Aviemore Things to Do

As a frequent visitor to Aviemore I’ve often seen the steam train as it enters or leaves the station, and wondered about trying it out.

On a cold, wet & windy August Sunday (yes, it’s Scotland) when we’d planned on being at the Grantown Highland Games, we gave it a go.

Definitely a fun way to spend a couple of hours. It would have been better if the low cloud had not been hiding the mountains.

The train runs 10.5 miles to Broomhill (and then back). Broomhill is 3 miles from Grantown on Spey, and they are fundraising to extend the line into Grantown. If more convenient, you can start your trip at Broomhill or Boat of Garten.

We just travelled touroid class, but you can go in 1st or in the restaurant car and enjoy a lunch on the way.

In Aviemore the train leaves from platform 3 at the mainline station, and that’s where you get your tickets. We got a family fare for 2 adults and 2 teenagers. Check the website for timetables and more information.

Should a coffee shop be on "things to do", or under "restaurants"?

Ah well, here goes...

This place is great. Excellent coffee, plus croissants and other goodies to eat with it. Internet access, lots of seating, right on the main street...ideal place to hang out for a while.

Only slight downside is that parking is very tight there. I usually use the nearby public car park, and fork out a massive £0.60 for the privilege.

Its a frequent stopover for me on the way north/south. Good to break the journey, stretch the legs, get 10 minutes fresh air, and fuel up for the rest of the trip.

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An adventure centre set in beautiful pine and birch woods.

My 15 y-o son spent Saturday afternoon there with his Scout buddies, and loved it.

Check out the website for current prices, opening times & attractions.

He said the food outlets were a bit expensive - fact of life, I'm afraid. He had a picnic lunch anyway. You can always eat before you go and watch the kids chuck it up!

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Our second visit here in March 09, about 7 years after the first one.

It is run by The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which also owns Edinburgh Zoo. The main attraction was a newly arrived pair of Amur tigers, from the Russian far east.

You drive around part of the park (bison, wild horses, yak, reindeer etc) and walk the rest.

Very good cafeteria to warm us up and dry us out after exposure to the Scottish elements in early March.

£29 for 2 adults & 1 child.

The Forestry Commission is a big presence locally, and it has a small visitor centre at Glenmore.

Useful information about the local habitat and wildlife, plus a good cafe where you can take a rest and get a good cup of coffee.

No charge to go in, but you have to pay to park!

You can see unusual stuff in the area. Ospreys are almost common now. My son saw ptarmigan when he was skiing up on the mountain.

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Someone, somewhere gave permission for someone to build a funicular railway up to the summit of Cairngorm - the 6th highest mountain (OK, hill...) in the UK.

It's in the middle of a nature reserve (or is it a national park) and a very fragile environment. That seems to count for nothing in the face of economic progress.

They've built a "visitor centre" - small exhibition, expensive gift shop, expensive bar/restaurant, viewing gallery - at the top. You're not allowed to leave the building in case you damage the environment! All you can do is spend money in the shop or restaurant and then catch the next train down.

Of course the mountain is covered in hillwalkers, the paths they've created, ski lifts and tows etc., to say nothing of the railway itself. All that must be different in some way that I've still to work out.

I went to see for myself, having heard all about it in the media at the time of permission being applied for and given, and then when it was completed.

Trying to be honest and unbiased, its a disgrace. Its an 8 minute ride to the top. 75% of the year it's raining up there, and 20% of the time it's snowing. You can see about 200m (that's right, we missed the sunny 5%).

It cost £15 for my 14 y/o son and me. I'm sure they have family rip offs, and season ticket rip offs too.

The pictures on this tip were taken from the car park, where at least the landscape was visible (but hard to photograph because the car park swallows up the foreground).

Verdict - glad I went to see for myself, but it's an awful indictment of the human endeavour.

No not the high priced salmon stuff (Spey runs through town).
We went to a trout farm (Rothiemurchus, I think) and spent a cheap, fun time catching nothing. We were told that was impossible, but we managed it!

This is the bridge, one of the most photographed in Scotland. The lively village surrounding it boasts that it was the first ski village in Scotland, has the not-to-be-missed world porridge championships and other attractions that pale into insignificance after that.
Erected by Brigadier-General Sir Alexander Grant of Grant in 1717 for estate purposes to provide passage for foot passengers, horses and stock and for funerals to Duthil Churchyard, hence its other local name "the coffin bridge". The bridge took six months to built and cost ?100. The specification for the bridge stated that it should be of "ane reasonable Breadth and Height as will Receive the water when in the greatest speat." And it is - only the parapets of this bridge were washed away in the muckle spate of 1829.
A bridge for wheeled traffic - a toll bridge - was built in 1791.