Family holiday in the Cairngorms

not_the_dj

I've booked our family holiday for August up there, we've two boys 8 and 10 who love a bit of outdoors adventure and nature.

Googled a few hikes and watersports places but has anyone on here spent time in that area, and if so do you have any recommendations?

We're staying near Nethy Bridge.

vasselmeyer

Take a trip to the Highlands Wildlife park, run by the Royal Zooogical Society of Scotland (website https://highlandwildlifepark.org.uk/). They concentrate on Northern species and have Scottish wildcats, snow leopards, wolves, arctic foxes, and polar bears amongst others. They also have Red Pandas which are the cutest little critters ever. It was one of the best zoo experiences I've ever been to.

cj73

Yip, last 4 years we've spent at least a week in either Aviemore, Carrbridge or Boat of Garten....heading back up there next week in fact.

Are you looking for outdoorsy stuff or just general holiday entertainment stuff, if you know what I mean?

not_the_dj

vasselmeyer said:

Take a trip to the Highlands Wildlife park, run by the Royal Zooogical Society of Scotland (website https://highlandwildlifepark.org.uk/). They concentrate on Northern species and have Scottish wildcats, snow leopards, wolves, arctic foxes, and polar bears amongst others. They also have Red Pandas which are the cutest little critters ever. It was one of the best zoo experiences I've ever been to.

Oh wow, the boys will love that. On the list for sure.

cj73 said:

Are you looking for outdoorsy stuff or just general holiday entertainment stuff, if you know what I mean?

A mixture. We won't be doing full on outdoor adventure stuff every day, so general family stuff for nice days out as well.

Currently got a shortlist forming which covers a walk to see the Reindeer Herd, a kayak lesson and hire, and me and my eldest will do a day long walk one day.

cj73

Work is quiet so here goes...


Highland Wildlife Park is great. A great day out with equal opportunities for safari type drive through and lots of walking, Organised educational talks and demos throughout the day and a stunning location.

Landmark Centre, Carrbridge.. Outdoors type theme park, probably easier if you goggle it.

Drive up past Inverness and go Dolphin spotting in the Moray Firth.  My favourite place for this is Chanonry point but if you're feeling flush there also boat trips out in the Firth.

Loch Morlich Watersports Centre East of Aviemore. lots of watersports options and a lovely drive out through Rothiemurcus.

If the boys are into walking and cycling then there are loads of options.. if they've done any kind of hillwalking then Craigellachie just west of Aviemore is reasonable easy, a bit steep at the very end but great views back over Aviemore to the Cairngorms

Nearer to Nethy you've got loads of walks n trails around Loch Garten and Abernethy Forest and you can join them up with the Speyside way and go all the way into Aviemore without too much up or down

C


 

not_the_dj

Awesome, thanks @cj73 ;

midiman1962

I was in West of Scotland kinLochleven and Stronytian last week and these were essential between 7pm and 11pm
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mosquito-Insect-Protector-Camping-Fishing/dp/B01DY7IBCY/ref=asc_df_B01DY7IBCY/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309941771417&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1083024025630913334&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006886&hvtargid=pla-297103922081&psc=1

ICBM

We were near there a couple of years ago - stayed in Boat of Garten.

Landmark is fantastic - make sure you get there dead on when it opens, and spend the whole day to get the best value for money - worth every penny for kids that age, although the queues for some of the rides are quite long.

If the weather's good definitely go up to Loch Morlich - good walking around there and you can hire boats.

The Cairngorm Mountain Railway is out of action at the moment, so getting up the mountain itself now is a major hike.

If they're into steam trains there's the Strathspey Railway at Aviemore and Boat of Garten.

And for something to eat, go to the Ski-Ing Doo in Aviemore - in the strip up one side of the main street - my kids say it's the best restaurant in the world... I wouldn't go quite that far but it's pretty good .

cj73

ICBM said:

We were near there a couple of years ago - stayed in Boat of Garten.

Landmark is fantastic - make sure you get there dead on when it opens, and spend the whole day to get the best value for money - worth every penny for kids that age, although the queues for some of the rides are quite long.

If the weather's good definitely go up to Loch Morlich - good walking around there and you can hire boats.

The Cairngorm Mountain Railway is out of action at the moment, so getting up the mountain itself now is a major hike.

If they're into steam trains there's the Strathspey Railway at Aviemore and Boat of Garten.

And for something to eat, go to the Ski-Ing Doo in Aviemore - in the strip up one side of the main street - my kids say it's the best restaurant in the world... I wouldn't go quite that far but it's pretty good .

I'll see your Ski-Ing Doo and raise you the Winking Owl across the road, especially after it's recent beer garden extension

ICBM

cj73 said:

I'll see your Ski-Ing Doo and raise you the Winking Owl across the road, especially after it's recent beer garden extension

That sounds like an excuse to compare the two later this year or next .

kaypeejay

cj73 said:

 

I'll see your Ski-Ing Doo and raise you the Winking Owl across the road, especially after it's recent beer garden extension

Good beer in the winking owl too.

The Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore is cheap and interesting. It will surprise you how recently people were living in primitive thatched crofts. The place is also crawling with red squirrels.

Read 'His bloody project' by Graeme McRae-Burnett before you go to get some idea of the Scottish lifestyle in the Highlands in the 1800s.

We generally go up there in the October half term when the snow is just starting, but it is a stunning area to go to any time of year and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Last year we went on a quad bike trek which was great fun, not sure if your kids might be too small so check first if you are thinking of going.

There is the sculpture trail in Glen Feshie, an easy walk by the river with wood sculptures to look at. Plenty of other walks about there too if you have time.

cj73

ICBM said:

cj73 said:

I'll see your Ski-Ing Doo and raise you the Winking Owl across the road, especially after it's recent beer garden extension

That sounds like an excuse to compare the two later this year or next .

Did you try Anderson's when you were in Garten?

ICBM

cj73 said:

Did you try Anderson's when you were in Garten?

No, the kids thought it looked too posh. Might have to go back without them .

Keiko

midiman1962 said:

I was in West of Scotland kinLochleven and Stronytian last week and these were essential between 7pm and 11pm
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mosquito-Insect-Protector-Camping-Fishing/dp/B01DY7IBCY/ref=asc_df_B01DY7IBCY/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309941771417&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1083024025630913334&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006886&hvtargid=pla-297103922081&psc=1

It must have been minge seasion.

Nitefly

If you're that far up, and if you and yours have the slightest interest in history, I'd definitely recommend a trip to Culloden: https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/culloden

We were there 2 years ago.  The visitor centre is wonderful, very informative about the events leading up to the battle, and with a "theatre room" which puts you in the centre of the battle being projected onto the walls all around you.

Then you can go out onto the battlefield itself with a headset device which picks up where you are and plays relevant commentary - very useful.

We did it in February (!) and it really made you feel for the poor sods who marched all night, then got told to charge at the redcoats - madness!

DiscoStu

Landmark now has dinosaurs! They've only been in a couple of weeks but proving a big hit already.
https://www.landmarkpark.co.uk/explore-the-park/dinosaur-kingdom/

I'm not in Aviemore myself, I live in Elgin but used to go out with a lassie from Aviemore so spent a few months there.
The Old Bridge Inn was my kinda pub. There's a decent Italian pizzeria place called La Taverna, and the Mountain Cafe is fab too.

My mate's band Tweed play in The Winking Owl, I think every Wednesday?

There's a cinema in the MacDonald hotel.

Plenty of mountain bike hire places and you should take the funicular railway to the top of Cairngorm and take in the view.

Watersports at Loch Insh.

There's loads of outsideness so if you're bored then you're doing it wrong!

DiscoStu

If you're holidaying the weekend of the 24th August then you'll catch Thunder in the Glen, a mass bike rally in the middle of Aviemore. 

Modulus_Amps

Depends on how much driving you want to do

Make sure to stop off in Pilochary and do the walk over the dam wall

Make sure you get some smudge or skin so soft 

White water rafting from Aberfeldy is ace and not too scary

Inverness is a must day out.

Further north the black Isle has some very pretty towns. Rosemarkie beach is stunning on a nice day

FarleyUK

Funnily enough, we're heading to Skye and then Aviemore for a mate's wedding the week of the 12th August, so these are some very appreciated suggestions...!

ICBM

FarleyUK said:

Funnily enough, we're heading to Skye and then Aviemore for a mate's wedding the week of the 12th August, so these are some very appreciated suggestions...!

If you do, don't stop between Kyle and Invergarry on the A87 - we did somewhere along it (I forget exactly where) because one of the kids was sick, and when we opened the car doors it immediately filled with the worst midges I've ever experienced...

not_the_dj

cj73 said:

Drive up past Inverness and go Dolphin spotting in the Moray Firth.  My favourite place for this is Chanonry Point...
 

Just want to say thanks again to @cj73. We had a great day today at Chanonry Point.

Mrs DJ and the mini DJs couldn’t believe how close we were, and the dolphins put on a great show for us. 

Great tip, thanks.