Aviemore

Surprisingly for a Glaswegian, I had never graced Aviemore until I met Graham and now it’s an annual holiday thanks to Graham’s parents and their 2 week time share slot at Dalfaber Resort.

If you love the outdoors, then Aviemore is definetly the place to go with the Cairngorms National Park on your doorstep plus Loch Morlich, Loch an Eilein, Rochiemurcus Estate and Forest , River Spey, Boat of Garten, Loch Insh, and much more on your door step. There is plenty to keep you busy, and its even better if the sun is shining.

First things first, here’s a quick run through some of our favourite things to do…

If in to mountain biking there are loads of nice routes to explore, ranging in difficulty. There are a couple of outlets renting bikes in Aviemore itself but they do get booked up quickly so if you can bring your own, it’s worth doing so. Check out the routes near/in Rothiemurcus Estate, and towards Boat of Garten.

Likewise if into running, you can follow the same routes – there’s an easy flat 5k route which snakes behind Dalfaber, along the back of the railway line with the fields and Cairngorm mountain range on one side, up towards Rothiemurcus to the Old Bridge Inn where you then back along Grampian Road (Aviemore’s main thoroughfare). Alternatively, drive to Loch An Eilean and do a loop of the Loch which is around 5-6k. Check out the routes on Strava.

There are loads of great places to do a range of other outdoor pursuits. We haven’t done many but would thoroughly recommend the river kayaking with Loch Morlich Watersports and Quad Biking with Rothiemurcus You can also hire quad bikes, go horse riding, wiz about on segways, and much more.

There are a few distilleries in the local area too which are worth checking out including Glenfiddich (free to get in if my memory serves me right). Balmenach Distillery which is home to Caorunn Gin has also opened and we will be attempting a visit this summer.

If you have kids, they might enjoy the Cairngorm Reindeer Park, Landmark Forest Adventure Park, Strathspey Railway (an old steam engine), or MacDonald Highland Resort Activity Centre just off Grampian Road is good for a rainy day as it has a cinema, huge soft play area plus an indoor pool with water slide and wave machine. You can also feed the fish (the fish in question being huge river trout) at a place near to Rothiemurcus for around £1 for a bag of food. Then there’s Cairngorm itself. Riding the Funicular is the easier and alternative way to get to the top. On a clear the views are great.

If looking for parks, there’s a great and big park up at the Macdonald Resort. It is located to the left of the swimming building and is accessible to public. There’s also one tucked in amongst the houses between Dalfaber Resort and the walk to centre via back cycle path.

With all that fresh air, you’ll be in need of some tasty grub. It seems like Aviemore has upped its game on the foodie front in recent years.  Plenty of great options to choose from, including:

• The Mountain Cafe on Grampian Road is absolutely fantastic. It’s located opposite the police station and public car park. Believe me when I say it’s worth the queues. Amazing, innovative food using fresh ingredients with huge portions. Great for breakfast, lunch, or cakes!
• Another favourite, especially for a nice dinner is the Old Bridge Inn which also hosts its own music festival. Fresh, local ingredients including beef, venison, fish. It is pricey but the food is worth it. Plus it has a lovely relaxed atmosphere, and serves a good selection of craft beers and they do their own gin infusions.
• The Druie Cafe in Rothiemurcus is also a great place to stop for a bite to eat or to fuel up on cake. We haven’t eaten in there in the evening but menu looks good.
• Pizzariach does superb homemade pizzas. They only have a couple of tables so more of a take-out place but really good quality. There’s also a great chip shop next door too called ironically ‘The Chippy’.
• The Cairngorm Hotel also does pretty good food. Expect your usual pub grub, plus nice soups and salads; oh and a nice looking Sunday lunch.