... one young person at a time. 🐍

This week we had the pleasure of visiting West Kilbride Out of School Care, taking a selection of our reptile ambassadors along to meet the children.

One moment really summed up why we do what we do.

A few children who began the session feeling genuinely nervous around snakes had built enough confidence by the end to help hold one of our gentle royal pythons.

Not because they had to...

But because they'd spent time asking questions, learning about snakes and discovering that these misunderstood animals aren't quite as scary as they first imagined.

That's exactly what Reptile Encounters Scotland is all about.

Whether we're welcoming families to our sanctuary in Stevenston or visiting schools, youth groups and community organisations, our aim is always the same:

💚 Replace fear with understanding.
🦎 Inspire curiosity.
🐍 Create unforgettable memories.

A huge thank you to everyone at West Kilbride Out of School Care for making us feel so welcome—we had a fantastic time meeting you all and hope to see some familiar faces again soon!

📍 Based in Stevenston, North Ayrshire.
🎟️ Pre-booked family encounters, birthday parties, schools, youth groups and community visits.

16/07/2026

🐍 Happy World Snake Day! 🐍

Today we're celebrating some of the most misunderstood animals on the planet... snakes! 💚

Whether it's the gentle curiosity of Caramac, the impressive size of Tiny, or the calm nature of our royal pythons, every snake here at Reptile Encounters Scotland has helped hundreds of visitors overcome fears, ask questions and discover just how amazing these animals really are.

Despite what many people think, snakes aren't slimy, aggressive or "out to get you." They're intelligent... to a point 😉. They may not be the brightest animals on Earth, but they're perfectly adapted for the lives they lead—and the more you learn about them, the more fascinating they become.

At Reptile Encounters Scotland, our mission is simple: to replace fear with understanding through safe, hands-on experiences where people can meet these incredible ambassadors up close.

Have you ever held a snake before? If so, which species was it? Or if you haven't... which of our snake ambassadors would you most like to meet?

🐍 Happy World Snake Day from all of us (and all of them!) at Reptile Encounters Scotland.

💚 Helping people discover that snakes deserve respect, not fear.

📍 Stevenston, North Ayrshire
🎟️ Pre-booked encounters only

11/07/2026

💚 One Year Ago Today...

One year ago today we welcomed the very first visitors through the doors of Reptile Encounters Scotland.

It's hard to believe just how much has happened since then.

When we opened, our goal wasn't to become the biggest attraction overnight. It was simply to provide a safe, permanent home for reptiles in need while giving people the chance to meet and learn about these incredible animals in a calm, relaxed environment.

Over the past year we've taken things slowly and deliberately.

Rather than asking our animals to take part in lots of sessions straight away, we've introduced each ambassador gradually, allowing them to build confidence at their own pace. Every animal is different, and their welfare has always come before anything else.

Looking back now, we're incredibly proud of what we've achieved together.

We've welcomed hundreds of visitors, worked with schools, charities and care providers, helped children (and quite a few adults!) overcome their fears, and watched countless people leave with a completely different opinion of reptiles than when they arrived.

We've also continued providing permanent homes for reptiles that needed somewhere safe to live out the rest of their lives.

None of this would have been possible without your support.

Whether you've booked a session, recommended us to a friend, shared one of our posts, left a review or simply followed our journey over the last year, you've played a part in helping this little sanctuary grow.

Thank you for believing in what we're trying to achieve.

We're incredibly excited for what Year Two will bring. 💚🦎🐍

If you've visited us during our first year, we'd love to know... Which of our animal ambassadors was your favourite?

03/07/2026

🦎 We've had a fantastic start to the summer holidays, and while looking back through some of the photos from our recent sessions, one little moment still makes us smile... 🐍💚

Caramac, one of our friendly corn snakes, decided that someone's pocket looked like the perfect place to explore.

When it was time to gently encourage him back out, he wasn't quite ready to leave... and instead emerged clinging onto the visitor's glasses, which had been tucked away in the same pocket! 🤣👓🐍

It's moments like these that remind us every animal has its own unique personality, and no two encounters are ever quite the same.

Of course, Caramac wasn't the only star of the day...

Our young visitors also had the opportunity to meet Sebastian the Blue Tongue Skink, Blaze the Bearded Dragon, Tiny the Boa Constrictor and several of our other reptile ambassadors, learning about each species while building confidence and discovering that reptiles aren't nearly as scary as many people imagine.

One of the most rewarding parts of what we do is watching children arrive a little nervous, only to leave smiling, asking questions and proudly holding animals they never thought they'd have the confidence to meet.

💚 Every animal has a story.
🦎 Every session is different.
📚 Every visit is full of learning, laughter and memories that last long after the encounter has finished.

If you're looking for something a little different to do with the family during the summer holidays, we'd love to welcome you to the sanctuary.

📍 Based in Stevenston, North Ayrshire.
📅 Pre-booking is essential due to our licensing requirements.

❓Have you ever had an animal surprise you with its personality? We'd love to hear your stories in the comments!

28/06/2026

🦎 From tiny geckos to impressive snakes... confidence grows one animal at a time. 💚

Another brilliant day here at Reptile Encounters Scotland!

One of the best parts of every session is watching confidence grow with each new animal our visitors meet.

Today's young reptile enthusiast started by gently meeting one of our African Fat-Tailed Geckos before going on to handle Caramac the corn snake, experience the weight of one of our royal pythons and even make friends with one of our curious Ackie monitors.

There's never any pressure to hold every animal—our sessions are designed to move at each visitor's own pace in a relaxed, supportive environment. Whether someone is already reptile mad or a little nervous at first, seeing those smiles as confidence grows is exactly why we do what we do.

If you're looking for something a little different this summer holidays, we'd love to welcome you to the sanctuary for your own reptile encounter.

📍 Stevenston, North Ayrshire
📅 Pre-booking essential

Who would you be most excited to meet first? 🦎🐍

25/06/2026

🌡️ Keeping our reptile ambassadors comfortable during the warmer weather! 🦎❄️

With temperatures remaining unusually high across Scotland, we're making a few temporary adjustments around the sanctuary to help keep everyone comfortable.

One simple measure we're using is placing ice packs on top of some enclosures, allowing cooler air to gently circulate without creating sudden temperature changes inside.

This is just one part of how we carefully monitor our animals during warmer weather, alongside regular temperature checks, fresh water, increased ventilation where appropriate, and adjusting husbandry to suit each individual species.

This little face belongs to Mango, one of our crested geckos, enjoying a slightly cooler environment while the heatwave continues. 🧡

Just like people, every reptile species has different environmental needs, so it's important to understand the requirements of the individual animal rather than assuming all reptiles enjoy extreme heat.

If you're caring for reptiles at home, remember to keep an eye on enclosure temperatures over the next few days and make adjustments where necessary.

Stay cool everyone! ☀️🦎💚

24/06/2026

🦎 Reptiles Are For Everyone 💚

One of the things we love most at Reptile Encounters Scotland is seeing people of all ages discover just how fascinating reptiles can be.

Many visitors arrive having never held a snake or lizard before, but it doesn't take long before curiosity turns into confidence.

Whether you're an experienced reptile enthusiast or meeting one for the very first time, our encounters are designed to be relaxed, educational and welcoming for everyone.

From gentle corn snakes like Caramac to friendly bearded dragons like Blaze, every visit offers the chance to learn something new whilst getting up close with some incredible animals.

Have you ever held a reptile before? Let us know below! 👇

📍 Stevenston, North Ayrshire
🐍 Private & Small Group Encounters Available

23/06/2026

🌡️ Reptile Welfare Reminder 🌡️

While many reptiles enjoy basking temperatures far higher than we do, overheating can quickly become dangerous if appropriate cool areas aren't available.

The National Centre for Reptile Welfare have put together this excellent guide with 10 practical tips for keeping reptiles safe during hot weather.

We thought it was worth sharing with fellow reptile keepers as temperatures continue to rise across Scotland.

Stay safe and keep checking those thermostats! 🦎🐍🐢

Address

4 First Avenue Stevenson
Stevenston
KA203LR

Telephone

+441294442415

Website

http://www.reptileencountersscotland.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Reptile Encounters Scotland posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to Reptile Encounters Scotland:

Want your establishment to be the top-listed Arts & Entertainment in Stevenston?