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We have many friends and partners in and around the Cairngorm National Park that we work with, along with supporting many business and charities in the Highlands and Scotland. Below is a list of some links that may be of interest when planning your holiday with Crubenbeg Highland Holiday Cottages in the Cairngorm National Park:
Our Partners -
Our Friends:
Our Blog:
Dalwhinnie Shops and Restaurants:
Newtonmore Area
www.newtonmore.com
www.braeriachhotel.com
www.theglenhotel.co.uk
www.balavil.mckeverhotels.co.uk
www.borealisskye.co.uk
www.electricaltrade.co.uk
http://highlandfolk.museum
Music Festivals
www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk
www.lochstock.com
www.outsider.com
Green Links
www.green-business.co.uk
Kingussie Shops and Restaurants
Laggan
www.laggan.com
www.lagganstores.com
Aviemore Shops and Restaurants
Grantown-on-Spey Shops and Restaurants:
Outdoor Activities and Gear:
Camping Scotland - An extensive list of campsites in Scotland where you can book direct online!
Mountain Warehouse - sells a wide range of stock from ski and snowboard equipment, outdoor clothing, camping, travel, and hiking gear etc.
About the Area:
Cairngorms Chamber of Commerce
Cairngorms National Park
Monarch of the Glen Country
Boat of Garten
Carrbridge
Grantown on Spey
Kincraig
Kingussie
Laggan
Nethy Bridge
Newtonmore
Pets and Dogs:
Annie's Pet Sit - Dog Walking & Dog Boarding Service in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire
Paws for a Walk - The online resource for people travelling with their dogs,including accommodation, walks, safety information,behavioural and training advice and online shop
Accommodation and Travel:
Holiday Cottages Scotland - Large luxury holiday homes set in idyllic coastal farmland with panoramic sea views near Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway, south west Scotland.
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Hazelgrove - Self Catering accommodation overlooking Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland
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Abbotshill House - West wing of 18th Century Country House on the NE Fife/Perthshire border. 4-Star facilities, Short Breaks and Last Minute/Long Stay Discounts. Pet friendly.
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Things to do & see:
Oudoor Festivals:
Miscellaneous
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Walking
Outdoor Activities
There are lots of opportunities for skiing, rock and ice climbing, abseiling, mountain biking, etc. in the Cairngorms.
Cycling holidays -Cycle Breaks offer a chance to unwind and to discover the more subtle charms of the countryside at your own pace.
Lagganlia Centre near Kingussie. All-inclusive courses including snow-boarding, abseiling, rock-climbing, sailing, mountain-biking, rafting, kayaking, skiing, etc.
Mountain Innovations offer a choice of guided walking holidays, self-drive activity touring holidays, accommodation and transport packages for independent walkers, residential courses in navigation, winter skills and mountaineering. Based in Boat of Garten, they specialise in the Cairngorm area. Hostel accommodation available.
Osprey Adventures can arrange wilderness expeditions, guided walking holidays for all abilities, winter walking breaks and winter skills packages. Accommodation included. Advance booking required. Telephone 01463 237900.
Ron Walker of Talisman Activities based in Carrbridge will give you expert instruction in all these mountaineering skills, arrange mountain bike tours and take you on guided walks or survival expeditions.
Activity Scotland is the country's association representing activity holiday providers and they have many Highland members who operate in this area offering hiking, mountaineering, watersports, etc. Visit their site for details.
Highland Discovery Tours can offer a variety of activities on their small estate at Balnafettach. Clay-pigeon shooting, rough shooting, deer stalking, fly-fishing, wildlife photography. Expert tuition for all levels of ability. Golf club hire and fishing tackle hire also available. Booking essential. Tel: 01479 870 341. Airport transfers and sightseeing tours can be arranged if required.
Tours & Vehicle Hire
Highland Discovery Tours operate 6 different day tours (Sundays - Fridays). Depature points include Aviemore, Grantown-on-Spey and surrounding villages. Tours include Strathspey, CairnGorm Mountains & Badenoch, Culloden, Inverness & Loch Ness, Malt Whisky Trail, Skye & West Coast Highlights, Royal Deeside & Balmoral Castle. Booking essential. Tel: 01479 870 341. Airport transfers and private hire can also be arranged.
Based in Glenlivet, Heavenly Highlands operates half and full-day guided tours of Speyside by Land Rover specialising in wildlife, whisky and local history. Distillery tours, castle visits, walks, picnics and whisky tastings can be included. Maximum of 8 people. Tel: 01807 590 438.
Clansandcastles.com offer itinerary planning for self-drive tours (with car hire if required) and/or accommodation reservations for castles, inns & country houses.
Private tour guides also available. Small groups in a car, minibus or a 50-seater coach can be catered for. Each of the professional guides live and work in the Highlands and are keen to share their local knowledge. Visit Clansandcastles.com to find out how to book your tour in advance.
Celia Ffitch-Stewart is a fully insured driver-guide with Mercedes limousine for your tailor-made guided tour. Based in Fortrose, near Inverness. She offers half day, full day or extended tours. Airport collection (Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Inverness). Services can include itinerary planning and accommodation reservations. Meet your clan chief, trace your roots, stay in a castle, tour the distilleries. Member of HOSTGA (Highlands of Scotland Tour Guide Association).
For something special, check out Gran Turismo. They have a range of sports cars, classic cars and 4x4 vehicles for hire. Ideal for romantic breaks. Self-drive tours can be customised. Spend a few days at Columba House Hotel, a 19th century manse, near Aviemore, and explore the area in style.
Scotland Made Easy can plan a customised itinerary for a self-drive tour to suit your interests, budget and time available. They will book you into recommended accommodation where you are assured of quality, comfort and hospitality - usually in 4 star B&Bs in Scottish homes. Optional 'specials' include a night in a castle, church, lighthouse, country mansion, etc.
Whether you have already decided which places you want to visit or if you haven't a clue where to start, Scotland Made Easy will advise and take care of all the planning for you.
Sightseeing
CARRBRIDGE (25 miles south of Inverness, 7 miles north of Aviemore)
This pretty village is 850 feet above sea level. It has a 9-hole golf course and a pony trekking centre. On Station Road there's a good art studio if you are interested in buying pottery or paintings. The famous picturesque bridge over the Dulnain River dates back to 1717. Carrbridge.com has further info. The World Porridge Making Championships take place here every October.
Here you will also find the Landmark Forest Theme Park, an award-winning heritage park includes a tree top trail (you might see red squirrels), adventure play area, wild forest maze, Wild Watercoaster ride, wildlife feeding area, Clydesdale horse, steam engine, sawmill, forest workshop, restaurant, snack bar and shop. Open all year. Family tickets available. All areas are accessible by disabled visitors except the tree top trail and fire tower. Telephone 01479 841 613.
GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY
A planned town created by Sir James Grant of Grant in 1766. This is one of the most important centres in the area together with Aviemore. Golf course. More info on www.grantownonspey.com
Highland Games usually take place here on the last Saturday in August. Strathspey in May is a traditional music festival held each year. From here you can drive the scenic route northwards 20 miles to Forres and Nairn which leads you past the entrance to Castle Grant, described by Queen Victoria as "a very plain-looking house, like a factory".
Just 14 miles from Grantown on the A95 is the very splendid Ballindalloch Castle. Home of the Macpherson-Grants since 1546. Extensive grounds and a walled garden. Shop and tearoom. Golf course. Open daily (10.30am - 5pm) from Easter to the end of September (closed on Saturdays). Tel: 01807 500 205.
Near there is Speyside Pottery which is open from April to October, daily 10am - 5pm (or by arrangement).
REVACK ESTATE
Located on the B970 road between Grantown-on-Spey and Nethy Bridge. Revack Lodge was built as a shooting lodge some time around 1860. Today you can visit parts of the 15,000-acre estate where there are nature trails, adventure playground, plant centre and garden (orchids a speciality), restaurant and gift shop. Open daily. Coaches by appointment only. Tel: 01479 872 234 / Fax: 01479 872 722.
SPEYSIDE HEATHER
Halfway between Grantown-on-Spey and the Boat of Garten is the multi-award winning Speyside Heather Garden and Visitor Centre at Skye of Curr, Dulnain Bridge. See over 300 varieties of heather in the garden, visit the exhibition on the many uses of the plant, buy some to take home, shop for crafts, jewellery, clothes, garden produce. Restaurant (the famous Scottish Clootie Dumpling pudding is a speciality here). Open daily all year (except Christmas Day). Slightly reduced opening hours during the winter. Telephone 01479 851 359 / fax: 01479 851 396. Visited by 80,000 people a year.
BOAT OF GARTEN
Before the bridge that now crosses the River Spey, a ferry used to take people across the water - hence the name Boat of Garten. The Boat of Garten golf course, established in 1898, includes a bar, restaurant, shop, practice net and tennis courts (tel: 01479 831282).
Whether you are looking for food or accommodation, visit The Boat Hotel. It has a lounge bar, public bar and award-winning restaurant. It was built in Victorian times as the station hotel for the Strathspey Railway and still retains much of its original character.
At Loch Garten you might be lucky enough to see ospreys from the viewing hide provided by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Open daily during the summer.
The Boat of Garten Winter Festival is at the end of December. It offers a wide range of concerts, activities and a Hogmanay ceilidh.
The Summer Festival is at the end of May and beginning of June each year.
Boatofgarten.com has further info about this and the local area.
STRATHSPEY STEAM RAILWAY
The Strathspey Steam Railway runs between the Boat of Garten and Aviemore, which an extension to Broomhill ('Glenbogle' in the BBC TV series Monarch of the Glen). Morning coffee, afternoon tea and lunch can be taken on the train. Special Sunday lunch trips also available. Booking is advisable. Closed November - April (except for some holiday specials including Christmas). Telephone 01479 810725 or freephone 0800 085 7273. Timetables and details of special events on their web site.
AVIEMORE (32 miles south of Inverness on the A9)
Extremely popular mountain resort with many facilities and lots of all-year round activities: winter skiing, dry-ski slope, indoor climbing wall, theatre, Highland Cattle and deer farm, reindeer centre. Bike hire available from several places on Grampian Road. The town is situated on the main road and main railway line between Edinburgh/Perth and Inverness and also has a direct coach service.
Aviemore has its own web site which has all the details.
Local events here include the following. Torchlight procession through the streets on Christmas Eve. Sled dog rally with over 250 teams competing in various races takes place in late January each year in the Glenmore Forest Park (organised by the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain).
Just south of Aviemore on the B970 past the fish farm is the Rothiemurchus Visitor Centre at Inverdruie. Coffee shop, picnic areas, toilets, etc. Open daily 9am-5.30pm throughout the year. Hire mountain bikes to go exploring on the forest tracks. Get a free footpath map or go on a guided walk with the Countryside Ranger Service. Many other activities available including clay pigeon shooting, off road driving, fishing, birdwatching, Land Rover tours of the estate. The Rothiemurchus Estate also runs the Visitor Centre at Loch an Eilein. Telephone: 01479 812 345. More info available on their web site.
Loch-an-Eilein Pottery can be found 2.5 miles south-west of Aviemore on the road to Loch-an-Eilein (loch with tiny island which is home to the ruins of a castle). Pottery classes also available. Contact Penny Weir. Tel/fax: 01479 810 837. Self catering accommodation to rent for 3 or 7 days (sleeps 5-6).
Robert Pollock's guide to standing stones and cairns in North and North-East Scotland includes those at Avielochan and Delfour which are located north and south of Aviemore respectively.
CAIRNGORM REINDEER HERD
Take the B970 road out of Aviemore and then continue east for 6 miles (heading towards the chairlift). The Reindeer Centre is situated in the Glenmore Forest. Guided visits on foot take you right to the herd and you can touch the reindeer. These leave at 11am every day (and also 2.30pm in summer). At other times of the day you can probably see other reindeer around the centre. Exhibition and shop. Open all year (closed January). Admission charge Telephone 01479 861 228.
INSCHRIACH ALPINE PLANT NURSERY
Scotland's premier Alpine Plant Nursery is located 4 miles south of Aviemore on the B970. It is open to visitors from 9am - 5pm daily from mid February to mid November. Walk around the gardens and purchase some of the thousands of plants on display. Mail order catalogues available. More details online... Tel: 01540 651287. Holiday cottages also available.
HIGHLAND WILDLIFE PARK
Located at Kincraig almost halfway between Aviemore and Kingussie. The park opens every day (weather permitting) at 10am. Last entry is 2 hours before closing times. April - October 6 pm, June - August 7pm, November - March 4pm. Owned by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. Includes a large drive-through reserve where you can see red deer, bison, wild horses, Highland cattle and ancient breeds of sheep. You can walk around the rest of the park (disabled access is possible) and see alsorts of creatures including red squirrels, pine martens, capercaillie, owls, wolves, reindeer, lynx. Sheepdog trials on certain afternoons. Cafeteria, gift shop, picnic area. Tel: 01540 651 270 / Fax: 01540 651 236. Web site
KINGUSSIE (12 miles south of Aviemore and 54 miles north of Pitlochry)
The name Kingussie (pronounced King - you - sie) comes from the Gaelic equivalent of "the end of the pine wood". Located 764 feet above sea level, this is an excellent walking area. There's also a golf course.
When approaching the village along the A9 from the south, you can see the impressive ruins of Ruthven Barracks to the right of the road. Built in 1719, the barracks were destroyed by the Jacobites in 1746 and are now in the care of Historic Scotland. Ruthven means 'the red place'.
HIGHLAND FOLK MUSEUM
Founded in 1953 and relaunched in 1999, one part is situated in Duke Street, Kingussie and a second venue is located in nearby Newtonmore (2.5 miles away). Open 1 May - 31 August: Monday to Friday 10.30am - 5.30pm. Saturday and Sunday 1pm - 5pm. Also open April, September and October: Monday to Friday for guided tours only - hourly at Kingussie from 10.30am - 4.30 pm, and only 11am and 2pm at Newtonmore. Tel: 01540 661 307 / Fax: 01540 661 631. Picnic area and toilets available. Average time to allow to visit everything is 1.5 hours in Kingussie and 3 hours at the Newtonmore venue. This museum is both indoors and outdoors. You can visit Pitmain Lodge, MacRobert House, the farming museum, a replica of the Isle of Lewis Blackhouse, a horizontal water mill and a Victorian salmon smokehouse. Travel in time from the early 18th century Highland township to the mid-20th century working croft. Many live demonstrations can be seen in July and August featuring things such as baking, spinning, lace-making, dyeing, weaving, pottery, blacksmith skills and music. Visit their web site.
NEWTONMORE
Visit the official Newtonmore web site - it has absolutely everything you need to know about the town and its area including alsorts of information such as driving tours in the region. The Newtonmore Highland Games and Clan MacPherson Rally take place in August.
'MONARCH OF THE GLEN' COUNTRY
If you have been watching the BBC TV series entitled 'Monarch of the Glen', you may know that 'Glenbogle House' is in fact Ardverikie Castle on the shores of Loch Laggan, between Newtonmore and Spean Bridge. Please note that it is not open to the public, but self catering accommodation is available on 3 properties on the estate.
Weddings can be arranged here through Highland Wedding Bells and Highland Country Weddings.
WHISKY DISTILLERIES:
Tomatin Distillery Visitor Centre is open all year from 9am - 5pm (last tour 3.30pm) Monday to Friday and also on Saturday mornings between May and October. Display, tour, tasting. Free admission. Located just off the A9 midway between Aviemore and Inverness. Tel: 01808 511 444 / fax: 01808 511 373. Tomatin comes from the Gaelic meaning 'the hill of the Juniper bushes'.
Glenfarclas Distillery at Ballindalloch, south of Elgin. Open all year Monday to Friday 10am - 5pm during the tourist season and 10am to 4pm. during the winter. From June to September, the distillery is also open on Saturdays from 10am - 4pm. Tel: 01807 500 257 / fax: 01807 500 234.
Glenfiddich Distillery, located at Dufftown, south of Elgin. Audio-visual presentation in 6 languages. Guided tour. Gift shop. Complimentary dram. Open all year Monday to Friday 9.30am - 4.30pm. From Easter to mid-October the distillery also opens on Saturdays from 9.30am - 4.30pm and Sundays 12 noon - 4.30pm. Tel: 01340 820 373.
SPEYSIDE
Check out The Speyside Way which stretches from the coast at Buckie inland to Aviemore (a total distance of 84 miles /135km). There are 2 offshoots to Dufftown and Tomintoul. For Speyside distillery listings, visit scotchwhisky.net
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