The Cairngorms

The Cairngorms

From our depot in Perth it will take around an hour and a half give or take a stop or the traffic upon the A9.  If you are a first time motorhomer the Glenmore campsite is a wonderful stop off point for your first night to find your feet. Home - Glenmore Campsite (glenmore-campsite.com) website will give you all the information you need and also gives a good insight into what is on offer in the local area. Some of the pitches are located in the forest and these make for an absolutely wonderful backdrop for any holiday in Scotland. One top tip is to pack some midge spray to make life a tad more comfortable. 

What is there to do locally? 

Senders bike park is relatively new and is utterly wonderful for those who enjoy biking, want to improve skills or try new skills on their bike. They have a website and you are encouraged to prebook, you require your own bike and safety equipment however it is worth a visit when you are in the area. There are hopes to expand this area next year Sender Bike Park - Category Rothiemurchus has all the information you need and its a great stopping point if your heading up the Cairngorm mountain on your bike. 

Highland Wildlife Park located just 7 miles South of Aviemore. The park is open  10am-5pm over the Summer months and is a wonderful park. From Yaks, Owls, Fox, Polar bears, reindeer, wolves, lynx to leopards. There is a lovely cafe, gift shop, play park and lots to read and learn about. There is a new discovery centre which is a fantastic resource located near the snow leopards so you gain a wonderful panoramic view and you feel fully immersed within the parks life. There is much to learn and see about the conservation that occurs here. Currently there is a lot of information to be found regarding saving wildcats. 

Loch Morlich is such a beautiful location, whether you choose to sit on the beach and watch, have lunch in the cafe, paddle in the water or go all out and go for a swim there is something for everyone here. We spent a whole day by the beach, playing in the sand, paddle boarding and swimming. You can hire an array of different vessels to test out on the water and the staff are wonderful at helping you choose. They have wetsuits and water shoes if required along with life jackets, there are limited places to change so its an idea to be changed for water activities before you arrive at the beach. The water in the summer is pleasant however i have to admit we still wear wetsuits but there are lots of others who  find the cold waters really invigorating.

Landmark Family Adventure Park is one of our favourite trips when in the area. Although on first glance its expensive, once you are in the park you can spend an entire day here and everything is included. There are lots of picnic areas to take your own food and drinks and if you fancy a day off cooking, there are lots of places to pick from to eat. The kids and adults can enjoy the waterslides, nets in the trees, the butterfly house, treetop adventure, dinosaur kingdom, the wonder wood and so much more. One of the highlights for our children were the dinosaurs and here they can help excavate a T-Rex in a giant sandpit. Another highlight is the remote control cars and the mini diggers which are now free which was a welcome surprise and kept the kids entertained. The staff int he butterfly house were fabulous at spending time explaining the animals and how they care for them, life cycles and diet which was a nice interaction experience. 

The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd, have been roaming free since 1952, they are all very tame and friendly. Currently there are around 150 reindeer in the herd. There is a local shop open most of the year for more information and how to book a trip to see them.

Loch An Eilein is spectacular it reflects the beautiful forest at Rothiemurchus, it is a lovely place for a walk however please note in the Scottish weather the area can be muddy and slippy at times so isnt overly suitable for those unsteady on their feet and the paths are not maintained.

An Lochan Uaine or the green loch is truly magnificent, here you can walk through the forest tracks and paths, there is one steep section with rough steps however it is worth the trip to see the Loch. Please note we have never paddled in here as there are known to be leeches in the water here so just to make everyone aware to look out for them. The green colour of the water appears to be from the algae present under the water although there are many a tales about fairies washing their clothes here at night and the colour is from the reflection of all the trees. 

Strathspey Steam Railway  runs 6 days a week over the summer and you can have the options of the trip alone, light lunch or afternoon tea. We have sampled each of the options over the years an all are a wonderful experience. The afternoon tea was simply delicious and we choose to dine 1st class so had the small cabin to ourselves. All monies raised goes back into the railway and helps preserve some of Scotland’s history which is so important not to look. 

The Mcdonald resort is fabulous and has so much to offer if you are staying there or if your just visiting for the day. Outdoors there is grass sledging, archery, quad bikes and a lovely childrens playpark. Within the resort itself there is a wonderful shopping area, places to eat and lots of information of activities in the surrounding areas. There is a separate building which houses a swimming pool with a wave machine, hot tub and water slide. Within this building there is also a soft play which is wonderful to burn off some extra energy especially if the weather is not being kind. Outside there is now an ice rink which is housed in a temporary structure but offers a wonderful experience for the whole family. 

Rothiemurchus Estate is privately owned within Strathspey and it is one of the most treasured areas of the larger Cairngorms National Park. There is evidence that Rothiemurches is a very old settlement and dates back to the 8th Century. There is so much history steeped here for anyone interested it is a must see. There are many photographing opportunities here, if you are a budding photographer don’t forget to pack your camera whilst on the Estate. 

The Highland Folk Museum at Newtonmore, is really a step back in time and experience what life was like in the Highlands of Scotland from around 1700 to 1950. It's truly outstanding the progress made and also how people adapted to cope and to make life easier for themselves. There are over 35 buildings here to explore. This is free to attend however there is a donation box as this is a place that you really must visit when your in the area. 
Treezone Aviemore offers a wonderful view of the area around form the treetops. Children are required to be aged 8 and 1.1m tall. If they are under 1.3m they will be restricted to the slightly smaller course however this still offers so much fun, a sense of adventure and capture a love of the great outdoors. Here you can test yourself on the zip wires, nets, balance beams and tight ropes. They offer a family pass for 4 and this offers some good value for money. 

As you can see there is so much to see and do in the Cairngorms and this list is as we would say the tip of the iceberg. There are lots of golfing opportunities, other watersports, walks, hiking and food to be able to enjoy while you visit. The Cairngorms boosts the fact that there are so many wild camping spots to park up which makes life in a motorhome so much easier.